Sectoral roadmaps: technological advancement offers huge potential
The sectoral low-carbon roadmap work is in full swing. The current status of the roadmap work was updated at a mid-term seminar held on 28 January 2020. At the event organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the importance of technologies and innovations as contributors to decarbonisation in various sectors and companies was also discussed. Held at the Helsinki Music Centre, the seminar brought together more than 140 decision-makers and specialists from different sectors, companies and interest groups.
“I think it is inevitable that we will see an acceleration in climate change mitigation measures in Finland and internationally. Finland must take decisive policy and other measures to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in the next few years, with the pace accelerating after 2030. We need a wide range of climate actions in all sectors,” emphasised Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä in his opening speech.
“Energy-intensive industry plays a central role in terms of the 2035 objective. With technological solutions that support climate neutrality we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Innovations and low-emission solutions provide huge export and large-scale business opportunities for Finnish companies. The global emissions reduction achieved with solutions created by Finnish companies may be many times higher than it is in Finland,” Lintilä pointed out.
In addition to industries with high greenhouse gas emissions (energy, forestry, technology and chemistry), work is also in progress in ten other sectors. The objective is to identify paths to reduced climate emissions in different sectors and companies. The sectors participating in the project account for almost a half of Finland’s greenhouse gas emissions.
SSAB’s plan to make fossil-free steel is an excellent example of the potential technological progress can offer. By the end of the 2020s, the company plans to start making steel using hydrogen reduction, which will completely eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the production process. This gigantic investment would immediately cut Finland’s climate emissions by seven per cent.
As Minister Lintilä pointed out, low-carbon solutions play an increasingly important role in the business activities of Finnish companies. For us Finns, success in this skyrocketing sector means more work and wellbeing.
“Logically, decarbonisation is one of the key elements of the export and international growth programme, which is about to be launched with the objective of creating new export opportunities for Finnish companies. We plan to make decarbonisation a part of Finland’s country brand. In this effort, we will receive strong support from our global Team Finland network,” Lintilä explained.
Items on the agenda on the next roadmap seminar (24 March) include future energy needs and production
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment organised a sectoral roadmap kick-off seminar on 23 September 2019. Today, the opportunities provided by technologies and innovations were discussed. The next mid-term seminar on energy needs and production will be organised on 24 March. The growing electrification of processes can lead to a dramatic increase in electricity consumption.
Most roadmaps should be completed in May-June. The sectors will announce their results at their discretion. A coordinated summary of the results will be available in the closing seminar organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, which is scheduled to take place on 9 June 2020.
Inquiries:
Riku Huttunen, Director-General, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 431 6518
Juhani Tirkkonen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 50 365 3412