Ministers presented the new National Energy and Climate Strategy

The Government approved the National Energy and Climate Strategy to 2030 on 24 November 2016. The strategy sets out concrete actions and targets through which Finland will achieve the EU energy and climate objectives to 2030. The strategy will be given as a Government report to the Parliament, where the discussion on the report is to be started on 30 November.

Minister of Economic Affairs Olli Rehn, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen, and Minister of Justice and Employment Jari Lindström presented the objectives and measures of the strategy at the press conference held today.

– We are facing a global and fundamental change of the whole energy economy. The National Energy and Climate Strategy adopted by the Finnish Government today is our response to this serious challenge, says Minister Rehn.

– Utilising Finland's renewable energy potential in industrial-scale energy production is one of the key issues in terms of the long-term energy and climate objectives. Meeting the objectives to 2030 provides a sustainable bridge to achieving a 100% renewable and carbon neutral energy economy in Finland by 2050, he says.

– The strategy boosts our actions to combat climate change and reach the targets of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Diverse actions are needed including the potential of biogas. Forest growth is utilised in reaching the climate targets in a way that ensures sufficient carbon sinks, also in the future. Climate targets can well be reconciled with the protection of biodiversity, says Minister Tiilikainen.

– Transport sector has a key role in reaching the ambitious targets of the strategy. Besides the important legislative reforms, bold reforms are also needed in the transport markets and behaviour to reach the objectives. The strategy influences the development of the transport sector in the next 20 years, and we are firmly committed to implementing it, says Minister Berner.

– For the success of our export sector first-mover advantage is decisive. It is most important that Finland is now taking a big step in the right direction. By 2030 we will stop using coal, reduce the use of imported oil by a half, and raise the number of electric cars to 250 000, says Minister Mykkänen.

– The common thread in the Energy and Climate Strategy is the substitution of domestic energy for imported energy, especially oil and coal. This is the best solution from the employment perspective as well.

Further information:
Press release: Strategy outlines energy and climate actions to 2030 and beyond
The strategy and background studies are available at www.tem.fi/strategia2016

Inquiries:
Markku Rajala, Special Adviser to the Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 50 345 8490
Jyrki Peisa, Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and the Environment, tel. +358 50 396 0836
Saara Reinimäki, Communications Specialist, Ministry of Transport and Communications, tel. +358 50 303 3065 
Tuomas Rautanen, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, tel. +358 50 396 8827
Juha Halttunen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Justice and Employment, tel. 050 574 0236