Environment and human rights groups have complained that the Finnish government is breaking the law by failing to meet its own carbon neutrality target and the EU’s climate commitments.
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The case was brought by a group of environmental and human rights organisations. Image: Antti Ullakko / Yle
Finland’s Supreme Administrative Court has rejected a case brought by a group of environmental and human rights organisations over the Finnish government’s efforts to tackle climate change.
The complaint was filed with the court last year, as the groups argued that the policies of PM Petteri Orpo’s (NCP) government were in breach of Finland’s international commitments as well as the terms of the country’s Climate Change Act.
The groups cited in particular the fact that, since the Orpo government took office, Finland has slipped both in its national goal to be carbon neutral by 2035 and also in its EU climate commitments. Meeting both targets is enshrined in the Climate Act.
Experts have long predicted that Finland will not meet its climate goals, with the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) warning in 2022 that failure to reach the net carbon sink target set by the EU could see Finland facing a compensation bill running into billions of euros.
In a climate report published in 2023, the government conceded that Finland would fall short of the EU’s carbon sink obligation for forests in 2021-25.
However, in its ruling handed down on Wednesday morning, the Supreme Administrative Court noted that the government had taken the carbon sink obligation into consideration in its climate policies — and that the measures would need time to take effect.
The court added that it is too early to say whether the government’s policies can be considered insufficient in meeting the climate targets — and therefore the government’s actions cannot be considered unlawful, although this verdict could be subject to change if the measures do not prove successful.
The ruling marks the second time the Supreme Administrative Court has dismissed a case brought by environmental groups against the Finnish government over climate action.
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Publish date : 2025-01-08 01:31:00
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