Environment Ministers to agree on the LULUCF regulation
The EU Ministers of the Environment meet in Luxembourg on Friday 13 October to discuss effort sharing in the non-ETS sectors under the 2030 climate package and the so-called LULUCF regulation, i.e. how carbon sinks and emissions caused by the use of lands and forests are taken into account in the EU’s climate objectives. Finland’s representative at the meeting is Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister for Housing, Energy and the Environment.
The effort sharing and LULUCF regulations as well as the Emissions Trading Directive constitute the EU’s contribution to implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
“According to the Paris Agreement, the sinks and emissions should be in balance by the end of the century. Finland aims to be carbon neutral by 2045. To achieve this we need our forests. It is most important that the outcome of the negotiations supports the sustainable use of forests”, Minister Tiilikainen says.
The proposal for the LULUCF regulation is closely linked to the Commission’s effort sharing proposal, where the emission reduction target set for Finland is -39% from the level in 2005 by 2030. In the negotiations Finland aims for a solution where the land use sector would not be considered as an emission for Finland in the calculations.
The discussion on LULUCF in the Council will be based on a compromise proposal prepared by the Estonian Presidency. The proposal includes a compensation system where the special questions concerning forested countries are taken into account. The aim for Finland is that the proposal would allow to increase harvesting for the needs of sustainable forestry and to adopt a longer-term perspective on the accumulation of carbon sinks. Finland also proposes that the emissions caused by loss of historical forest area which has already taken place would be included in the compensation system.
If the Ministers reach an understanding, the processing of the effort sharing and LULUCF regulations will continue by tripartite negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council. Final decisions are expected in the early part of 2018.
At the meeting the Council should also adopt the EU mandate and priorities for the COP23 Climate Change Conference in Bonn and meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-3) in Nairobi in December 2017. Finland supports the proposals for the conclusions.
Minister Tiilikainen has also invited the Green Growth Group representing countries with advanced environmental policies to discuss the proposals for the regulations, multiannual framework for international climate financing, and revision of the Long-Term Low Carbon Strategy.
Environment Council meeting live online (13 October starting at 10.35 Finnish time)
What is LULUCF? 10 questions and answers (klimaatti.fi, in Finnish)
Inquiries:
Taru Savolainen, Special Adviser to Minister Tiilikainen, tel. +358 50 535 8622, [email protected]
Heikki Granholm, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, tel. +358 295 162 130, [email protected] (LULUCF)
Tuija Talsi, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 295 250 285, [email protected] (effort sharing)
Jussi Palmén, Communications Specialist, Ministry of the Environment, tel. +358 295 250 219, [email protected] (requests for interviews)