Climate Policy Roundtable meets to discuss agreement on low-carbon circular economy
The Climate Policy Roundtable will hold its 11th meeting on Wednesday 13 October. The meeting will focus on the low-carbon circular economy agreement, which aims to boost the achievement of the objectives set in the Circular Economy Programme completed in spring 2021.
The Government adopted a Resolution on the Circular Economy Programme in April 2021. According to this, the consumption of non-renewable natural resources will decrease and the sustainable use of renewable natural resources may increase to the extent that the total consumption of primary raw materials in Finland in 2035 will not exceed what it was in 2015. The productivity of resources must be doubled by 2035 from the situation in 2015. The circular material use rate (CMU) must also be doubled by 2035.
“A circular economy offers solutions for curbing the overconsumption of natural resources and, through this, for halting the climate crisis and the decline in biodiversity. The objective of reducing the use of natural resources alone takes us in the right direction – this we have seen in climate work in general. To support the objective, we are now looking for concrete actions in different sectors to promote the transition into a circular economy. All stakeholders must be involved in the transformation of the economic system,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate change Krista Mikkonen, who chairs the meeting.
One way of promoting the objectives of the Circular Economy Programme is the low-carbon circular economy agreement, which municipalities, companies and other stakeholders should join with their own commitments. The commitments would be based on scenarios where organisations, together with research institutes, draw up stepping stones towards a carbon-neutral future. Based on these scenarios, the operators would then set their own targets and commit to these. The scenario processes can also be incorporated into the low-carbon roadmaps drawn up by many sectors in recent years, which should now be updated and supplemented. To implement more effective measures, a network of experts will be put together that will provide tools, find suitable sources of funding and help resolve bottlenecks.
The Climate Policy Roundtable brings together a broad spectrum of stakeholders from different sectors of society. The purpose of the Roundtable is to create a common understanding of how Finland can make a just transition to a carbon neutral society by 2035. With its work, the Roundtable supports the preparation and implementation of Finland’s national climate policy.
To follow the work of the Roundtable in social media use #ilmastonpyöreäpöytä and #hiilineutraali2035.
Inquiries
Riikka Yliluoma
Special Adviser to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
tel. +358 50 414 1682
[email protected]
Jarmo Muurman
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Secretary-General of the Climate Policy Roundtable
tel. +358 295 250 185
[email protected]
Taina Nikula
Senior Ministerial Adviser
tel. +358 295 250 202
[email protected]