Further boost to emission reductions – Government approved Medium-Term Climate Plan
Finland is on the path to achieving the emission reduction targets for the effort-sharing sector for the period 2021–2030, set jointly in the EU. On 4 December 2025, the Government gave a Report to Parliament on the Medium-Term Climate Plan that sets out the measures to boost emission reductions.
Prepared under the lead of the Ministry of the Environment, the Medium-Term Climate Plan contains both an analysis of the adequacy of the current actions in the effort-sharing sector and further measures to reach the targets. The effort-sharing sector comprises emissions from transport, agriculture, building-specific heating, non-road mobile machinery and waste management, and F-gas emissions.
“Emission reductions in the effort-sharing sector are making good progress. With the diverse additional measures presented by the Government, we will meet the EU’s emission reduction obligations. The additional measures will also offer opportunities for companies to renew their operations and invest in low-carbon solutions, and to operate in a predictable environment,” Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala says.
Finland is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the EU obligations
The EU obligations mean that Finland must reduce emissions by 50 per cent from the level in 2005 by 2030. For the period 2021–2030 emission allocations have been set for each year. If a country’s emissions are below the allocations in a given year, there is flexibility in the following years. However, the allocations for the whole period must stay within the total volume agreed in the EU.
By 2024, emissions from the Finnish effort-sharing sector had decreased by 26 per cent compared to 2005. Road transport accounts for more than a third and agriculture for a quarter of the emissions in the effort-sharing sector. Non-road mobile machinery and building-specific heating are also significant sources of emissions.
Finland’s emissions were below the annual allocations in 2021–2023, which created a surplus and flexibility for the following years. Together with the additional measures and the actions set out in the previous climate plans, this will make it possible to meet the EU’s emission reduction obligation. The target to halve emissions by 2030 will thus be met through the flexibility.
Structural solutions and support for low-carbon investments
The additional measures presented in the Medium-Term Climate Plan mainly consist of various kinds of financial support and incentives. The aim is to achieve additional emission reductions of at least 0.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, compared to the current trend.
In the transport sector, support is provided for the construction of charging infrastructure and for procurement of low-carbon heavy-duty vehicles. Phasing out oil heating in buildings and electrification of non-road mobile machinery are promoted. For light fuel oil, there will be some increase in the distribution obligation concerning renewable fuels, which will reduce emissions in many sectors. Carbon capture in waste incineration will be supported. In agriculture, the focus will be on ensuring actions related to wetlands on peatlands, reducing emissions from manure treatment and developing precision farming.
However, there are also serious uncertainties related to achieving the target for the effort-sharing sector The trends in emissions will depend on how and on what schedule the implementation of climate measures will proceed. It is not certain, for example, whether carbon capture and storage in waste incineration will lead to emission reductions before 2030. The risks also include the linkage between the obligations for the land use and effort-sharing sectors, which means that the deficit accumulated in the land use sector in 2021–2025 may be transferred as an additional burden to the effort-sharing sector.
Medium-Term Climate Plan is part of the planning system under the Climate Act
Next, Parliament will give its opinion on the Medium-Term Climate Plan. The implementation of the plan will start immediately.
The Medium-Term Climate Plan is based on the national Climate Act, and it was prepared in parallel with the Energy and Climate Strategy. This third Medium Term Climate Plan will continue the work under the previous plan adopted in 2022.
Inquiries
Lyydia Ylönen
Special Adviser to Minister Multala
Ministry of the Environment
tel. +358 50 476 1341
[email protected]
Sally Weaver
tel. +358 295 250 121
[email protected]