News

The Ministry of the Environment will update its strategy as part of the preparations for future challenges and government terms. The online discussion that has now been opened ‘Where is the Ministry of the Environment headed?’ gathers views on what the role and targets of the ministry should be to address the changes in society, and what we should achieve by 2035.

The EU Environment Council will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 17 March. Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala will represent Finland at the meeting. Minister Multala stresses that now it is highly important to defend a consistent climate policy and, in particular, the emissions trading system.

Finland and seven other EU Member States have signed a non-paper that stresses the important role of a strong emissions trading system in the EU. The non-paper is their response to the discussion where certain Member States hope for major changes to the emissions trading system and a lower price for emission allowances.

Finnish consumers are increasingly ordering low-cost goods online, mostly from manufacturers based in China. Based on the proposals of a recent report, the Government will begin to prepare legislation to address problems caused by these cheap imports. There is also emphasis on consumer responsibility.

In 2025, about 6,600 hectares of forest habitats were protected under the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO. Last year Finnish forest owners protected permanently about 3,200 hectares of forest and concluded ten-year environmental forestry subsidy agreements concerning about 3,400 hectares. The area covered by nature management works was about 180 hectares.

On Wednesday 4 March, Finland and India signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further increase cooperation in environmental issues. The aim is, in particular, to promote the opportunities of Finnish companies and research institute to cooperate with Indian partners.

Finland’s new national report to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity shows that the work to halt biodiversity loss is heading in the right direction. Progress has been made in almost all sectors, but measures need to be upscaled in the protection, restoration and management of nature. Besides this, actions that cause biodiversity loss must be avoided or mitigated. Awareness of the importance of biodiversity has grown and many operators in the business and financing sectors and civil society organisations have strengthened their work on biodiversity.

The Ministry of the Environment will begin a law drafting process to expand the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park to marine areas around the islands and rocky islets. The surface area of the marine areas concerned would be more than 60,000 hectares.

The Helmi Habitats Programme has enhanced the understanding of ways to improve the state of nature and created an important foundation for the preparation of the National Restoration Plan.

The latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Science‑Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) underlines the responsibility of businesses for their impacts on nature. The current business conditions do not support halting biodiversity loss. Broad structural changes are needed and can be driven by governments. However, businesses already have the knowledge and opportunities to act in ways that are sustainable for nature. The report also highlights confidence in the potential of businesses to become agents of nature-positive change.