Preparedness for coronavirus in the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Environment

The Ministry of the Environment and agencies and institutes in its administrative branch are following the coronavirus situation and its impacts on construction, housing production, waste and wastewater management, etc. very closely.

Crisis group of the Ministry of the Environment monitors the coronavirus situation

The Ministry has set up a crisis group to lead the preparedness work relating to the coronavirus situation. The crisis group is chaired by Permanent Secretary Juhani Damski.

Led by the crisis group, the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Environment:

  • makes preparations to maintain functions that are critical to society, including waste and wastewater management. The Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have prepared recommendations for the organisation of waste management during an epidemic caused by the coronavirus.
  • monitors and assesses the indirect impacts of the coronavirus on construction, including with respect to the availability of workforce and construction products. The Ministry has set up a working group that will follow the situation in the housing and construction sectors, together with relevant partners and operators, and give proposals for necessary measures. 
  • monitors and assesses the access to financing and how it works especially with respect to social housing production.
  • prepares practical guidance for the units managing environmental affairs at the Regional State Administrative Agencies and Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment concerning measures to deal with the coronavirus situation.

Inquiries

Jussi Salmi
Director of Communications
Ministry of the Environment
tel. +358 295 250 263
[email protected]

Monitoring and action group for the construction sector monitors the impacts of the coronavirus

The Ministry of the Environment has set up a working group to monitor and mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus on the construction sector and its businesses and on the national economy. The group will produce current updates of the trends in the sector, assess the future developments, and give proposals for actions that will be needed. The working group has representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT, and Finnish Association of Building Owners and Construction Clients RAKLI. The working group is chaired by Director General Teppo Lehtinen from the Ministry of the Environment.

Inquiries

Kirsi Martinkauppi
Senior Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of the Environment
tel. +358 295 250 177
[email protected]

Sustainable recovery working group

Sustainable recovery working group discussed and proposed measures that promote the economic recovery while also responding to the climate crisis and decline in biodiversity. The group submitted its proposals to the working group on the coronavirus exit and reconstruction strategy of the Prime Minister’s Office. The group was chaired by Permanent Secretary Juhani Damski from the Ministry of the Environment and Director Mari Pantsar from the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.

Inquiries

Juhani Damski
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of the Environment
[email protected]

Finnish Environment Institute

The Finnish Environment Institute has defined its critical tasks and how these are to be secured during the coronavirus situation. The preparedness group of the Finnish Environment institute monitors the situation on a daily basis.

Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland ARA

The services of the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland ARA will continue also in the present emergency conditions. Applications for financial support will be processed, decisions will be made and digital services will continue as usual.

National Parks of Finland

Updates on guidance by the National Parks Finland for the coronavirus situation is available at Nationalparks.fi web service.

Information on the impacts of the coronavirus in the administrative branches of different ministries is available on the Government website. General information on the coronavirus is available on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

Government: Information and advice on the coronavirus
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: Coronavirus COVID-19 – Latest Updates
 


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