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Contaminated areas Soil, groundwater and sediment Soil contamination refers to reduced soil quality due to harmful substances resulting from human activity. This may endanger or harm human health or the environment, impair the amenities of the are...https://ym.fi/en/contaminated-areas
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Environmental permits and supervision of environmental protection A permit under the Environmental Protection Act is required for operations that cause a risk of environmental pollution. A permit is required for activities such as forest, metal an...https://ym.fi/en/environmental-permits-and-supervision-of-environmental-protection
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Improving the state of waters and marine areas (Ahti Programme) The aim of the AHTI Programme is to achieve a good status for waters and the Baltic Sea. The programme promotes the implementation of the national Marine Environment Management Plan (...https://ym.fi/en/improving-the-state-of-waters-and-marine-areas-2023-2027
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Protection of groundwater The aim of groundwater protection is to maintain a good qualitative and quantitative status of groundwater. Finland’s groundwater bodies are highly susceptible to the impacts of human activities, which is why it is import...https://ym.fi/en/protection-of-groundwater
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Cultural environments Human activities leave traces in the environment. This is how cultural environments are created and formed. They tell about human activities and interaction with the environment at different times. In the Finnish context, ‘Cu...https://ym.fi/en/cultural-environment
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Chemicals The Ministry of the Environment aims to generate knowledge of the risks posed by hazardous substances and to prevent such risks from causing any significant environmental or health hazards. The environmental hazards associated with chemi...https://ym.fi/en/chemicals
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Climate legislation Finland's national legislation concerning climate policy has evolved gradually, reflecting the obligations imposed by international conventions and EU legislation. Finnish Climate Act The new Climate Act (423/2022) entered into...https://ym.fi/en/climate-change-legislation
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The National Building Code of Finland The Land Use and Building Act (132/1999) specifies the general conditions concerning building, substantive technical requirements, building permit procedure and building supervision by the authorities. The sub...https://ym.fi/en/the-national-building-code-of-finland
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25.6.2026 | The clean energy transition continues to make good progress: the use of fossil energy sources keeps decreasing in industry, electricity production and heating. The trend in emissions takes us in the right direction, but more work will be needed in all sectors to reach the climate targets nationally and at the EU level.https://ym.fi/en/-/annual-climate-report-2026-finland-s-net-emissions-decreased-by-six-per-cent-from-previous-year-but-there-is-still-way-to-go-to-reach-carbon-neutrality
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Whistleblower protection Whistleblower protection safeguards people who report certain types of misconduct. In this case, a ‘whistleblower’ is a person who, in the course of their work, discovers a breach of European Union or national law concerni...https://ym.fi/en/whistleblower-protection
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International biodiversity policy Finland has been active in international environmental policy for a long time. As part of the EU, Finland promotes ambitious, measurable and clear objectives to halt biodiversity loss by 2030. Finland is committed...https://ym.fi/en/international-biodiversity-policy
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5.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Environment has published an international expert assessment of Finland’s voluntary biodiversity offsetting system, which was introduced in 2023. Biodiversity offsetting means compensating for harm caused to biodiversity by human activity in one location by enhancing biodiversity elsewhere.https://ym.fi/en/-/expert-assessment-finland-has-an-exceptionally-strong-foundation-for-nature-markets
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Circular economy market This is how we implement the Circular Economy Programme Estimates for the value of the global market supporting the circular economy are in hundreds of billions of euros. The circular economy and technological advances offe...https://ym.fi/en/strategic-programme-to-promote-a-circular-economy/circular-economy-market
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What is the green transition? The green transition towards an ecologically sustainable economy is an absolute necessity. A sustainable economy leans on low-carbon solutions that promote biodiversity and on the sustainable use of natural resources....https://ym.fi/en/what-is-the-green-transition
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International cooperation concerning chemicals The environmental effects of chemicals know no boundaries. A high level of environmental protection requires cooperation both within Europe and globally. The Ministry of the Environment is responsible...https://ym.fi/en/international-cooperation-concerning-chemicals
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Ministry of the Environment staff contact information You can search the contact data of ministry employees by name or job title. If you do not know who to contact, please contact the government switchboard. Government switchboard: +358 295 16001 ...https://ym.fi/en/browse-by-department-and-unit
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EU Soil Strategy and regulation of soil health Healthy soil is vital as it produces 95% of the food we eat, maintains more than 25% of our planet’s biodiversity and serves as the largest soil carbon sink. However, soil is a limited resource, and m...https://ym.fi/en/soil-protection
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23.4.2026 | The evaluation of Finland’s National World Heritage Strategy (2015–2025) finds that implementation has been broad‑based and substantive. The strategy has reinforced Finland’s standing as a responsible steward of world heritage and deepened cooperation between world heritage sites. The findings and the role of the strategy were discussed at the World Heritage Forum in Vaasa.https://ym.fi/en/-/1410845/evaluation-of-national-world-heritage-strategy-successful-implementation-impact-needs-to-grow
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Preventing environmental pollution The wellbeing of humans and the natural environment depends on good habitats and ecosystems. The Ministry of the Environment is working hard to identify and manage the environmental risks associated with the air ...https://ym.fi/en/preventing-environmental-pollution
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Environmental offences Environmental offences are often crimes without an injured party, where the violated object of legal protection is the environment that belongs to all of us. Most often, the motive for an environmental offence is financial o...https://ym.fi/en/environmental-offences