<div>To benefit from the support of the Recovery and Resilience Facility set up by the EU in the aftermath of the COVID-19-induced economic crisis, Member States submit their recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission. Each plan sets out the reforms and investments to be implemented by end-2026 and Member States can receive financing up to a previously agreed allocation. Each plan should effectively address challenges identified in the European Semester, particularly the country-specific recommendations of 2019 and 2020 adopted by the Council. It should also advance the green and digital transitions and make Member States’ economies and societies more resilient. The Commission validates the plan after which it effectively enters in force and EU subsidies can start flowing towards the member state. Finland's RRP EC page does not show whether a council implementing decision was passed. The European Commission has given a positive assessment to Finland’s recovery and resilience plan, consisting of €2.1 billion in grants. 50% of the plan’s total allocation for reforms and investments supports climate objectives, including:</div><ul><li>Decarbonisation of the energy sector: investing in energy transmission and distribution and in new energy technologies. €319 million</li><li>Low-carbon hydrogen: investments along the hydrogen value chain as well as in carbon capture, storage and recovery. €156 million</li><li>Low-carbon heating of buildings: replacing oil boilers with low- or zero-carbon heating systems. €70 million</li><li>Green transport: supporting private and public charging points for electric cars, gas charging and refuelling infrastructure. €40 million</li></ul>

The National Energy and Climate (ENCP) Plan is a ten-year integrated document <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/energy/topics/energy-strategy/national-energy-climate-plans_en">mandated by the European Union</a> to each of its member states in order for the EU to meet its overall greenhouse gases emissions targets.&nbsp; The Energy and Climate Plan addresses all five dimensions of the EU Energy Union: decarbonisation, energy efficiency, energy security, internal energy markets and research, innovation and competitiveness.&nbsp; The plain aims : 1) to reduce GHG emissions in the non-emissions trading sector; 2) to increase the share of renewable energy ot the final energy use and of the final energy use in road transport; 3) to promote energy efficiency.&nbsp; The plan outlines the impact of existing policy measures on the projected evolution of greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency up to 2040. It describes the effects of the planned policy measures on the energy system, greenhouse gas emissions and sinks, economic development, the environment and public health.&nbsp;

This program aims to boost walking and cycling's modal shares in the country.

The National Energy and Climate Strategy lays out concrete actions and objectives on how Finland is to achieve the energy and climate objective consistent with 2050 carbon neutrality target. It notably updates previous goals on renewable energy: 1) the share of renewable energy into final energy demand should rise to over 50 % in the 2020s while the use of oil products will be halved, 2) investment subsidies will be mainly targeted on commercialisation of new technologies, expanding biofuels in transport and promote the use of agricultural, societal and industrial waste and side streams in transport, heat and electricity generation, and 3) promote the generation and use of biogas. &nbsp; &nbsp;Other decisions include 1) focusing greenhouse gases emissions reductions from transport on road transport, 2) phase out coal in the energy mix by 2030, 3) fortifying the growth and carbon binding capacity of forests to prevent the decline of the carbon sink capacity. Feed-in-tariffs will be "discontinued" for wind power to increase stability by seeking new projects being developed on market terms, allow for long-term competitiveness of the Finnish economy and reduce the burden on the State's budget. In that purpose, technology-neutral competitive tendering will be pursued over the period 2018-2020. Cost-effective measures will be augmented by € 160 to 240 million in 2018-2020 and by € 900-930 million over the period 2021 to 2030. Energy taxation will also foster the use of forest chips and other wood by-products for combined heat and power generation and biofuels.

The Finnish government has ambitions to make Finland a global leader in the circular economy by 2025. In 2016, Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund operating under the supervision of the Finnish Parliament, launched an initiative to build a circular economy road map for Finland. The road map was produced under the direction of Sitra in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, business life and other stakeholders.The aim for implementing the circular economy roadmap is to strengthen Finland’s competitiveness and sustainable growth while creating new jobs by 2025. The road map outlines high-level targets for:The economy – the circular economy will improve the competitiveness of Finnish organisations, increasing new innovations. Circular economy solutions will become an export advantage for Finland and reformed public procurement and new private and public sector financing instruments (such as impact investment cooperatives) will be used. &nbsp;The environment – resource efficiency will improve significantly and material lifecycles will become more efficient, as non-renewable natural resources will be replaced but renewables and the country will move towards a carbon-neutral and waste-free society.Society – a circular economy will create well-being by promoting the transfer to a service and ‘sharing’ economy, as consumers will adopt new consumption models.The road map outlines five interlinked focus areas: 1) a sustainable food system, 2) forest-based loops, 3) technical loops, 4) transport and logistics, and 5) joint actions and outlines policy actions, key projects, and pilots for each focus area.

This document consists of a 5.5 billion euro stimulus package to combat the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It entered into force on 1 July 2020.&nbsp; The stimulus notably seek to create green jobs and foster a low-carbon future. It includes measures to support for public transport services, walking and cycling, ecosystems preservation and restoration.&nbsp;

Article 5 of this document states that the use of coal as a fuel for the production of electricity or heat will be prohibited from 1 May 2029.

The purpose of this Act is to ensure that alternative fuels for public charging and refueling points are in conformity with common technical specifications and that users are provided with sufficient information on alternative fuels and their distribution. The Act notably focuses on charging points for electric vehicles and alternative fuels that aim at reducing the use of fossil fuels in the transport sector.

The Climate Change Act intends to create a bottom up, long-term, consistent and cost-effective climate policy through enabling political decision making and its transparent implementation (Mitigation and Adaptation). In March 2022, the government introduced a bill to ensure that a carbon neutrality target for 2035 and other international and EU climate objectives will be reached. The new Act was approved by Parliament on May 25th, 2022, and came into force on 1 July 2022. The law exempts EU ETS from its remit. It aims to increase the efficiency of the public sector to improve smart 'societal planning' while retaining the competitiveness of the economy in achieving the targets without imposing new obligations on businesses or others. The act includes a planning and monitoring system and measures to clarify the climate policy planning of state authorities. &nbsp;This Act provides for medium and long term plans. The long term plans include the alternatives for reaching the long term emissions target and needs approval every 10 years, while the medium term plans concern measures outside the emissions trading scheme (traffic, housing, agriculture) and are to be approved once per election term and the respective government is required to report to the parliament on the implementation.&nbsp;The plan for adaptation stipulates a risk and vulnerability review and to be approved once every 10 years. Further the Act also provides provision for the constitution of a multidisciplinary expert body to support planning of climate policy.

The act establishes an institutional system and legal context in supervising and controlling the energy market through the Energy Market Authority. It aims to supervise and control the electricity and gas market to promote efficient, safe and environmentally sustainable activities at the national and regional levels as well as to influence the European Union's internal market for to ensure energy consumers good delivery of services, competitive prices and equitable principles. 
 
The act enable powers for theEnergy Market Authority to promote: efficient, cost-effective, secure and environmentally sustainable and customer friendly national markets; competitive and well-functioning regional markets in the European Economic Area; influence the removal of restrictions on electricity and natural gas trade between EEA Member States; enforcement; co-operation between other agencies and regulators; adequate transmission capacity and efficiency of networks; integrate renewable; remove any barriers to new market entrants; ensure appropriate incentives to increase system efficiency and foster market integration; promote effective competition as well as consumer protection including protection of vulnerable customers.

Finland. National Communication (NC). NC 8., National Communication from Finland in 2022

Finland. Biennial Reports (BR). BR 5., Biennial Report from Finland in 2022

Finland. 2022 National Inventory Report (NIR), National Inventory Report from Finland in 2022

Finland. 2021 National Inventory Report (NIR), National Inventory Report from Finland in 2021

Finland's long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy, Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy from Finland in 2020

Flood Risk Management Act

Law passed

This Act forms part of the adaptation strategy and concerns the organisation of flood risk management. The purpose of the Act is to reduce flood risks, prevent and mitigate the adverse consequences caused by floods and promote the preparedness for floods. The purpose of the Act is also to co-ordinate flood risk management and other management of river basins, with due account for the needs relating to sustainable use and protection of water resources. The principal administrative authority for purposes of this Act is the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Executive tasks are assigned to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment.The act is also accompanied by a Government Decree on Flood Risk Management to implement the provisions through preliminary flood risk assessment, preparation of flood hazard maps and flood risk maps, preparing flood risk management plans for river basins and coastal areas.

Flood Risk Management Act (No. 620/2010)

Main documents

Timeline

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