Finnish Association for Nature Conservation: Energy and climate statements
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to mankind. It will affect our society dramatically during the next decades. Citizens, industry and the public sector must learn to combat climate change in their every day life. The mission of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is to tackle climate change and encourage active citizenship in order to make climate friendly society.
1. Finland must establish a long term climate strategy, which is founded on the target of industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gases 40% by 2020 and 80-95% by 2050. The government must strive to reduce emissions by 10% already by 2012 and establish a political programme to phase out the dependency on fossil fuels by 2030.
2. The growth of energy consumption must be halted and the energy policy reformed by an energy conservation programme. Energy efficiency standards need to be tightened and the energy efficiency of buildings promoted by investment subsidies and new construction standards. Greenhouse gas taxation should be used as an instrument to increase energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy resources.
3. Renewable resources should be supported by feed-in tariffs for wind power, photovoltaics and small scale electricity production from bioenergy. A target of 4000 MW for wind power by 2020 should be set. Also solar power and heat pump technology need to be promoted. Electric heating and oil heating should be switched to more sustainable systems, such as heat pumps, district heating and wood fuels.
4. Transport should be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The environmental effects of traffic can be reduced by restricting private traffic and developing energy efficiency of vehicles. The subsidiaries to public transport should be increased. The railway network needs to be developed. Congestion charges should be introduced in cities. Transport taxation should be based on carbon emissions.
5. Emissions of aviation must be restricted by EU-level legislation. Emission restriction targets should be in line with general EU emission targets, cut of 30% by 2020 and by 80% by 2050. All emission permits on aviation sector should be sold by auction. In addition Finland must have national aviation tax, similar as already in use in Sweden, France and UK.
6. The use of peat for energy must be stopped by 2020. Peat causes even more CO2 emissions than coal. Peat use has devastating effects for nature and lake and river systems. If peat would be replaced by renewable energy sources, Finland’s CO2-emissions on energy sector would drop 20%.
7. Nuclear power should be phased out when operation permits of plants expire. Nuclear energy has safety problems and it produces dangerous nuclear waste. Nuclear energy is no solution for climate crisis. There is no solution for the nuclear waste. Nuclear energy is connected to nuclear weapons.
8. Uranium mining is not acceptable. By using nuclear energy Finland is on the path to large scale uranium mining in Finland. Uranium mines are causing severe local environmental problems. Uranium mines are the dirty back yard of nuclear power, nuclear power is no "clean" way to produce energy.
9. Bioenergy production should be sustainable. The share of bioenergy of the whole energy consumption should be 40% by 2020, instead of 20% share at the moment. While increasing the share of bioenergy biodiversity questions must be in high priority. The targets for biofuels must be reached without products that cause destruction for tropical forests (e.g. without palm oil). There should be support for using bioenergy in countryside, e.g. in new buildings.
10. New hydro power shouldn't be constructed. The claimed need for new hydro power is based just on the nuclear lobby’s will to get more adjustment power for nuclear energy. There are still some places with special stream species. Those places must be protected for fishery, nature conservation and for tourism. The amount of hydro energy can be increased by making now existing hydro power plants more efficient.
11. Waste burning is no solution for waste management. Priority should be in waste prevention. Reuse and recycling should be intensified. Using waste based energy is acceptable only, when it supports climate and other environmental targets. This basis must be clearly shown e.g. by life-cycle-analysis. Waste based energy production must be common heat and electricity production (CHP). It must replace fossil fuel based energy production. Emissions must be taken care with best available technology.
12. Finland must be a forerunner in international climate policy. Finland and EU have heavier responsibility to cut emissions because emissions per capita are many fold compared to many other regions. Because of high technology know-how, wealth and great potential of renewable energy sources Finland has very good chances of succeeding in taking new future solutions to use. Finland has responsibility to show that climate friendly society is possible. If Finland won't have responsibility to do that, who has?
13. The goal of energy policy is decentralized energy production based on renewable. Decentralized energy production is safe for environment. It is also the best opinion for energy security. The will to find big solutions to stay as we are (e.g. nuclear power or carbon capture and storage) is no solution to climate change.
More information
Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
http://www.sll.fi
Climate Specialist Venla Virkamäki, venla.virkamaki@sll.fi, +358-9-228 08 243, +358-50-345 4411 (mobile)
