The increase of the greenhouse gas content in the atmosphere is causing global warming and will change the global climate system. In Finland the average temperature is estimated to increase approximately 4-6 °C and the annual precipitation 12-22 % by the year 2080. The extreme weather events (storms, drought and heavy rain) are estimated to become more frequent.
Finland is active in implementing climate policies and
reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Finnish climate policy is formulated
within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and
the Kyoto Protocol as well as policies set by EU.
According to the Kyoto Protocol
Finland has to bring
national average annual emissions down to their 1990 level in
2008-2012. According to the EU Climate and Energy Package the EU is committed to
reduce its emissions by 20 % by 2020 from the 1990 level and to increase the
share of renewable energy to 20 % of final energy consumption by 2020.
The Long-term Climate and Energy Strategy was accepted by the Government in 2008. This strategy covers climate and energy policy measures, including policies and measures in agriculture and forestry sectors, in great detail up to 2020, and in brief thereafter, up to 2050. Finnish climate policy beyond 2020 is outlined also in the Government Foresight Report on Climate and Energy Policy (2009).
Alongside climate change mitigation, adaptation to the inevitable consequences of the ongoing climate change has become an integral element of climate policy. Finland has been a pioneer in the implementation of adaptation policy. A National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change was prepared as an independent section of the National Energy and Climate Strategy already in 2005.
More on wood-based fuels (forest chips, small-scale
combustion of wood and wood pellets) and renewable energy production in
agriculture (energy crops and agricultural by-products and manure in biogas
production): http://www.bioenergia.fi/
