Finland adopt formal Climate Act for COP21

The formal Climate Act was passed by 150 votes out of 183 in the country’s parliament last Friday, requiring it to reduce emissions by 21 per cent by 2020.

The new Act under the EU’s climate legislation sets an additional target for 2050.

The policy encourages for the government to negotiate new strategies for tackling climate change.

It also extends the target to the sectors which are not covered by the EU emission trading scheme.

Criticism from green groups argued that the EU should have adopted a similar initiative to the UK Climate Change Act in binding a five-year carbon budgets contract rather than aiming toward a long-term contract to see results in 2050.

A National Coalition Deputy Chair, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen (pictured right) said the act represents Finland’s commitment to fighting the impacts of climate change.

She continues: "The law is a signal that Finland is a pioneer this year as we prepare for the UN's Paris climate conference".

Green’s Chair Ville Niinistö (pictured left) said: "We've taken a big step forward in climate protection and I'm happy about that. It was the biggest effort of my own political career to get the bill approved in the cabinet... The parties came a long way compared with what they originally thought about the Climate Act”.

He said: “I would have wanted to include binding sector-specific carbon budgets. As it is, though, the law gives us the framework to become forerunners in climate protection".

Niinistö added that the support of the Centre Party for the new Act was significant as it is leading the polls for next month’s elections.