Sari Multala (National Coalition Party) has started as the new Minister of the Environment and Climate in Prime Minister Orpo’s government, following the departure of her predecessor, Kai Mykkänen (National Coalition Party), who became the Mayor of Espoo. Previously, Multala served as the Minister of Science and Culture.
Carboreal wishes the new Minister of the Environment and Climate, Sari Multala, success in her demanding role. Below are some suggestions for the newly appointed minister.
Last year’s climate report paints a stark picture, showing that the reduction of overall emissions has not progressed at a sufficient pace. To ensure that development moves in the desired direction quickly enough, carbon sinks in the land use sector should be increased.
Multala was immediately faced with the issue of forest carbon sinks when Yle asked her about the possibility of limiting logging. According to Multala, all other measures to strengthen carbon sinks should be taken before considering restrictions on logging.
In many discussions regarding emissions from the land use sector, solutions have been sought in soil management. Multala also pointed out that the growing volume of Finnish forests continues to increase. This trend can be supported by planting new forests.
The land use sector is key
As reducing emissions in the effort-sharing sector has proven to be challenging, achieving climate targets requires a significant strengthening of carbon sinks in the land use sector. These sinks would have the greatest and fastest impact, as there is no time to waste.
The growth of existing forests can and should be accelerated, but newly planted forests also alter carbon sinks in terms of soil emissions. Additionally, new carbon sinks are genuinely additional, improving the accuracy of climate accounting.
Beyond their effectiveness, increasing carbon sinks in the land use sector is also crucial from a cost perspective. Previous estimates suggest that Finland could be forced to purchase carbon sinks worth up to two billion euros from abroad to compensate for its own emissions.
From the perspective of public finances alone, such a development would be highly problematic. For example, Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (Finns Party) recently stated on A-studio that the next government will also need to adjust the state budget by nine billion euros during its term.
Actions in the land use sector are a necessity
Finland cannot escape the need to reduce emissions if we want to uphold our climate commitments and avoid potential EU fines. At the same time, our country cannot afford to purchase carbon sinks from abroad.
From this perspective—without even mentioning the extensive domestic benefits of carbon sequestration by various measures—the smartest and most cost-effective solution is to offset emissions within Finland.
We hope to see fresh initiatives from Minister of the Environment and Climate, Sari Multala, on how domestic carbon sinks will be increased. The most sensible approach is to allow carbon markets to function, with the government accelerating their development through appropriate legislation.
For taxpayers, the most economical solution is for policymakers to trust the market and focus solely on creating fair conditions for competition. The land use sector holds significant carbon sink potential—one that even the new minister cannot afford to overlook.
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