Finland has established a law to become net zero by 2035, if they are successful, they will be the first developed country to do so. Most developed countries, including the UK, have set their net zero targets for 2050.
However, Finland’s ambitious targets don’t stop at net zero, as they have further plans to become carbon negative by 2040. This means that they will be taking more CO2 out of the atmosphere than they are putting in, before other developed countries have lowered their greenhouse gas emissions to almost net zero.
The Finnish climate change panel have concluded that Finland’s share of greenhouse gas emissions is around 420 gigatonnes of CO2. The Finnish Government agree that their targets are ambitious, however they are fully convinced that they are achievable.
One of the countries biggest challenges will be replacing the forests it has lost through deforestation. As the country moves away from fossil fuels it is relying on energy produced from burning trees. Therefore, the trees are releasing more CO2 than the forests are absorbing. To counteract this, less trees need to be cut down and new trees need to be planted much quicker.
Finland’s legally binding target is incredibly ambitious however if the Finnish Government, businesses, communities, and individuals all do their part, getting to net zero will definitely be feasible.
