Environmental group sues Finnish government over climate inaction August 24, 2024

Pexels Photo by Baptiste Valthier, Flag of Finland

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Environmental group sues Finnish government over climate inaction

A group of environmental and human rights organizations said on Thursday they were suing the Finnish government for violating the country's climate legislation by failing to take adequate measures to meet climate targets.

The six organizations noted in a statement that Finland, in 2022, adopted “one of the strongest net-zero climate targets among industrialized nations, pledging to become climate neutral by 2035 and achieve net-negative emissions thereafter.”

In their lawsuit filed with Finland's Supreme Administrative Court, the groups argue that the “lack of adequate climate action” by Finland's right-wing government violates the country's Climate Act.

“Our government is failing to implement solutions, canceling agreed actions and refusing to revise Finland's outdated climate plan for land use and forestry,” said Greenpeace senior policy advisor Kaisa Kosonen.

“This constitutes a violation of the Climate Act, so it is our duty as NGOs to take legal action,” she said.

According to the organizations, Finland is not on track to meet its emissions reduction targets, mainly as a result of excessive logging and a lack of efforts to reduce emissions from the agricultural and transport sectors.

The groups said the case builds on a previous ruling by a Finnish court and a recent decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which found that Switzerland violated the human rights of a group of elderly women by not doing enough to combat global warming.

“Governments' inaction on climate change jeopardizes the realization of many human rights, such as the rights to life and health and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment,” said Elina Mikola, climate and environment advisor at Amnesty Finland.

The lawsuit was filed on August 2 by the Finnish Nature Conservation Association, Greenpeace Norden, Amnesty International Finland, Grandmothers for Climate, Finnish Nature League, and Finnish Sami Youth.

Finland's first climate trial ended last year with the Supreme Administrative Court ultimately rejecting a complaint against the Finnish state for insufficient climate action.

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