Environmental groups take gov't to court over climate change

Several Finnish environmental organizations have launched a renewed legal challenge against the Finnish government over its climate policies, reported Xinhua, quoting local media on Thursday.

This new complaint, filed by groups including Greenpeace Finland, alleges that under Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's administration, the government is failing to meet the targets set by Finnish environmental legislation. The 2022 climate laws had established commitments for Finland to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 and to meet EU climate objectives.

In 2022, two of these organizations submitted a similar complaint during Sanna Marin's tenure, but the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court rejected the case, citing the fact that the legislation had not been in effect long enough to warrant judicial review.

However, the court indicated that it could reconsider the matter if Finland was found to be falling short of its goals without taking corrective action.

In June, the Finnish government and Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen admitted in the annual climate report that Finland is unlikely to meet its climate targets. The report highlighted a decrease in the carbon sink capacity of Finnish forests, a concern noted in the government's program in June 2023.

Additionally, the Finnish Climate Change Panel's recent report criticized the government for allowing an increase in transport emissions, contrary to EU obligations which require substantial reductions.

The organizations involved in the new complaint reference the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling against Switzerland from the spring, which found that Switzerland's inadequate climate action constituted a human rights violation.

The Finnish groups argue that the ECHR's decision could serve as a precedent, as Finland is also bound by European human rights agreements. According to Finnish radio Yle, this case would be the first to invoke the ECHR's ruling against Switzerland as a basis for legal action in Finland.

At a press conference on Thursday, Kaisa Kosonen, an expert from Greenpeace, suggested that the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court could potentially direct Finnish officials to amend their actions.

If the court agrees to hear the case, the process is expected to take about a year to complete.