81% Finns for active role of municipalities in climate change risks

As many as 81% people in Finland see that the municipalities should be more active in preparing for the risks associated with climate change, including high temperatures, slipping and flooding, according to the 2025 Climate and Nature Barometers published by the government on Monday.

Of the respondents, 64% consider that nature and climate policy should be among the main themes in the upcoming municipal elections, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications in a joint press release referring to the Barometers.

As many as 42% respondents said they would give their vote to a candidate who will promote climate and environmental actions in the municipality.

According to 89% of the respondents, biodiversity should be taken into account in decision-making at the municipal level.

About the same percentage consider that municipalities should take the positive health impacts of nature into account in planning and construction better than at present.

“In the discussions on the green transition in municipalities people stress the need for a thorough assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the projects. As industries and societies are moving towards carbon neutrality, we must also consider the impacts on biodiversity and state of waters, besides the economic considerations and numbers of jobs. The results of the surveys indicate that people clearly support the idea of offsetting the harm to nature caused by energy production,” said Pauliina Jalonen, Senior Policy Advisor for climate change at the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities.

Climate and nature issues are considered important in the municipal policy. Of the respondents, 76% consider that municipalities should provide the opportunity for sustainable and climate change resilient everyday living for their residents, including by developing sustainable mobility, improving the energy efficiency of properties and promoting the use of renewable energy.

The impacts of both climate change and biodiversity loss can be seen in the daily lives of most Finns.

According to the Barometers, among the Finns, the awareness of the global impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss is strong.

A clear majority or 86 percent of the respondents considered that the impacts of climate change) can already be seen in different parts of the world while 88 percent considered that the impact of biodiversity loss can already be seen.

Majority of Finns had already experienced impacts of climate change in their daily lives. For example, 62% of the respondents felt that the recent winters have been milder. More than half of the respondents (55%) had observed biodiversity loss in their local environments.

Awareness of the progress of biodiversity loss has increased, and as many as 91% of the respondents are worried about the state of nature in the world.

In recent years more information has become available on the impacts of biodiversity loss on the resilience of societies.

Of the Finns, 86% consider that biodiversity loss will have impacts on matters such as food production, public health, security of supply and the economy.

The Finns wish for more information on how biodiversity could be taken into account in different activities.

Only 36% are of the opinion that the Finns are sufficiently aware of the significance and consequences of biodiversity loss.

The appreciation of nature brings the Finns together very strongly and as many as 97 % of the respondents to the Nature Barometer consider that nature improves people’s health and wellbeing, and 96% consider that clean nature is an important part of the Finnish identity.

However, the opinions diverge with respect to nature conservation. Of the respondents, 47% consider that nature is being adequately protected at the national level, but 44% disagree with this.

At the local level, nature and climate issues are discussed widely especially from the perspective of the green transition.

Of the respondents, 76% consider that municipalities could boost their vitality by attracting green investments to the area. At the moment the municipalities are already investing in clean energy and the circular economy.

As many as 56% of the respondents consider that clean technologies such as zero-emission power plants should be built even if this may cause harm to nature.

The majority of the respondents (78%) consider that, if the state of nature is degraded, the harm to nature should be compensated for offset, by improving the state of nature elsewhere.

The studies were commissioned by the steering groups of the Central Government Climate and Biodiversity Communications.