More efforts needed to achieve zero emission: minister | national

Mon, 03 Nov, 2014 01:02:49 AM

More efforts needed to achieve zero emission: minister

FTimes - STT Report, Nov. 03

The Environment Minister, Sanni Grahn-Laasonen. Photo Lehtikuva.

Environment Minister Sanni Grahn-Laasonen on Sunday said Finland needs to take various efforts including diversification in energy sector to achieve the goal of zero emission.

“Finland has to do its part. It requires a lot of efforts and above all (it requires) diversification of energy palette in order to attain zero emission solutions,” said Grahn-Laasonen following a message of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to Finland and the world as well.

Nuclear energy is a part of the emission-free future view but not the only option, according to the minister.

“Also, renewable energy sources need strong investment,” added Grahn-Laasonen.

The IPCC latest report on climate change sends a serious message to the world and Finland, said the minister.

Peruvian Environment minister Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman Rajendra Pachauri and IPCC secretary Renate Christ give a press conference to present the AR5 Synthesis Report in Copenhagen on November 2, 2014. The first overview since 2007 -- comes ahead of UN talks in Lima next month to pave the way to a 2015 pact in Paris to limit warming to a safer 2 C. Photo AFP- Lehtikuva.

The report, according to the minister’s view, relays a message that the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris is set towards achieving a global and ambitious climate pact.

Finland has set a target to become carbon neutral by 2050.

On its part, the European Union has set a target for its member states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2030 below the levels in 1990s.

According to Grahn-Laasonen, the targets are in line with the IPCC vision, but still there is a great deal of work to do to tackle climate change.

Finland Times