EU emissions cuts could lead to loss of 60,000 jobs in Finland

Research institute warns that cuts would hit Finland harder than other member-states

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A recent report by the Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT) warns that because of the country's industrial structure, unilateral EU emissions cuts would hit the Finnish economy harder than other EU member-states, leading to a loss of up to 60,000 jobs in the metals, wood processing, and chemical industries.
      The Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs handled the issue on Friday of last week , while dissenting opinions within the Cabinet delayed the Committee's final stand on the issue.
     
The target proposed by the European Commission is to unilaterally reduce greenhouse emissions by at least 20 per cent from 1995 levels by 2020 at the latest.
      While Germany and France are in favour of the proposal and Sweden and Denmark would be willing to cut even more, many countries in Eastern Europe oppose the move.
     
The EU environment ministers are to handle the issue today, and Finland's Minister of the Environment Stefan Wallin (Swedish People's Party) is expected to put forward a compromise.
      All current parliamentary parties have expressed concern over climate change in their election programmes, while the actual targets vary a good deal.
      Only the programme of the Centre Party supports a cut of 20 per cent in carbon emissions, which the Finnish Government led by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) is ironically now opposing.


Links:
  Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT)

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