OECD environment director praises Finnish environmental progress

Report recommends green tax reform

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The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recommends that Finland enact tax reforms that would reward environmentally friendly behaviour.
      The OECD sees this as one way to reduce its high level of consumption of energy and raw materials.
      Finland is one of the most energy and material-intensive OECD countries, which is largely due to its wood processing and metals industries.
      The recommendation is part of a fresh report in which the organisation evaluates the results of Finland’s environmental policies from 1997 to 2008.
     
“Finland can be proud of how it has progressed in environmental protection”, said Lorents Lorentsen, Director of the OECD Environment Directorate as he introduced the report on Friday.
      “Finland is one of the pioneers of environmental policy. It would be beneficial for Finland and other countries if Finland were to maintain its role.”
      The OECD recommends that during the present economic slump, Finland should direct its stimulus spending toward improving energy efficiency, as this would create jobs in the short run and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the longer term.
     
The organisation also recommends the reduction of nutrient emissions into water, and the use of biodegradable waste for the production of electricity and heat.
      Currently much of Finland’s biological waste ends up in landfills, where it emits methane, which is a harmful greenhouse gas.
      Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomäki (Centre) felt that both recommendations are good, and said that actions to implement them are already being taken.
      Minister of Housing Jan Vapaavuori (Nat. Coalition Party) praised the recommendation, which encourage municipalities and the state to better adapt land use and planning with each other. He lamented that so much sparse housing construction has emerged on the outskirts of cities, which makes it more difficult to organise public transport.

More on this subject:
 FACTFILE: OECD’s recommendations

Links:
  Lorents Lorentsen, OECD Director for Environment

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