According to Krista Mikkonen (green), it is not worth relying on the fact that emissions trading in transport is sometimes created in Finland either.
Brussels
Proposal the extension of emissions trading to heating and road transport did not receive unreserved support at Wednesday’s meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg.
Minister of the Environment Krista Mikkonen (Green) said that “even very critical perspectives” were heard at the meeting.
“There was support for strengthening the existing emissions trading, but there were reservations about extending it to residential heating and road transport,” Mikkonen said after the meeting.
“This also means in domestic policy that it is not worth relying on pan-European transport emissions trading in transport emission reductions,” says Mikkonen.
If emissions trading from transport is headwind, it may raise emission reduction targets for other sectors.
This was the first time that Member States ‘environment ministers had the opportunity to comment on the Commission’ s presentation in the summer of a comprehensive climate package, also known as Fit for 55.
According to Mikkonen, the strong message of the meeting was that the climate measures presented by the Commission must achieve at least 55% emission reductions in 2030 compared to 1990.
Environment ministers also discussed the price of energy. According to Mikkonen, the message was that more renewable energy is needed so that similar price increases are not seen in the future.
Commission has proposed a social climate fund to support EU citizens in their green transition.
Environment ministers were concerned about whether such a fund would be created to offset emissions trading in heating and transport, which could raise household heating and fuel costs.
The Finnish government has not yet formed a position on the social climate fund, but the reception has been sluggish.
Minister of Europe Tytti Tuppurainen (sd) said in the summer that Finland has not seen the need for the fund. Adapting the new fund to the newly agreed EU financial framework for 2021-2027 will be difficult.
Read more: Such would be the EU’s social climate fund, which Finland is critical of
Finland has planned its own emissions trading scheme for transport, as large emission reduction targets have been set for transport in Finland.
In Mikkonen’s opinion, the planning must be continued.
“I definitely see that the preparation needs to continue. Its own question is when it should be introduced. The preparation will take its own time, several years, so we cannot wait for the EU to become an element of emissions trading. Its birth is uncertain. ”
Business organizations in Finland have criticized the preparation of the national road transport emissions trading scheme and hoped to focus on the EU-level preparation.
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