Climate solutions of circular bioeconomy and Nordic ways to prepare for impacts of climate change presented at Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s COP30 events
The UN Climate Change Conference COP30 will be held on 10–21 November in Belém, Brazil. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is organising four side events, where the focus will be on the circular bioeconomy, climate change adaptation and resilient food systems. Two of the events will be held at the Finland Pavilion and two at the Nordic Pavilion. Besides these, the Ministry will participate in Finland’s official side event and an event held at the Food & Agriculture Pavilion co-hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO.
The side events organised in connection with the climate change conferences provide significant opportunities for the international community to share experiences and practical solutions related to climate work. The side events of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry at the Climate Change Conference COP30 will show that the circular bioeconomy based on renewable natural resources and resilient food systems offers solutions for both climate change mitigation and for adaptation. Climate change adaptation means systematic and proactive preparation for the impacts of climate change.
On the opening day on 10 November, a joint statement will be launched concerning the Nordic bioeconomy and resilient food systems, which the ministers agreed on at the meeting of the Nordic Council of Ministers for Fisheries, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Food and Forestry in Kuopio, Finland in June. These topics will also be discussed at the events to be held at the Nordic Pavilion.
On the same day, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will host a side event at the Finland Pavilion to discuss how bioeconomy strategies can be tailored to regional strengths and global climate goals. The event will focus on how bioeconomy that is based on renewable resources, circularity and innovation can at the same time offer solutions for climate and biodiversity targets, promote economic growth and strengthen the vitality of rural areas.
The panel discussion will be moderated by Jukka Kantola, Chair of the World Bioeconomy Association. The panellists are Marcelo Behar, Special Envoy on Bioeconomy at COP30, Matti Kuittinen, Associate Professor at the Aalto University and expert on sustainable construction, and Anna Salminen, Chief Specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and member of Finland’s delegation at COP30.
Nordic cooperation will continue and become even stronger
One of the main targets of COP30 in Brazil is to agree on global indicators for monitoring the progress made in climate change adaptation. Besides emission reductions and stronger carbon sinks and reservoirs, actions to adapt to climate change are also needed as the impacts of climate change can already be seen in different parts of the Earth. In the north the changes are much bigger than in the world on average.
“At the side event at the Finland Pavilion on 11 November we will present key messages from the Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation held in Rovaniemi last spring, where the focus was on gathering expertise on limits to adaptation in the northern nature and communities,” Anna Salminen says.
The panellists are Gunn-Britt Retter, Head of Arctic and Environmental Unit of the Saami Council, Axel Eriksson, Member of the UN Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and Youth Negotiators Academy, Beria Leimona, Global Theme Leader of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry CIFOR-ICRAF, and Markku Kanninen, Research Director at the University of Helsinki. The event will be organised together with the University of Helsinki and it will be moderated by Markku Larjavaara, Associate Professor at the Department of Forest Sciences of the University of Helsinki.
The panel will focus on transboundary climate risks in an interconnected world, better understanding of limits to adaptation, and adaptation for all through justice and novel approaches by which we can ensure the adaptation of different groups to climate change.
Strong cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers will also be present at the Food & Agriculture Pavilion co-hosted by FAO on 14 November and at Finland’s official side event on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC on 18 November. Both events will showcase international and national solutions related to the food systems and circular bioeconomy. Both of these partnership events will also be streamed live online.
“Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers will culminate at the Climate Change Conference COP30, where we have an excellent opportunity to present both Finnish and Nordic solutions to global climate challenges. Side events are highly important forums where experts, scientists, policy-makers, businesses and other international actors from around the world come together to share knowledge and experiences, present their research results and promote concrete climate solutions,” says Nicole Blechingberg, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who coordinates the whole package of the Ministry’s side events.
Read more about the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s side events
Related links:
Climate Change Conference in Belém to focus on Nationally Determined Contributions – more effective actions especially by large economies needed (Press release of the Ministry of the Environment 30 October 2025)
Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation stressed the need for diverse approaches to climate risks (Press release of the Ministry of the Environment 16 May 2025)
Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation NOCCA 2025
Nordic agriculture ministers emphasise even stronger security of supply during their visit to Kuopio
Inquiries:
Anna Salminen (in Belém 8−22 November)
Chief Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Coordinator of the EU negotiating team on agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU)
+358 50 358 8793
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Nicole Blechingberg (in Belém 8−12 November)
Senior Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
+358 50 411 7455
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Kirsi Mäkinen (climate change adaptation)
Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
+358 295 162 104
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
