Climate work in the Finnish land use sector on the agenda at COP27
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is hosting three side events at the COP27 Climate Change Conference in Egypt on 10 and 12 November in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers. The events will present the Catch the Carbon package of climate measures and discuss research on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands. The discussions will be streamed live as a webcast.
“The focus of the COP27 Climate Change Conference in Egypt is on implementing the Paris Agreement. The Catch the Carbon package of measures in the land use sector is a concrete example of state-funded work to combat climate change. The projects funded through the package have already achieved internationally significant results and offer practical experience on solutions to questions surrounding the sustainable use of peatlands,” says Chief Specialist Anna Salminen from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who is part of the Finnish delegation.
In addition to the Catch the Carbon package, Salminen coordinates preparations for the EU’s Issue Group on Agriculture, forestry and land use (IG AFOLU) and negotiates on climate measures in the agricultural sector through the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture.
“Peatlands are the world’s largest terrestrial carbon stock, which means that emission reduction measures targeting them have major impacts, both in Finland and globally. This is why we have chosen to highlight measures and research focusing on peatlands at our side events,” Salminen says.
On Saturday 12 November at 16.30–17.00 in the Nordic pavilion, scientists participating in four Catch the Carbon projects will discuss changes in the food system, with a main focus on the climate change resilient use of peatlands. Postdoctoral Researcher Jarno Tuominen from the University of Turku will deliver a keynote speech on climate nudging and the opportunities it presents. In the panel discussion, Research Scientists Hanna Kekkonen and Hem Raj Bhattarai from the Natural Resources Institute Finland and Associate Professor Annalea Lohila from the Finnish Meteorological Institute will discuss solutions to mitigate emissions and increase carbon sinks in peatlands. The discussion will be followed by a workshop hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Nordic Council of Ministers, which will delve deeper into the climate-smart food systems of the future.
“The Nordic Council of Ministers is a natural partner for Finland, and it is great that we are able to present Finnish climate work to the international community at COP27 in their pavilion,” says Senior Specialist Johanna Vanhatalo from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, who is responsible for the COP27 programme.
On Thursday 10 November at 14.30–15.40, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) will hold a panel discussion on new climate solutions in the land use sector implemented in rural areas in the Nordic countries and Africa. Chief Specialist Lotta Heikkonen from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry will be on the panel.
“Among other things, I will highlight how rural areas are taken into account in climate work in the Finnish land use sector. The discussion will explore whether our examples could be of use in the Global South,” Heikkonen says.
“During the COP27 Climate Conference, I will also be following the discussions on agriculture and forestry more generally. For example, I am looking forward to the discussions on the development of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement concerning international market mechanisms, as it also plays a major role in promoting national carbon markets,” Heikkonen continues.
Read more about the Ministry’s side events
The aim of the Catch the Carbon package of climate measures coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is to strengthen the competence and knowledge base related to climate work in the land use sector and support agricultural producers, forest owners and other parties who make land use decisions in developing and introducing climate change resilient practices. Read more about the package and the projects that have already been funded at mmm.fi/en/climate-plan-for-the-land-use-sector
Inquiries
Anna Salminen
Chief Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
anna.salminen@gov.fi
+358 29 516 2002
Lotta Heikkonen
Chief Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
lotta.heikkonen@gov.fi
+358 29 516 2074
Johanna Vanhatalo
Senior Specialist, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
johanna.vanhatalo@gov.fi
+358 29 516 2177
Related links on this site
Package of climate measures for the land use sector
