Expertise, technology and innovations will play a crucial role in preventing climate change. The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) would increase cooperation between the various players and countries and develop expertise in energy and the climate into a strength for Finland.

Controlling climate change and adapting to it will create extensive international markets for expertise and innovations. Finland has many strengths in the climate and energy technology areas. Exports have increased quickly.

"In Finland there are energy-efficient processes and the control systems for them, in-depth expertise in bioenergy and combined heat and power production, planning services and metering. We are also strong in producing wind-power components, power systems for ships and AC inverters," says Riitta Larnimaa, a leading adviser at EK, listing examples.

All countries involved

EK bases its recent climate policies on all countries and players having to participate in preventing climate change.

"The world's emissions won't fall because one country on its own makes emission reductions. Climate change is such a big challenge that no group can travel for nothing," Larnimaa emphasizes.

"So far political decision-making has fixed its attention mainly on emissions in energy production and industry. However, how consumers decide to live is also of major significance."

Evenly balanced obligations

Nobody on international markets must be allowed to gain a competitive edge from, for example, operating in countries with less strict demands.

"If a competitor obtains an advantage from less strict environmental demands, production and its environmental effects may fall in one country but increase in another because demand on world markets will always be met somewhere," Larnimaa explains.

"International comparison bases must be developed and players must be rewarded for better expertise than the comparison level. Emissions will fall when everybody changes their operating methods and introduces new technology and expertise."

Well-run global emissions trading

EK's climate policies demand a well-run global emissions trading system. At the moment the EU's emissions trading system covers just the EU area, which imposes stringent emissions limits and a cost burden on companies operating in the area. There are no equivalent limits outside the EU.

"So that equal operating conditions can be achieved for companies and nobody can travel for free, emissions trading must be made a global system in which the rules of the game should be pretty much the same for everyone," Larnimaa thinks.

>> www.ek.fi

The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) has laid out the objectives, opportunities and challenges of climate change in its recent publication "A fair and productive climate policy - EK's outlines for a long-term climate policy".