Comments invited on the draft for Finland’s first maritime spatial plan – aim to combine the use and good status of marine environment

Press release May 18, 2020, Ministry of the Environment
This is the first comprehensive maritime spatial plan concerning Finland’s sea areas. The purpose of the plan is, in broad outline, to designate areas that have potential and could be suitable for certain uses – fisheries, aquaculture, recreation, tourism and maritime transport. The aim is to coordinate the needs of different sectors to improve the conditions for maritime industries and livelihoods and the status of the marine environment. A public consultation of the draft maritime spatial plans is being held between 18 May and 17 June 2020.

Spring floods

Snow starts gradually melting in Lapland - major floods still possible (press release 20th May 2020 by Lapland ELY Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and Flood centre of Finnish Environment Institute & Finnish Meteorological Institute)

More information: Hydrological situation and forecasts (national flood monitoring)

Latest news of the Ministry of the Environment

Ismo Tiainen to continue as Director General of Administration and International Affairs at the Ministry of the Environment

2020-05-20

The Government has appointed Ismo Tiainen as the Director General of Administration and International Affairs of the Ministry of the Environment for the term 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2025. Tiainen also heads the ministry’s support unit for administration and international affairs.

Minister Mikkonen: European Commission’s strategy an important step to halt the decline in biodiversity 2020-05-20

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Latest news of the Finnish Environment Institute

The decline in natural biodiversity can be stopped

2020-05-12

This decade, Finland has for the first time a real chance to significantly reverse the decline in biodiversity. In the last 25 years, many new ways have been found to restore nature. Halting the deterioration of nature requires strong societal commitment and structural changes that cut across all sectors of society. Now is the time to act.

A comprehensive review of the impacts of variable retention forestry and restoration methods in Fennoscandia — a shared view of an international research group on supporting forest biodiversity 2020-05-06

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Assessment of the status of Finland’s waters

Status of lakes and rivers about the same as before, coastal waters have deteriorated

A new assessment of the ecological status1) of surface waters in Finland shows that 87% of the surface area of our lakes and 68% of our rivers are in good or very good condition. Eutrophication is still the most significant problem. There have been no major changes in the status of inland waters since 2013, except for some improvement in certain sites. The status of the Gulf of Finland has improved, but for the most part the status of coastal waters is not good. The risks associated with groundwater have not increased.

Publications

Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method, Use for evaluating the climate impacts of public procurement
The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method developed by European Commission is used to assess the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycles. A new study by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE proposes that this method is suitable also to be used to evaluate the climate impacts of public procurements.