Finlands's Natural Resources and the Environment 1998
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: : # • • MINISTRY OFTHE ENVIRONMENT SVT Environm ent 1998:9 C ¡¡I Statistics Finland V Finlands's Natural Resources and the Environment 1998 \ \ YMPÄRISTÖMINISTERIÖ SVT Ympäristö 1998:9C * M I L J Ö M I N I S T E R I E T Miljö \ " MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT Environment ,, Tilastokeskus ¡jjjj! Statistikcentralen " Statistics Finland Finland's Natural Resources and the Environment 1998 Helsinki 1998 Inquiries: S VT Suomen virallinen tilasto Finlands officiella Statistik Jukka Hoffrén Official Statistics of Finland tel. +358 9 17341 Cover: Luontokuva-arkisto/Hannu Huttu © 1998 Statistics Finland ISSN 0784-8455 = Environment ISSN 1238-0582 ISBN 951-727-478-5 Quoting is encouraged provided that this report is acknowledged as the source. Original sources for diagrams indicated in Statistical Appendix. Helsinki 1998 Hakapaino Oy, Helsinki 1998 Foreword The extensive programme approved at the UN Development and Environment Con ference held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (Agenda 21) endeavours to define broadly the measures required for implementing a policy of sustainable development. It was stated at the follow-up meeting (UNGASS) in New York in summer 1997, however, that practical implementation of the programme should be enhanced considerably in order to bring us closer to a sustainable future. The final communiqué issued by that meeting pointed to changes in production methods and consumption habits as the major challenge for sustainable development in the industrialised countries. The sparing exploitation of natural resources and "qualitative" economic growth are emerging as concrete aims in this respect, alongside restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. The EU environmental programme defines ecologically sustainable development as one of the Union’s major objectives. This means that economic development should take place within the carrying capacity of the natural environment. As a member of the EU and UN, Finland has committed itself to the objectives of sustainable development, which means combining ecological, social and economic sustainability in all social functions and at all levels of decision-making. The chief aim laid down in the Finnish government’s resolution announced in spring 1998 was to strengthen the principles of sustainable development in the various sectors of society and to ensure high-quality environmental protection. This objective is essentially connected with the drawing up of an environmental accounting system within the national and public sector economy and with the process of assessing environmental impacts. This volume ’Natural Resources and the Environment 1998’ continues the practise, initiated in 1994, of assessing the state of the nation’s natural resources and environment in connection with the draft proposal for the next year’s budget. This review was compiled by a working group appointed by the Ministry of the Environment and chaired by Markku Nurmi, head of department at the Ministry of the Environment, the other members of which were Heikki Sourama and Pekka Pelkonen, consultant civil servants at the Ministry of Finance, Anna Mälkönen, senior inspector at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Esa Hyvärinen, senior inspector at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Maria Rautavirta, inspector at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Jarmo Muunnan, senior inspector, and Pirkko Isoviita, head of forest management, at the Ministry of the Environment. The secretaries to the working group were Jukka Hofffén of Statistics Finland and Harriet Lonka, geologist, and Kimmo Silvo, limnologisi, at the Centre for the Environ ment. The project was financed by the Ministry of the Environment. Helsinki, September 1998 for the Ministry of the Environment Statistics Finland Minister of the Environment Director General Pekka Haavisto Timo Relander Z/yjr/f Statistics Finland 3 Contents F o re w o rd ......................................................................................................... 3 1. The national economy and the environm ent................................. 5 Development of an international environmental policy.................. 5 Instruments of environmental protection....................................... 6 Environmental protection in central government.......................... 8 Environmental protection by local councils................................. 10 Environmental h e a lth ...................................................................... 11 2. N atural re s o u rc e s .............................................................................. 12 Reducing the exploitation of natural resources.................................12 Ores and other extractable resources................................................ 13 Timber resources...................................................................................14 Cultivated resources............................................................................ 16 Water resources.....................................................................................19 3. N ature co n serv atio n ..........................................................................22 4. I n d u s tr y ................................................................................................25 Control over environmental protection............................................. 25 Trends in environmental protection..................................................25 The pulp, paper and timber industries................................................26 The chemicals industry........................................................................28 The metallurgical industry................................................................. 29 Waste management ............................................................................30 5. Energy supplies.................................................................................. 32 Energy generation................................................................................ 32 Use of fossil fu e ls ................................................................................ 33 Greenhouse g a s e s ................................................................................ 34 Air pollution and acid deposition........................................................ 35 Sustainable energy supplies...............................................................37 Energy ta x e s .........................................................................................40 6. T ra n s p o rt..............................................................................................41 Trends in traffic volum es................................................................... 41 Environmental impact....................................................................... 42 Transport costs and taxation...............................................................44 7. Tow ards sustainable d ev elo p m en t................................................46 Appendices:Principal agreements on the conservation of natural resources and the environment to which Finland is committed and Statistical appendix Finland in F igures..........................................................................................60 4 Imp Statistics Finland 1. The national economy and the environment Development of an international 1998. Basically, this will mean that the emission reductions achieved by one country environmental policy can be purchased by others in order to reach their own reduction targets. According to EU The policy of sustainable development, definedCommission calculations, the reduction of at the Environment and Development Congreenhouse gas emissions in its member ference held in Rio de Janeiro in summer 1992,countries to the level agreed on in Kyoto will acts to a great extent as a point of departure forcost some FIM 90,000-120,000 million. Esti both international and national environmentalmates of the total economic effects on GDP policies at the present time. This has been parvary between +1 and -1.5 per cent. ticularly so since the nations confirmed their commitments to the Rio aims at a follow-upThe final communiqué of the United Nations meeting, the United Nations General AssemblyGeneral Assembly Special Session (UN Special Session (UNGASS) on sustainable deGASS) mentioned changes in production velopment, in summer 1997. methods and consumption habits in the indus trialised countries as the most important step The first legally binding global agreement ontowards attaining sustainable development. reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the faceThe concept of eco-efficiency, which com of the threat of climatic change was concluded bines environment policy aims with the spar at the UN Climate Meeting in Kyoto, Japan,ing utilisation of natural resources, is now in December 1997. This agreement, which emerging as the concrete objective in this re covers 160 countries, states that the indusspect. The aim is to reduce the use of raw-ma trialised countries should reduce their greenterials so as to minimise detrimental environ house gas emissions by an average of 5.2 permental effects in terms of pollution and waste cent from the 1990 level in the next 15 years,etc. which exceed the finite carrying capacity the requirement for the United States beingof the global ecosystem. At present the con seven per cent, that for the EU countries eightsumption of raw materials exceeds this per cent and that for Japan six per cent. Nocarrying capacity in the