Nordic leaders pledge most sustainable region by 2030

“Our government is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. We aim to become carbon negative soon after that as the first industrial economy in the world. The bar is very high, but we want to lead by example. We need to accelerate our emission reductions, and we need to strengthen our carbon sinks,” Sauli Niinistö told the summit. He added that Finland plans to ban the use of coal in energy production by 2029, and the use of fossil fuel in heating by 2030.

Finland and Chile have initiated a Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, currently from 40 countries, driven by the Helsinki Principles.

“Climate action requires all the tools controlled by finance ministries. Taxation and budgeting, public investment and procurement – when these instruments work in our favour, a carbon-neutral world is possible,” Niinistö said.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, announced a doubling of the country’s contribution to the Green Climate Fund. Sweden will together with India launch a leadership group for industry transition to accelerate fossil fuel-free transitions for heavy industry.

The intention of the UN Climate Action summit 2019 is to raise the global level of ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The ambition is that countries will step up their nationally determined contributions at COP25 in 2019, to ensure that climate change is limited to well under 2°C, or better, 1.5°C. This involves reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050.

Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, said Norway is responding with increased ambition and action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

“We will strengthen our nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement. We urge others to do the same. We will also submit a low emission strategy to the UN,” Solberg said, adding that Norway will follow through on its Paris commitment to double contributions to the Green Climate Fund.

“In addition, we continue to provide substantial support to countries that reduce deforestation.”

Solberg drew attention to a study released by the High-level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy showing how the oceans can provide solutions at scale. Ocean-based climate action can reduce the emissions gap by up to 21 % by 2050.

“A sustainable and healthy ocean economy will be crucial for fighting climate change. It will provide jobs and food security, and will help to protect biodiversity,” Solberg said.

Iceland’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, said Iceland has declared to become carbon neutral in 2040.

“Most of all we need hope. The threat is real, but so are the solutions. Will it cost? Yes, but clean energy transformation was perhaps our best investment in terms of both economy and quality of life,” said Jakobsdóttir.

Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, said Denmark has proved that clean energy can go hand in hand with progress, and that “now we have decided to raise the bar even further”.

“Last year, a unified Danish Parliament set out to reach climate neutrality with net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. And this year my newly formed government set the target even higher. A reduction of 70 per cent - imagine, will that even be possible­ - in our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” Frederiksen said.

“We will re-double our efforts to raise more forests in Denmark.”

“If it wasn’t difficult it would not be ambitious enough,” Frederiksen said, adding “both targets will be legally binding”.

The joint message from the Nordic prime ministers at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019, is that the Nordic region aims to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world in 2030.