OVER A HALF of Finns believe Finland should be a leader in the global effort to mitigate the climate emergency even if it created costs for ordinary citizens, finds a survey conducted for YLE by Taloustutkimus.
Most (54%) of the survey respondents agreed partly or fully with the statement that the country must be a pioneer in slowing down climate change.
Such views were held particularly by young respondents, with the vast majority of 15–24-year-olds hoping that the country will take action regardless of costs. Also a clear majority (64%) of female respondents agreed with the statement, whereas male respondents were more unsure – agreeing fully or partly at a rate of 45 per cent.
Finland as a prosperous country should be a leader in the effort, Pekka Virtanen from Kuusamo commented to YLE.
“If countries like this don’t lead the way, it’ll all be for nothing,” he said.
Forty-four per cent of the 1,002 respondents contrastively disagreed fully or partly with the statement. YLE wrote that residents of large cities on average consider climate leadership more important than those of small localities, pointing to a high rate of disagreement in northern and eastern parts of Finland.
Many of the respondents also voiced their concern about the cost of climate action.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s (NCP) government has pledged not to compromise on the national objectives of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. It has, though, stipulated that climate actions should neither increase the costs of citizens, nor undermine the competitiveness of industries.
Taloustutkimus carried out the survey on 19–28 June.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
