Finland: Working group to assess the implementation of emissions trading scheme in national road transport

NordenBladet — The Ministry of Transport and Communications appoints an intersectoral working group of public officials to assess and make preparations for an emissions trading scheme in the national road transport sector.  The work is part of the preparations for the Roadmap for fossil-free transport.

The Roadmap aims to halve transport emissions by 2030. The measures of the Roadmap are relevant for road transport, which accounts for the majority of traffic emissions.The Roadmap for fossil-free transport includes three phases. In the first phase, support and encouragement will be provided for people and businesses in using more sustainable transport modes. The second phase would assess ways in which more information on the effects on emissions is needed before a decision can be taken. Above all, it will be identified whether the percentage of sustainable bio and electronic fuels could be further increased and what the impacts of, for example, remote work, good road infrastructure management and new transport services are. “In the third phase, in autumn 2021, the Government will assess what can be achieved through these measures and whether the EU is taking timely action and moving in the right direction,” says Timo Harakka, the Minister of Transport and Communications.

Compensation models to be reviewed
The task of the working group is to draft an extensive memorandum assessing and preparing the measures required by emissions trading in the national road transport sector. The group is also to draw up a timetable for their implementation. The working group will also submit proposals for compensation models for households and businesses.

In the emissions trading scheme for road transport, the distributor of fuel would buy from the state at regular auctions a distribution right tied with the carbon content that would correspond with the amount of fossil fuel to be sold.  The number of the rights to be auctioned will gradually decrease so that the emissions trading will sufficiently supplement other measures in order to achieve the emissions reduction target by 2030.

Next steps
Working group members will be invited from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Environment, the Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and the Energy Authority. The group will start its work on 1 March 2021. Other stakeholders will be consulted during the work process.

Comments on the Roadmap for fossil-free transport, which is a Government Resolution on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport, are invited by 19 February 2021.