NordenBladet — In its informal meeting on Wednesday 10 November, the Government discussed the COVID-19 situation and the measures needed to address it. The Government decided to adopt in full the action plan implementing the revised hybrid strategy to manage the pandemic. Restaurant restrictions will continue, as will the preparations for expanding the use of the COVID-19 passport. The Government also proposed that the temporary provisions of the Communicable Diseases Act be extended until the end of June 2022.At the meeting, the Government received an update on the current epidemiological situation and the progress of vaccinations. The epidemiological situation has deteriorated in many regions, which means that further measures are needed to reduce the number of infections. The national target of 80 per cent vaccination coverage was reached today, but that alone is not enough to set the development of the epidemic on a downward course. In line with the Government’s decision, the action plan for the revised hybrid strategy will be taken into full use starting on Monday 15 November. The guiding principle for the new strategy is that the various functions of society should remain open. The strategy emphasises the importance of local and targeted measures in combating the epidemic. It will guide the regions in monitoring the development of the epidemic and in deciding on the recommendations and restrictions needed to curb it.Instead of the earlier phase-based criteria, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is drawing up epidemiological characteristics for areas in the community transmission phase that are better suited to the current epidemiological situation and that can be used by the regions as an indicative tool when assessing the need for measures. As part of the implementation of the hybrid strategy, the Government adopted principles for introducing a new emergency brake mechanism. The emergency brake mechanism would be introduced if the development of the epidemic were to deteriorate unexpectedly and very seriously and could not be controlled through extensive regional measures. The threshold for activating the emergency brake mechanism would be high.Restaurant restrictions will continue and the temporary provisions of the Communicable Diseases Act will remain in forceIn view of the current epidemiological situation, the Government considers it necessary to continue the restrictions on the activities of restaurants. The need for restaurant restrictions in different regions will be assessed based on the new epidemiological characteristics. The Government will decide on restaurant restrictions in its extraordinary plenary session on Monday 15 November. Under section 58a of the Communicable Diseases Act, decisions on restrictions on food and beverage service businesses are made by government decree.The Government proposes that the temporary provisions of the Communicable Diseases Act be extended until the end of June 2022.The temporary provisions concerning sections 16, 43, 58 and 59 of the Communicable Diseases Act are due to expire at the turn of the year. These have to do with health-secure entry into the country, the Koronavilkku mobile application, restrictions on premises and activities to prevent the spread of infections, and COVID-19 passports, among other matters. 
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will also examine the possibility of preparing a temporary amendment to the Communicable Diseases Act concerning the vaccination protection of healthcare and social welfare employees and students in on-the-job training in order to protect patients and clients.The Government wants to promote expanding the use of the COVID-19 passport as an independent restrictive measure. At the same time, it is exploring the possibility of using the COVID-19 passport at workplaces. The matter will be prepared without delay in cooperation between the ministries.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Finland participates in six transport initiatives adopted at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference. Countries make commitments to reduce emissions on the road, at sea and in the air. Most of these declarations were published on the Transport Day on 10 November 2021.Press release of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Ministry of the EnvironmentTransport is not included in the official agenda of the Climate Change Conference but, on the initiative of the UK Presidency in particular, the countries also agreed on several transport initiatives. This means that now the transport sector has a more visible role than at the previous conferences.“The declarations send a clear message that growing numbers of countries intend to phase out fossil fuels, whether in road or maritime transport or aviation. The Glasgow commitments are well in line with Finland’s ambitious climate goals. The declarations strengthen Finland’s role as a high-technology country that develops climate-friendly solutions for transport”, says Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.“Emission reductions in the transport sector are critical for achieving the 1.5 degree target. The declarations will boost the international climate policy, as well as national actions. Finland considers it highly important that we will find the means to achieve decarbonised maritime transport as, in practice, we can say that Finland is an island”, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen says.Zero-emission new cars and vans by 2035A Declaration on zero-emission vehicles was also published at the Climate Change Conference. The signatories, including Finland, undertake to promote the target that all passenger cars and vans on sale will be zero emission by 2035 or earlier. In the Declaration, a zero-emission vehicle means a car or van that produces zero greenhouse gas emissions at the tailpipe.The Declaration is well in line with the Fit for 55 package published by the European Commission on 15 July 2021. The Commission has proposed stricter limits for CO2 emissions from new cars and vans. In practice, this would mean that in 2035 the rational option for car manufacturers would be to produce only zero-emission cars and vans.30 per cent of new medium- and heavy-duty vehicles zero-emission by 2030With respect to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs), countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim is that at least 30 per cent of the sales of new MHDVs sold will be zero-emission by 2030. In addition, the aim for the signatories is that all new MHDVs would be zero-emission in 2040. The initiative applies to both passenger and goods transport. In the Memorandum of Understanding, zero-emission vehicles are ones with zero tailpipe emissions, i.e. electric and hydrogen vehicles. The Memorandum of Understanding will support the development of the Finnish battery and electric vehicle cluster. The progress towards the target will be monitored on an annual basis.Finland has also joined the initiative on charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in road transport, where the signatories undertake to accelerate the construction of infrastructure. Charging infrastructure is a key condition for the electrification of the transport sector and for reducing greenhouse gas emission.Nationally, biogas has also been identified as an important source of power as we aim to phase out fossil fuels in road transport. When lifecycle emissions are taken into account, biogas is a climate-friendly option that also promotes the circular economy.  Zero-carbon maritime routes for shippingThe Clydebank Declaration encourages to undertake pioneering work by developing zero-emission maritime routes, green shipping corridors, to serve as an example to the world. The Declaration was named after a Scottish port and shipyard town.The States can identify potential shipping routes and, together with ports and shipping companies, develop innovative model solutions for the public and private sector. The Declaration aims to support the emission reduction efforts of the International Maritime Organization IMO and to prove that certain shipping routes can be operated in a way that is completely free from fossil fuels already within the next few years.Finland does not yet have any decarbonised shipping routes. The use of biofuels and biofuel blends in vessels is growing and hybrid solutions have been introduced where vessels are partly powered by electricity. In addition, we have ferry traffic routes in Finland where there is potential for more extensive electrification. Finland also participates in a Declaration initiated by Denmark that aims at zero-emission shipping by 2050. The decision on introducing a similar, tighter target for the International Maritime Organization is to be negotiated at the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee session at the end of November.Net zero emissions in aviation by 2050In accordance with the common EU position, Finland supports the Declaration that boosts the efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from aviation at a certain rate. According to the Declaration, the aim is that the net zero CO2 emission target for aviation will be reached by 2050. The target will help to keep the increase in global average temperature at 1.5 degrees. The Declaration acknowledges the role of the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO as the appropriate forum to promote the achievement of the target. The efforts to be made include ensuring that the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation CORSIA is as effective as possible. A key milestone in this is the ICAO Assembly in 2022. By the Declaration the countries also commit to developing and deploying sustainable aviation fuels. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Minister of Education Li Andersson will lead the Finnish delegation to the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris on 10–11 November. In Finland’s keynote speech on Wednesday, the Minister of Education highlighted human rights as the basis of UNESCO’s activities and its work as an implementer of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as supporting Member States to overcome the challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of Education also welcomes the news of the Åland Islands’ admission to UNESCO as an Associate Member.Minister Andersson gave Finland’s keynote speech in which she expressed support for UNESCO’s goals for the next programme period 2022–2025. What is significant is the strong human rights basis of the programme and the goal of achieving even better interaction between its programme areas – education, science, culture and communication. Promoting equality and improving the position of young people are important and prevalent tasks. Equally, achieving the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda is at the heart of everything. It welcomes the organisation’s more decisive aim to respond more vigorously to environmental challenges under the increasing pressure of climate change.Minister Andersson gave Finland’s full support for the adoption of the recommendations on open science and the ethics of artificial intelligence, which have already aroused widespread interest. Minister Andersson thanked UNESCO for the way in which it has captured situational pictures in its various programme areas during the coronavirus pandemic and explored the necessary global measures with the Member States in an inclusive manner.UNESCO’s role will continue to be significant during the recovery from the coronavirus crisis, not least as a defender of researched data and freedom of expression, in responding to the deepening global learning crisis and in strengthening the role of culture in maintaining social resilience.Minister Andersson reaffirmed Finland’s support for the organisation of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – Mondicult in September 2022. Minister Andersson also attended the High-Level Global Education Meeting 2021 (GEM), which launches the renewed global cooperation mechanism for the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goal of Education (SDG 4), the preparation of which was led by UNESCO.Minister Andersson welcomes the news that the Åland Islands became an Associate Member of UNESCO on 9 November. With this membership, the Nordic countries’ voice and influence in UNESCO will be further strengthened, which is important in today’s multilateral and, in some respects, challenging international cooperation. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Commissioner Mairead McGuinness will visit Finland on 10–12 November on the invitation of Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä and Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko. The Ministers and the Commissioner will discuss the EU’s sustainable finance classification system, or the EU taxonomy, with special focus on themes related to energy and forests. The Commissioner will also meet Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä in Helsinki.Mairead McGuinness, European Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union, will visit Finland on 10–13 November. The theme of her visit is the EU taxonomy, or a classification system that establishes environmentally sustainable economic activities.“Nuclear power plays an important role in achieving Finland’s carbon neutrality targets. The EU taxonomy must be technology neutral, meaning it must treat different low-emission forms of energy equally. The taxonomy must encourage sustainable investment and accelerate the green transition,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Lintilä. No decision has yet been made in the EU on whether nuclear power is to be classified as an environmentally sustainable form of energy production in the financing criteria. A delegated act that was adopted by the European Commission in the summer and is currently being examined by the European Council contained no criteria for nuclear power. In Finland, nuclear power plays a crucial role in achieving the carbon neutrality target in energy production. It is therefore important that the Commission adopt a complementary delegated act and evaluation criteria for nuclear energy as soon as possible.Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko considers the visit of Commissioner McGuinness an opportunity to highlight Finnish expertise in the energy and forest sectors and to discuss the importance of sustainable financing.“We fully endorse the objective of the taxonomy to direct capital to sustainable investment.  At the same time, the financing criteria must be easy to apply, understandable and unambiguous, and suitable for different kinds of companies. If this is not the case, the taxonomy will fail to support the sustainable financing objectives in practice. It is important that the criteria are prepared in close cooperation with the Member States,” Minister of Finance Saarikko emphasises. The Commissioner will also meet Prime Minister Marin and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Leppä and visit Finnish forests and OlkiluotoDuring her visit, the Commissioner will also meet Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä. The Prime Minister and Commissioner McGuinness will discuss the importance of criteria for sustainable finance for promoting climate and environmental objectives in forestry and energy production.Forests and the forest industry play a key role in the transition to a bio-based circular economy. Finland has emphasised that the taxonomy criteria for forestry should make use of existing concepts and requirements, and that they should also be easy to implement. The criteria should also reflect the fact that decision-making power in matters regarding forests and forestry rests with the Member States.  In addition to meeting the ministers, the Commissioner will visit the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and ONKALO, a facility for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel under construction in Eurajoki. She will also learn about sustainable forestry and forest management and use in Finland.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Hosted by Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen, the Nordic defence ministers met in Majvik, Kirkkonummi, on 9 to 10 November 2021.They were briefed on the progress of Finland’s NORDEFCO chairmanship. One of the key themes has been to develop cooperation in the field of military mobility during crises and conflicts. In their addresses, the ministers underscored the importance of developing Nordic interoperability. They discussed Afghanistan and noted that Nordic cooperation was important and effective in the evacuation operation. The ministers were presented reports prepared during Finland’s chairmanship on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on military security of supply and the opportunities provided by the European Defence Fund for the Nordic countries. Work will continue on these issues.Norway will take over the chair at the beginning of 2022.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — Sergei Silkin from Helsinki, Marko Oikarainen from Kouvola and Dan Wickholm from Sipoo were today awarded the Father of the Year Prize. The Prize was presented by Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru.The Father of the Year Prize winners have promoted gender equality in family life in an exemplary manner, for example by taking family leave or otherwise taking time to take care of their children. They have found ways of supporting their children in exceptional situations and they have also raised issues related to fatherhood through their life’s work or their activities to exert influence. In her speech, Minister Kiuru stressed the importance of fathers taking family leave. “Everyone — the father himself, the child, the couple relationship and the work community — benefits from the father’s family leave. Fathers play their most valuable role at home while their work tasks can be rearranged for the duration of their family leave. Supporting fathers in taking family leave is also an investment in the future for employers, because employees returning from their family leave are happy and more committed than before.”The Government submitted its proposal for the family leave reform to Parliament in September. “I consider that the reform is an important step towards a more equal division of family leaves. This is an extensive overall reform. Such reforms have not previously been carried out in Finland. One of the key objectives is to increase gender equality and the amount of care provided by fathers. We want to see a more equal division of care responsibilities between women and men. We want that family leaves will be divided more equally between both parents in families,” says Minister Kiuru.Winners of the Father of the Year Prize in 2021Sergei Silkin from Helsinki has, through his own actions, promoted gender equality and the wellbeing of children and families both in his own family and in multilingual and multicultural activity clubs for children in eastern Helsinki. Silkin has obtained training in pedagogy. In his work, he engages in a continuous dialogue with different kinds of families about parenthood, fatherhood and the importance of being present. Silkin openly shares his own experiences of fatherhood in the Russian-speaking community and serves as an example for many parents of well-functioning joint custody when the relationship between the parents has ended. Silkin works actively to make it possible for children from low-income families to engage in leisure activities. He also explores opportunities for supporting and ensuring, for example, that children with special needs in Russia have the chance to lead a life of dignity.Marko Oikarainen from Kouvola is a father in a multiple-birth family who works actively to improve the wellbeing of children, the position of multiple-birth families and gender equality. He took the maximum number of family leave days when their eldest child and multiple-birth children were born. Oikarainen has been involved in developing training for multiple-birth families by bringing the perspective of fathers and fatherhood into the training. He serves as an example of participatory fatherhood by joining his children in meetings and events with peer support families and contributing actively to the operation of the Finnish Multiple Births Association. Oikarainen has also contributed to the promotion of gender equality in family life by reconciling work, parenthood and family life by means of various arrangements. Dan Wickholm from Sipoo has been actively present in his children’s lives since their birth, and he has reconciled work and family life by taking job alternation leave, for example. Due to Wickholm’s work, parenting responsibilities were divided between the parents into periods. In 2014, the mother of the family fell seriously ill, and Wickholm stayed at home to take care of their children and to ensure that the family’s daily life would be as normal and smooth as possible. Even in more difficult times, he put his children’s wellbeing and safe everyday life first. Now he is his wife’s informal caregiver and solely responsible for their children, and he also takes care of everything related to the children. He has worked hard to make the family’s everyday life at home as smooth as possible. Father of the Year PrizeThe Father of the Year Prize is awarded to a person who, through his own example and actions, has promoted recognition of the importance of fatherhood and thus increased its appreciation. The aim of the Prize is to put active fatherhood on a firmer footing in people’s thinking. The goal is to strengthen fatherhood, support the reconciliation of work and family life, promote the child’s best interests, and boost gender equality. The first Father of the Year Prize was given in 2006. A total of 40 fathers, including the winners in 2021, have received the Prize.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi