Professor Jarek Kurnitski as a member of the new climate panel

the Finnish Climate Change Panel is to produce, compile and analyse scientific information and identify information needs concerning climate change mitigation and adaptation. The information is used for climate policy planning, implementation, monitoring and decision-making.

'The efficient use of energy in buildings and elsewhere is the key solution to cutting emissions. Unused energy is known to be the best energy, and the efficiency-first principle generally helps to keep the investments necessary to curb climate change reasonable', says Professor Jarek Kurnitski from the Department of Civil Engineering.

'It is important that Finland will meet its climate targets and proceed resolutely towards a carbon neutral society. This is how Finland can also tap into the opportunities related to the transition. The task of the Climate Change Panel is to bring science-based knowledge to this process that will support the decision-making', Jyri Seppälä says.

The Climate Change Panel works in collaboration with the other scientific panels. Besides the Climate Change Panel, the Finnish Nature Panel is a statutory one. The two other scientific panels are the Sustainability Panel and the Finnish Forest Bioeconomy Science Panel. In addition, the Sámi Climate Council under the Climate Act appointed this autumn is composed of researchers and holders of traditional knowledge. 

The Ministry of the Environment has commissioned an evaluation of the Finnish Climate Change Panel that will be published in December.

Composition of the Finnish Climate Change Panel 1 January 2024–31 December 2027:

Chair Jyri Seppälä, Professor, Finnish Environment Institute

Members    

• Lassi Ahlvik, Associate Professor, University of Helsinki
• Antti Arasto, Vice President, Industrial energy and hydrogen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Jaana Halonen, Chief Researcher, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
• Paula Kivimaa, Research Professor, Finnish Environment Institute
• Kati Koponen, Senior Scientist, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Hannele Korhonen, Director of Climate Research Programme, Research Professor, Finnish Meteorological Institute
• Kati Kulovesi, Professor, University of Eastern Finland
• Jarek Kurnitski, Adjunct Professor, Aalto University
• Heikki Lehtonen, Research Professor, Natural Resources Institute Finland
• Heikki Liimatainen, Professor, University of Tampere
• Raisa Mäkipää, Research Professor, Natural Resources Institute Finland
• Sampo Soimakallio, Group Manager, Leading Researcher, Finnish Environment Institute
• Risto Soukka, Professor, LUT University
• Anne Toppinen, Vice Dean, Professor, University of Helsinki