Energy consumption growth slowing, but climate continues to warm
Even though the financial crisis has inhibited the occurrence of environmental problems, the global climate change continues and the temperatures continue to rise. Millions of years have gone by since the atmosphere last contained as much carbon dioxide as it does now. Over the last one hundred years, the average temperature has increased by approximately one degree in Finland, more than on average globally.
There are positive signals from the slowing in growth of energy consumption. Even though Finland’s energy consumption per capita is still the highest in the European Union, the energy consumption has no longer increased in the 2000s. This is mainly because of lower energy requirements for industry.
The share of renewable energy is increasing in Finland. The target for 2020, with renewables accounting for 38% of end-use, is only a few percentage points away. Forests are the main source of renewable energy, whereas the growth of for example wind energy has been slower than expected.
National indicators