Finnish Environmental Groups Sue Government Over Climate Policy

Several Finnish environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Finland, have filed a renewed lawsuit against the Finnish government for failing to meet climate targets established in 2022, which aim for carbon neutrality by 2035. The groups argue that the government, under Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, is not taking adequate action to comply with these laws and has admitted to being unlikely to meet its climate objectives. Previous legal challenges during Sanna Marin's administration were dismissed by the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court due to the legislation not being in effect long enough for judicial review. However, the court indicated it could revisit the matter if Finland continues to fall short without corrective measures. The organizations reference a recent European Court of Human Rights ruling against Switzerland, which found inadequate climate action to be a human rights violation, as a potential precedent for their case. The lawsuit, filed on August 2, highlights concerns over logging practices and emissions from transport and agriculture as key factors in Finland's failure to meet its targets.