Finland faces significant costs if transport emissions are not reduced, warns climate experts

Finland may face costs reaching hundreds of millions of euros if domestic transport emissions are not reduced to an adequate level. This financial burden stems from Finland’s commitment under EU obligations to halve its climate emissions in the so-called burden-sharing sector by 2030, based on 2005 levels. The burden-sharing sector includes emissions from construction, building heating, housing, agriculture, waste management, and transport, with transport being the largest source of emissions in this category.

On Thursday, Yle’s morning program discussed transport emissions with Päivi Antikainen, head of the Climate and Environment Unit at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and Heikki Liimatainen, a professor at the University of Tampere and a member of the Finnish Climate Panel. According to a report released by the Climate Panel, approximately 90% of domestic transport emissions are generated by road transport.

The Climate Panel suggests that the government should support the acquisition of electric trucks to meet emissions reduction obligations for road transport. Liimatainen emphasizes the benefits of electrifying trucks, particularly those that operate within cities and deliver goods to shops. He argues that diesel engines are less efficient in urban conditions, where acceleration, braking, and idling are frequent, resulting in high fuel consumption with minimal distance covered. In contrast, electric motors perform optimally at lower speeds in urban settings, offering excellent efficiency.

As a result, the lifecycle costs of electric trucks are lower than those of diesel trucks, despite the current purchase price of electric models being approximately 2.5 times that of diesel counterparts. Liimatainen also indicates that increases in public transportation services could further support emissions reduction efforts, making it easier for citizens to reduce or eliminate their reliance on personal vehicles. He notes that walking and cycling are inexpensive alternatives, with public transport also being significantly cheaper than car usage.