Climate Leadership Coalition’s spring meeting was held remotely using Teams because of meeting restrictions imposed by coronavirus. Representatives of 53 organisational members took part in the meeting.
CLC’s CEO Jouni Keronen and chair of the Board of Directors Henrik Ehrnrooth brought inspiring greetings to CLC’s members. CLC’s representatives Ehrnrooth, Vice chair of the Board Jorma Ollila, Chair of the Advisory Board Pertti Korhonen and CEO Keronen had the previous day held a remote discussion with Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, who is responsible for the EU’s climate policy and the Green Deal.
According to Keronen, Timmermans warmly welcomed CLC’s views of the ways to increase sustainable investments and use of a green recovery to address the economic shock caused by coronavirus.
“We presented CLC’s key climate ideas to Vice-President Timmermans. Yesterday was one of the most important days in the six-year history of CLC. I would like to thank CLC’s members for their contribution to our common goal,” CEO Keronen said.
The spring meeting also heard three presentations about current climate topics.
CLC’s Development Director Juha Turkki provided a situational update of the European Green Deal. According to Turkki, the Green Deal and EU’s suggestions are progressing despite the COVID-19 pandemic but the schedule is likely to be updated in the near future. The European Climate Law is being discussed in the European Parliament. Turkki told that during 2020 CLC has given the European Commisison its views on the European Climate Law, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU 2030 Climate Target Plan projects. The Finnish Parliament has received CLC’c views on Just Transition Fund and EU’s Climate Law initiatives. In summer, the European Commission will receive CLC’s view on the Sector Integration Strategy & Climate plan.
State Secretary Kimmo Tiilikainen presented the current stage in the formulation of low-carbon road maps for industry coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Tiilikainen said that the 13 roadmaps that had been in preparation for a year would be completed in June and that the final seminar will be held on 9 June. The roadmaps will have a significant impact on Finland’s climate and energy policy as well as to green stimulus to repair the economy from effects of the Covid-19 shock. Tiilikainen believes that the roadmaps will serve to enhance Finland’s country brand. He warmly welcomed all ideas from CLC’s members to implement the roadmaps.
Executive Director, Sustainable Development at Technology Industries of Finland Helena Soimakallio gave a presentation about Technology Industries of Finland’s low-carbon roadmap towards 2035. Soimakallio commended the cooperation between industry and government in making the roadmaps as being successful and exceptional. Technology Industries of Finland will begin designing individual tools – like a program calculating carbon footprint and carbon handprint – for use by companies. Technonogy Industries and its members will monitor the progress of the roadmap with metrics that will be developed after the summer.
The spring meeting recorded that the Climate Leadership Coalition had had a successful spring despite the challenging conditions caused by coronavirus.
During the spring CEO Keronen and Development Director Kari Mokko have presented CLC’s operations to 20 potential new members – companies, cities and universities. CLC has accepted four new members – Tampere University, the University of Oulu, forest management company Tornator and electricity distribution company Caruna Networks. Several of the organisations CLC has met are also considering membership. CLC now has 68 organisational members.
CLC’s theme groups have been active through online connections and organised several webinars at an international level. The remote seminars considered, among other things, the state of the energy markets in the post-coronavirus economy with IEA and the European Investment Bank’s green financing models with EIB. The groups also organised joint meetings at which, for example, Finnish sustainable recovery measures and views on the future of Power 2X technology were planned.
CLC has also begun work on the design and implementation of a new website. The aims is to open a webpage sharing fresh news about the organisation’s operations with members by mid-June.
More information: Kari Mokko, Development Director, CLC +358 40 7513281 kari.mokko@clc.fi
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