Implementation of Finland's National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2022 : A Mid-term Evaluation

Abstract

The aim of the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2022, published in 2014, is to ensure that Finnish society has the capacity to manage the risks associated with climate change and to adapt to changes in the climate. The interim review of the plan assesses the status of its implementation and identifies needs for development in order to advance it. The coordination group, group interviews and the results of regional stakeholder workshops, as well as on a national survey and documentation base the review on a self-evaluation.

According to the review, awareness of climate change and the need for adaptation has increased among the relevant operators. The effects and risks associated with climate change are being discussed more broadly when producing information. However, measures to manage climate-related risks are still partly lacking. Investing and focusing more on the planning and implementation of adaptation actions makes it possible to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change more effectively than what is currently being done.

The most important needs for development have to do with increasing awareness of weather and climate-related risks and the possibilities to adapt to them, clarifying the roles and responsibilities related to adaptation and ensuring well-functioning coordination. It is also important to develop sector-specific guidance, along with tools and instructions that regional and local operators in particular can use to strengthen their adaptive capacity at their own initiative.

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