Political programme of the Greens 2023–2027

Green Europe Programme

Puoluekokouksen 2023 ehdokkaat

Municipal election programme

6 Important Things You Should Know About the Fair Change Programme

Due to climate change, it is imperative to reduce emissions rapidly. The Fair Change programme is the Greens’ response to how Finland will achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Iiris Suomela, Member of Parliament and leader of the Fair Change working group, explains how the change will affect our daily lives – transport, consumption and even food – and how it will succeed without the less fortunate being left behind and without compromises in our quality of life.

1. The end of the disposable culture

One of the principles of the Greens’ Fair Change programme is that products must be made to withstand consumption and must be repairable.

It is not fair to force people to buy something new just to increase consumption. More repair and maintenance services are needed, for example for clothes and household appliances.

“We want an end to disposable products. It is preposterous that some mobile phone batteries cannot be replaced without almost completely dismantling the phone,” says Iiris Suomela, a Green MP and leader of the Fair Change working group.

Nowadays, buying a new product is often cheaper than repairing an old one. One reason for this is that repair workers in Finland are allowed decent working conditions, while virgin raw materials are often produced in countries where working conditions are poor and human rights are not respected. Production of raw materials is often associated with serious environmental damage.

Raw materials must therefore be used for as long as possible and their recycling for new purposes must be made more efficient and easier.

Green goal: Comprehensive “Right to repair” regulation regarding device repairability would promote the circular economy and create jobs. So would more-intensive recycling of textiles, electronic waste, plastics and building materials.

2. Sustainable choices made easy and cheaper

Fair change aims to stop climate change and to achieve a carbon neutral Finland by 2035.

Because this would also entail changes in everyday life, it is important that the most vulnerable do not have to suffer and pay the price.

The aim of the Fair Change programme is to combat climate change, poverty and inequality at the same time.

Iiris Suomela was happy to note that the actions presented in the programme have been green policies since the early 1980s.

A craftsman repairs a leather belt. “Since then, the Greens have supported a universal basic income and environmental taxes, for example, in contrast to traditional economic thinking. Osmo Soininvaara was writing about a range of fair change measures back then.”

One of the key goals of fair change is to enable increasing numbers of Finns to make sustainable and ethical choices in their daily lives. It is currently difficult or even impossible to distinguish such products in shops.

“No one should have to wonder whether they are accidentally buying products produced by child labour.”

A climate-friendly option should always be cheaper than a polluting one. This means, for example, that pulled oats should cost less than minced meat, as CO2 emissions from meat production are many times higher than from vegetable production.

A huge challenge lies ahead: if implemented, the proposals for action in the Fair Change programme would revolutionise the logic of the entire economic system. In contrast, the current goal is continuous growth, which in turn requires a continuous increase in consumption.

“We must leave this behind and move to reasonable consumption of resources everywhere.”

Green goal: To develop product labelling and advertising legislation enabling consumers to choose sustainable products. The Corporate Responsibility Act should oblige companies to comply with minimum criteria for sustainable operations.

3. Green options for transport

Most of Finland’s climate emissions are caused by eating, travelling and living. Transport accounts for one third of our overall carbon footprint, and the same amount is generated by housing and the associated use of energy. Food and drink account for one fifth of the carbon footprint.

These themes must be addressed. The Greens want everyday changes to be fair. It must be understood that people’s daily lives are very different in different parts of Finland.

A cyclist puts on a helmet. Fairness means, for example, that a pensioner in a small house should not have to pay for energy saving renovations, even though homes can no longer be heated with fossil oil. And that you do not have to give up your car if distances are long and there are no other options.

“The number of cars needs to be reduced because the number of electric and biogas cars cannot possibly be increased quickly enough. Few people drive just for fun, but do so for reasons such as urgency or convenience. There must be better options available for them.”

In Finland, most car rides are less than 10 kilometres long and occur in urban areas. The Greens believe that there is room for reduction here. Of course, cycling must be increased. However, the best way to reduce motoring is to develop public transport, especially low-emission rail transport.

“Ticket prices must be reduced and solutions created that make everyday life smoother. People don’t take the subway primarily because it’s sustainable, but because it’s fast and convenient.”

It should be possible to travel between cities and countries by train. So money, such as that obtained from a possible air tax, should be directed towards the development of rail connections.

Levying an air tax is a key principle of the Fair Change programme: the polluter pays. Increasing emissions should be heavy on the wallet. An air tax would lead to higher airfares which, for some Finns, would mean not having enough money to travel by air as they used to.

“From a climate perspective, there should be fewer flights. Long-distance travel is already a luxury and not everyone can afford it. Long-haul flights will not end, but emissions must be reflected in flight prices. Flying is barely taxed at all.”

Green goal: Commuting deductions and mileage allowances independent of mode of transport, as well as compensation for walking and cycling.

4. Low-income people are compensated for the additional costs caused by the change

Fairness also means maintaining favourable living conditions throughout Finland. For example, in areas with long distances and poor transport connections, people will continue to drive diesel or petrol cars. Not everyone can afford an electric car, but the ecological option could be enabled for more people by continuing to support the purchase of electric cars and providing support for biogas and ethanol conversion, and by introducing a scrapping premium. Use of fossil fuels must be reduced, above all in cities.

Petrol and diesel taxes must be raised, but additional costs can be offset in areas where there are few alternatives to motoring.

“One way of implementing compensation would be a regional addition to the carbon dividend,” says Suomela.

Through a carbon dividend, income collected through environmental taxes would be distributed to Finns as dividends. This could be based on the principles of the Greens’ basic income model, whereby progressive taxation is used to deduct the dividend automatically from people with the highest incomes.

Regional compensation would mean that, in sparsely populated areas, for example, those affected by petrol and diesel taxes would receive a higher carbon dividend.

The logic of fair change includes the state supporting owners of detached houses when they convert from oil boilers to more climate-friendly heating methods such as geothermal heat.

Many practical means of combatting climate change mean additional costs, hitting low-income people the hardest. This would not be fair. That is why the Greens want to improve social security, reduce taxation of small incomes, and move from taxation of work to the taxation of environmental damage and ownership.

An important part of fair change and an important way to support employment would be a basic income, a kind of national salary that every Finn would receive unconditionally. A basic income would provide security for people such as low-paid workers, freelancers and temporary and part-time workers.

“The current social security system consists of dozens of benefits with waiting times, conditions and restrictions. Due to the system’s fragmentation, an unfortunately high number of people fall through the holes in the safety net. It is not always worth working or running a business, because even a small income can lead to the loss of all social security,” Suomela explains.

A basic income would bring flexibility to different life situations and help people adapt to change. For example, during the coronavirus restrictions, a basic income would have guaranteed an income for many who saw a halt or reduction in their livelihoods.

“Similarly, it would always make sense for an unemployed person to take a job, as the basic income would only gradually decrease as their earnings became sufficient.”

Green goal: An equal carbon dividend for all will offset the increase in emissions taxes. In this way, those who consume less and behave more sustainably would benefit more in the long term. An EU-wide citizens’ initiative is underway on carbon dividends and carbon taxes.

Green goal: A basic income and tax relief for low-income earners will offset the additional costs of environmental taxes. Correspondingly, capital taxation will be raised, and a wealth tax will be introduced.

5. Individual responsibility and political decisions

“People have already died as a result of disasters caused by climate change. Desertification poses a threat not only to African but also southern European agriculture. Devastating forest fires have become more common, of which last year’s fires in Sweden and Australia were a tragic example,” Suomela lists.

She points out that the less fortunate are hit hardest by both climate change and means of combating it. Suomela gives an example: when the sea level rises, some people may lose their homes. When a job based on fossil raw materials disappears, new jobs may not be found in the immediate area. Moving elsewhere is not easy for people with insufficient money for a rent deposit, let alone a mortgage.

According to surveys, Finns want to take action to stop climate change. A survey by Sitra found that 69 per cent of the respondents believed that consumer choices matter, and 79 per cent considered sustainable living important.

The snow-free winter in Southern Finland served as a recent wake-up call. Flood risks have grown due to the increase in heavy rains, mild winters and rises in global sea levels in many regions. Even in Helsinki, large areas may be submerged.

However, sustainable choices by individual consumers will not be enough to stop climate change. Policy decisions are needed to guide production and consumption through regulation and taxation, for example.

“The changes will apply to everyone, but implementation should not be left to individuals. People’s choices are greatly influenced by the structures, culture and habits of a society, and can be guided in a more sustainable direction by political choices,” says Suomela.

Green goal: When emissions trading is restructured and environmentally harmful subsidies and tax breaks removed, it will be more profitable for companies to switch to lower-emission production.

Green goal: Higher carbon taxes will lead to lower-emission choices. The same is true of EU-wide carbon tariffs on all non-ETS goods from outside the EU.

6. Managed change for better quality of life

Many discussions of climate change list only those things that will become more expensive or must be abandoned. Perhaps the biggest goal of fair change involves everyone having to rethink their way of life: does wellbeing equal consumption?

The Fair Change working group does not think so. Many factors contributing to quality of life place no strain on the climate at all – and would not necessarily cost much. In a fair, climate-friendly society, many things would certainly increase in price, but you would not have to buy everything for yourself. There is also a need to develop services that increase wellbeing.

“Clothing rental services are a good example of this. In the future, t-shirts that cost five euros will no longer exist. A clothing rental service could provide you with a new dress every week for the price of just two purchased dresses. For me, at least, this would represent a considerable improvement in quality of life,” says Suomela.

There are many other good examples of this. You can sell your used dinnerware to Iittala and Arabia’s Vintage service, instead of placing it in mixed waste. The Kyyti app combines public transport and private business mobility services in the same service.

Why can’t quality of life be treated as a similar measure to GDP? In line with the goals of the Fair Change programme, it should be raised alongside GDP as lifestyles are guided in a more sustainable direction.

According to Suomela, if we want to stop global warming at 1.5 degrees, we must cut emissions so hard and fast that everyone will be involved in the related work and decision-making. If the coronavirus taught us anything, it is that Finns are capable of change and clever at developing new ideas.

“It is the task of political leadership to accelerate change through regulation and economic policy reform. Ultimately, however, change will occur in everyday life: in workplaces, grocery shops, petrol stations and other situations where people make choices,” says Iiris Suomela.

Green goal: The voting age should be 16, as young people must live longest with the consequences of decisions made now.

text: Sanna Sevänen

pictures of Iiris Suomela: Maija Astikainen

100 ways to combat climate change in municipalities

For us Greens, the upcoming municipal elections are about making all Finnish municipalities pioneers in efforts to fight climate change.

Many municipalities have already set ambitious climate targets.

We believe that the goal should be for all municipalities to be carbon-neutral by the 2030s at the latest.

We have compiled a list of one hundred climate actions on things that can be done, and are being done, in municipalities to meet this goal. From the point of view of energy, mobility, construction and many other municipal services, such goals must be set high.

Energy

1. Municipal energy companies must discontinue the use of peat and fossil fuels. The state provides incentives for energy companies that will discontinue the use of coal by 2025.

2. Property-specific and large-scale heat pumps are being installed.

3. Oil-based heating in municipal properties is being replaced with heat pumps or other low-emission solutions.

4. Private consumers are being encouraged to give up oil-based heating, and are being advised on how to do so. State support is provided for this.

5. Assessments are being made of major waste heat and exhaust air recovery sites, such as sports facilities and offices, and profitable projects are being implemented.

6. New methods of energy production and smart energy solutions are being tested. In Lappeenranta, for example, a virtual power plant compensates for fluctuations in the generation of wind power.

7. The heat from wastewater and sewage sludge is used for heating.

8. In municipal energy procurement, only renewable electricity is purchased.

9. The provision of energy advice for local residents and awareness are being increased. In particular, the competence of housing association decision-makers and municipal employees in energy matters is being improved.

10. Local residents are encouraged to make energy-saving renovations. For example, in the Helsinki energy renaissance project, the City of Helsinki’s energy advisers provide housing companies with concrete, impartial information and guidance, as well as practical assistance in carrying out energy-related renovations.

11. Proactive advice for housing companies is being developed to take into account the potential for energy savings and the use of renewable energy sources in renovations.

12. Energy is saved in municipal organisations with the 50/50 model, where a school, library or other unit receives half of the saved energy costs for its own use.

13. Energy-saving measures are being piloted in collaboration with local residents. For example, in Lappeenranta, 46 households were given the opportunity within the framework of Greenreality’s operations to try out solutions to reduce their home’s carbon footprint.

14. Solar panels are being installed on municipal properties. For example, the City of Porvoo is installing solar panels in all of its own new construction and renovation projects.

15. The production and use of biogas are being increased. For example, the Regional Council of Central Finland has drawn up a plan for biogas production and consumption in the region.

16. Collaboration is underway with local agricultural and other companies that can produce biogas. For example, the City of Jyväskylä uses local production in its biogas-fuelled buses.

17. Municipal lighting is being renewed to make it more energy-efficient.

18. Electricity and heat demand elasticity and plus-energy construction are being piloted. For example, the City of Helsinki is currently piloting both.

19. Improvements are being made in the opportunities for local residents to monitor their own energy and water consumption and in encouraging residents to reduce it.

20. Intelligent technology is being used to optimise heat, electricity and water consumption in municipal properties and infrastructure.

Mobility

21. The use of public transport is being increased.

22. Walking and cycling opportunities are being developed, and walking and cycling paths are kept in good condition.

23. Electric buses are being used.

24. Tram rails are being built.

25. Employee tickets and electric bicycles are provided to municipal employees.

26. Urban city bike systems are being set up. Urban boat services are also a possibility.

27. Electric car charging stations and biogas filling stations are being built.

28. Vehicles used by municipalities are being replaced with electric and biogas-fuelled or other low-emission vehicles.

29. Autonomous transport are being developed. For example, the Sohjoa project tested driverless buses in Helsinki, Espoo and Tampere.

30. Municipalities are improving the accessibility of their nature sites by public transport and on foot. For example, the Nuuksioon.fi service encourages visitors to Nuuksio National Park to reach the park by public transport.

31. Congestion charging are being introduced in large urban areas. Revenue from congestion charges are being directed to the development of public transport.

32. Municipalities are taking measures to reduce local traffic congestion. For example, the Parkkihaukka service transmitted images from the Nuuksio parking area via the internet so that visitors could avoid the worst peak times.

33. The municipal tourism sector are being greened. For example, the City of Pori is investigating how to encourage and enable tourists to travel in sustainable ways.

34. Municipalities are introducing shared cars for rental for city and town workers, residents and tourists.

35. Call-taxi systems are being introduced as a public transport solution in sparsely populated areas. For example, the Kyläkyyti service in Porvoo enables customers to choose their desired pick-up point and destination, and rides in the same direction are being combined.

36. In order to enable car-free residential areas, municipalities are discontinuing the use of parking place norms in construction.

37. They are increasing the price of parking in town and city centres.

38. Municipalities are also introducing staggered parking fees according to car emissions and sharing.

39. They are also improving the opportunities for park-and-ride travel at traffic junctions.

40. Safe and weatherproof bike parks are being built.

41. The deployment of new types of smart mobility services is being supported and tested.

42. Emissions from distribution traffic are being reduced, for example through the introduction of criteria for tendering, the terms of the distribution traffic parking code and the creation of centralised pick-up points for goods and orders. For example, Turku CityHUB acts as a hub for courier services and a pick-up point for customer orders.

43. Energy audits for municipal transport chains are being introduced to pinpoint the potential for emissions reductions.

44. The suitability of the existing infrastructure for charging electric cars are being investigated. For example, the municipality of Nokia is investigating the use of car heating poles and outdoor outlets for buildings for charging of electric cars for area residents and working people.

Procurement and services

45. Municipalities are monitoring energy consumption in municipal properties, such as schools. They are giving property users (e.g. schoolchildren) the opportunity to participate in reducing energy consumption. In the municipality of Ii, for example, daycare centres and schools are at the forefront of climate-conscious efforts.

46. The share of plant-based food offered in municipal food services is being increased.

47. Municipalities are setting binding targets to reduce meat and milk consumption.

48. Wastage in municipal food services is being reduced.

49. The carbon footprint is being taken into account as a procurement criterion in municipal procurement. Sustainable development is being taken into account in municipal procurement guidelines. This has been done in Ii, for example.

50. Municipalities are developing textile recycling. For example, the textile waste recycling centre in the Bioruukki bio-economy and circular economy centre in Kivenlahti, Espoo has been opened to companies in the region that are developing further innovations.

51. Municipalities are collaborating with each other in procurement. Municipalities have jointly procured solar power plants, among other things, and joint procurement is pending for electric and gas-fuelled cars and charging points for electric cars.

52. Where possible, goods procured for municipalities are being used up and used goods are being purchased.

53. Municipalities are taking emissions into account in tendering for transport and work machines and contracts relating to them.

54. Municipal food transportation and other transportation are being optimised to keep mileage and emissions to a minimum.

55. Municipalities are procuring only low-emission vehicles and machinery for their own use.

56. Sustainable lifestyles are being promoted in social and health services. In Päijät-Häme, for example, parents are given advice on environmental issues in connection with child health clinic visits.

57. The teaching of sustainable lifestyles in different schools and levels of education is being promoted. For example, a 1.5-degree lifestyle game, developed in collaboration with municipalities, provides tools for a climate discussion between students and homes. This allows the means learned to be put into action at home.

58. Municipalities are incorporating climate-conscious and sustainable development initiatives into early childhood education plans.

59. Municipalities are promoting the sharing economy, for example by offering local residents hobby equipment and work machines on loan.

Zoning and areas

60. Zoning services are being planned close to residents and public transport.

61. Wind farm areas are being zoned.

62. Municipalities are establishing nature reserves.

63. Drained bogs owned by municipalities are being restored.

64. Municipal wastelands are being forested.

65. Municipalities are transitioning to continuous cultivation in forests they own.

66. Forest management plans are being developed, setting out measures to conserve and increase the amount of carbon sinks.

67. New energy solutions and energy efficiency measures are being tested in new residential areas. For example, a new energy-efficient district for about 6,000 inhabitants is being built in Skaftkärr, Porvoo.

68. Municipalities are guiding zoning for the creation of cycling-focused and pedestrian-focused blocks and areas.

69. Zoning regulations promote the use of renewable energy, energy saving, local energy production and the use of areas and facilities that reduce emissions.

70. Municipalities are introducing compensation in connection with necessary construction elsewhere for carbon sinks and natural assets that are lost to construction.

71. Municipalities are setting stricter emissions requirements for environmental permits that they issue.

Construction and housing

72. Energy and material audits are being carried out on municipal properties to identify the potential for savings.

73. Parishes and other property owners are being encouraged to conduct energy and material assessments.

74. Energy efficiency in municipally owned buildings is being improved by various means, for example by increasing the use of insulation and installing exhaust air heat pumps.

75. The carbon footprint of libraries, schools and other municipal buildings is being determined, and systematic efforts are being made to reduce it. In Lappeenranta, for example, a new model has been developed for the comprehensive measurement and reduction of the carbon footprint of municipal buildings.

76. The circular economy is being promoted on construction sites. For example, the RANTA project (for the adoption of circular economic practices in municipal construction) involves the search for new uses for demolition waste in the municipality.

77. Municipalities are increasing the amount of wood construction. For example, the Tuupala school in Kuhmo was built from locally sourced wood in a local factory, and the school is heated by the use of excess heat from a local sawmill.

78. Extensive waste sorting opportunities are being introduced for local residents, and sorting is taken care of in municipal operations.

79. The amount of waste that ends up in landfills is being minimised, and the use of landfill gases is also being increased.

80. The use of recycled materials is being increased in the construction of buildings and in infrastructure construction and maintenance.

81. Municipalities are minimising life cycle emissions in municipal construction and infrastructure construction.

82. High energy-efficiency is aimed for in the renovation of municipal housing production, and energy-efficiency measures that are profitable in terms of life cycle costs are being introduced.

83. Improvements are being made to the occupancy rate of municipal buildings, and a wide range of uses is being made possible.

84. Emission-free construction sites are being piloted in municipal construction, and experience-based models are being introduced at all municipal construction sites. In Helsinki, for example, such a pilot project is already underway.

85. Municipalities are incorporating stringent energy-efficiency requirements in the terms and conditions for the provision of plots. Tenders for the handover of plots are done in such a way as to promote carbon transfer aimed at carbon neutrality.

86. Zero energy construction is being preferred so that buildings will produce at least as much energy as they consume.

87. Recycled materials and materials created from recycled raw materials are being used in municipal landscaping.

88. Residents are being provided with shared facilities, such as remote working solutions, which reduce the need for space in apartments.

Administration

89. Binding emission reduction targets are being set for municipalities, and their progress is monitored. At present, 45% of the Finnish population already live in municipalities that aim to be carbon-neutral by 2030.

90. Municipalities are being connected to carbon-neutral Hinku municipalities, resource-wise Fisu municipalities or other climate networks.

91. Collaboration between neighbouring municipalities is being conducted. For example, a project by the Regional Council of Central Finland is developing new solutions for municipal emission reductions using peer learning.

92. Municipalities are being included in the voluntary municipal energy efficiency agreement, which already includes 117 municipalities.

93. Local residents are involved in the planning of emission reductions.

94. Emissions reduction targets are set for all municipal organisations. In Vihti, for example, each service and unit implements its own measures to promote climate-related goals.

95. Climate budgets are being introduced. For example, for the first time, the City of Tampere’s 2020 budget included a climate budget to increase the visibility of the city’s climate-friendly actions and the resources budgeted for them.

96. Environmental companies in the region are being coordinated to develop new solutions and business models. For example, the operations of the Greenreality Network, a business-oriented energy and environmental network in South Karelia, are coordinated by Wirma, which is responsible for the City of Lappeenranta’s corporate and industrial services.

97. Roadmaps or action plans are being drawn up for municipalities for the circular economy and the sharing economy.

98. Municipal climate change adaptation strategies are being created.

99. The emergence and market of products and services that enable municipalities and companies to reduce their emissions are promoted through municipal procurement, experiments, guidelines and other means.

100. The climate impact of large municipal projects is being assessed, and municipalities are making efforts to reduce the impact.

Maria Ohisalo’s speech at the European Green Party Council on 8 November 2019

Dear Friends,

It’s great to see you all here in Tampere to discuss the future of the European Green movement.

This is an excellent choice of city, as Tampere is one of the Finnish cities contending for the status of 2026 European City of Culture.

Two decades ago

Tampere was also the main avenue for the first Finnish EU-Presidency of 1999.

It was a key moment for drafting EU’s justice and home affairs policies.

Today, we need the same level of ambition

for the whole of Europe.

 

This is the right time to come together.

We are living in crucial times 

concerning the climate crisis,

the future of the rule of law

and the observance of human rights,

both in Europe and worldwide.

 

The pressure is high to create a sustainable and fair society.

It is visible in many ways: 

in reception centres for asylum seekers,

climate strikes by schoolchildren

and Greta Thunberg’s powerful words about climate change.

 

Great political responsibility rests on our shoulders.

The Greens won in the European Parliament elections last spring.

The Greens have achieved historic success in Poland, Switzerland and Germany.

Here in Finland, our party

now has three Government ministers.

 

The Green Wave is real.

 

It is no exaggeration to predict that the next decade will be a green decade all over Europe.

 

The need for green solutions is more urgent than ever,

because our society must change.

 

Everyone who follows what is happening in the world,

knows why change must happen

and why Europe in particular

must lead the way towards change.

 

A European’s carbon footprint is more than ten times that of an

average person in Bangladesh.

And that includes the emissions of the clothing industry
 which has moved to the country.

 

This means that our current lifestyle

exceeds our carbon budget in multiple ways.

 

In addition to the climate crisis, 

neglecting the limits of our planet has also caused the sixth wave of extinction

and irreparable loss of biodiversity.

 

I really don’t know what news has been most shocking in recent years.

 

Was it that,

the number of forest animals has declined by half in 40 years.

 

Or that the Amazon rainforest is ablaze even as we speak.

 

Or that climate change threatens to remove all coral from the face of the earth.

 

Europe has no excuse for not doing all we can

to halt this intensifying crisis.

 

Europe has succeeded in recreating itself before.

 

75 years ago, 

hatred and violence had raged across Europe.

Europe had encountered the worst crisis in its history.

Tens of millions of victims lay in hastily dug graves.

At least ten million were in exile

or banished from their homes.

 

After the Second World War,

Europe came through and rebuilt itself.

 

Here in Finland,

new homes were built 

for almost half a million people made homeless 

when the national border was redrawn.

 

Then, nobody demanded that the borders be closed

or refugees be sent back.

 

Most importantly,

Europe built its new identity

based on democracy,

human rights

and an open civic society.

 

We cannot compromise on these principles today.

 

Freedom of the press,

an independent judicial system

and a society of diverse opinions

must be defended whenever and wherever

they are threatened.

 

These ideals cannot be promoted 

by closing ourselves off from the rest of the world.

 

We cannot close our eyes to the distress of asylum seekers

and cannot leave them to the mercy of the Mediterranean waves.

 

We must not accept the ill treatment of undocumented migrants

or stand by and watch journalists being threatened.

 

These threats are not from a faraway country.

They are present in Europe,

happening before our very eyes.

 

Europe needs to recreate the spirit of Tampere

from two decades ago.

Back then the EU showed, 

with the lead of Finland,

how it can bear responsibility with refugee policies

among many other.

 

Europe must implement change 

by setting an example.

 

Dear Green friends,

the future of the welfare state must be secured as well.

 

The Nordic welfare state model has been based on the radical idea

of making the preconditions for a good life, 

that is, basic services, schools, health care, care of the elderly,

available for all, 

regardless of a person’s financial status.

That income differences do not grow out of hand.

That everyone has the possibility to seek a better life.

 

Increasing inequality 

due to the global transformation of work

has undermined people’s faith in the future.

Inequality manifests itself in poverty among families with children,

segregated residential areas for rich and poor,

and long-term unemployment.

My background is in poverty research.
I have interviewed people on the breadline

and talked with the homeless, interviewed people with substance abuse problems, 

had my loved ones struggling with problems.

 

I know

how hard it is to plan for the future

if all income is spent on rent, food and medication,
and one single unexpected expense must be covered by a short-term loan.

It is difficult to plan the future

if you work on a zero-hour contract

and further work cannot be found.

 

Gaps have appeared

both inside countries

and between the various regions of Europe.

 

It is no consolation for unemployed youths in Greece or Spain

if youth unemployment falls in the Nordic countries.

It is no consolation for people in remote areas

if jobs are available in the capital,

where you cannot afford to live.

 

The experience of inequality

has contributed to the rise of extreme right-wing movements.

The far right provides a populist answer

to complicated problems.

The far right provides an answer

that does not aim at solving anything.

It merely foments ill-feeling 

and confrontation in society.

 

It is up to us in the Green movement to be
 a counterforce to right-wing populism.

We must oppose racism and inequality

everywhere they appear.

 

It is up to us in the Green movement

to provide a better answer.

 

A decade ago, in the 2009 European elections,

our common green programme was called the Green New Deal.

 

By the way, it was then that I had just joined the Green Youth

and was starting my master’s degree studies at university.

 

Years have gone by since.

 

Now it seems that the time is finally right for the Green New Deal.

The time has come for a fair transition to a sustainable society.

 

As you may know,

our Green New Deal is named after the United States’ New Deal.

In the 1930s, the New Deal mended the damage caused by the Great Depression, 

by building a social safety net, reforming the economy 

and inspiring the confidence of the American working class in a better tomorrow.

 

The New Deal was a success because it did not exclude anyone.

 

The Green New Deal will do the same, but will respond to the

challenges of the 2020s.

 

The Green New Deal means ecological, social and financial sustainability

 

The Green New Deal means a green economy encouraging businesses to invest in the circular economy, zero-emission energy production and resource efficiency.

 

The market economy can be involved in solving the climate crisis,

but not without common ground rules.

 

It is up to governments to create fair rules to ensure

that all business is conducted by taking our planet’s carrying capacity into account.

Carbon emissions must not create an unfair competitive advantage

 – be it Airline industry, manufacturing or energy production.

Prosperity must not be generated by stealing from our children and grandchildren.

 

The transition to a sustainable society does not mean that jobs will disappear.

It will generate new jobs

 – even ones that can be hard to predict at this stage.

 

The Green New Deal means a strong welfare state support network

providing opportunities for everyone.

 

From our viewpoint

welfare state and halting the climate crisis

are not competing goals.

 

They go hand in hand

and are dependent on each other.

 

The welfare state has not reached its end.

It is the solution of the future.

 

A successful society 

is inclusive of everyone.

A family’s wealth, or a person’s gender or skin colour,

must not determine whether they have the chance to obtain

an education and achieve their dreams.

Your income must not determine whether

you can have psychotherapy or fertility treatment.

 

I would not be where I am now

without the welfare state,

the social services that supported my childhood home

and a free education.

 

The welfare state provides security in a changing world.

 

And the key issue is that the Green New Deal means

achieving all this change while ensuring social justice.

 

Change must not be financed at the cost

of the underprivileged in society, or

at the cost of future generations.

 

Change must be fair.

 

If people on low incomes must pay more as the costs of motoring rise,

this will be compensated for in social benefits.

 

If beef meatloaf vanishes from the lunch buffet,

equally tasty pulled oats will be served instead.

 

If employees lose their jobs,

a green financial policy will create new ones.

 

The leap to a sustainable society is not an easy one,

and there will be work to do for a long time to come.

 

Nothing good is created without political will.

 

Dear friends,

as support for the green parties increases,

sooner or later

many of you will become Government ministers.

 

Based on my experience, 

I can say

that Government work is not always easy.

 

When you have governmental responsibility,

it is very important to remain clear about your goal;

every decision you make can take you closer to it.

Compromises are always necessary in Government work,

but the position in Government should not be maintained at any cost.

 

One shouldn’t aspire power for its own sake.

It’s only value is in promoting the things that are important.

 

By bearing governmental responsibility,

we can contribute to building a better,

more sustainable

and fairer world.

 

That is all that really matters.

 

Because the Green League is in Government in Finland,

the stopping of climate change has become this Government’s main goal.

This is a historical change.

 

For the first time ever, we have a Minister of Climate Change in the Government.

It is the duty of our Green Minister Krista Mikkonen, 

to ensure that climate change is on the agenda of all ministries 

and the entire Government is committed to tackling it.

 

Financing of environmental protection has been doubled

and the Government’s objective is to make Finland carbon neutral by 2035.

 

We Greens will do our utmost to help the Government succeed in meeting this goal.

 

As everyone in this room knows,

an energy system reform to prevent climate change

is absolutely necessary.

 

It will not be easy.

 

Every country has its own challenges to resolve.

 

For some it is coal power, and natural gas for others.

 

In Finland, we have a particularly difficult issue with peat,

with emissions equal to coal.

 

The green answer to fossil fuels is clear:

they cannot have a place in a sustainable energy system.

 

At the same time, we must acknowledge

the very difficult human impacts of this policy.

 

We must be able to renew our energy system fairly.

 

This is a challenge for all of us:

How to shut down fossil fuel production

in a fair manner?

 

Everyone engaged in honest work with fossil energy

deserves our attention.

 

They have the right to good work and livelihood

even after the energy transformation.

 

This requires education and support for those

hit hardest by the transformation.

 

I challenge you all to consider

what would be the solution to a fair transformation 

which will not leave anybody behind.

 

Finding solutions to this problem throughout Europe

is one of the preconditions 

for success in the fight against climate change.

 

In Finland, we have decided to

compensate for higher fuel taxes by raising basic social security

and reducing the taxation of low and middle-income citizens.

 

We will invest in education

to ensure that everyone has the chance to succeed amidst change.

 

Neither the Green New Deal 

nor any other political reform in the 2000s

can be implemented in one country only.

 

In addition to local solutions, 

we need cross border cooperation,

European solidarity and global responsibility.

 

The European Commission has adopted some of the Green New Deal’s themes.

It is up to us in the Green movement to raise the level of ambition.

Ambition is called for throughout Europe.

 

We need cooperation more than ever.

 

That is one of the reasons we are here today.

 

Dear friends,

The Green New Deal is no utopia,

it is the only possible solution.

 

The green decade will build a society

that is good for everyone.

 

It will help us prevent the climate crisis,

secure human rights

and restore people’s faith in a better tomorrow.

 

Climate strikers will be able to return to being children without fearing a catastrophe.

 

Low-income earners will no longer need to spend their days on the breadline.

 

Revival of ecosystems,

reconstruction of the welfare state

and restoration of respect for education will ensure

that we hold onto what is most valuable in life.

 

That even tomorrow,

the child of an underprivileged family

can access education and obtain a doctoral degree.

 

That even tomorrow,

a female member of a minority group

can walk the streets after dark.

 

That even tomorrow,

the world will have coral reefs.

 

Dear friends, the work to achieve fair change starts today.

Live

Vihreiden näkemykset hallitusohjelmasta

Speech at the EGP council opening

A very few things in life give me greater pleasure than welcoming you all to my home city.

It makes me very happy to see you all here and I wish you enjoy your time here – although I must say that when I first heard that EGP was considering Finland as a location of an event held in November, I did feel compelled to issue a caveat about what Finnish novembers look like in terms of the weather and the darkness.

Then I remembered how I felt in the FYEG general assembly in Madrid in May 2017 and realised that in reality it is far nicer to sit in a conference room when it is not +28’C and sunny outside – especially if the air conditioning happens to break down in the middle of an already very heated 5-hour long debate on the future of agriculture.

So with these words I welcome you to my dark, cold and possibly rainy home city of Tampere.

I am specifically very excited that we get to host hundreds of European greens since it is the international side of this movement that first got me excited about politics and ever since then it has been the side that has consistently kept me excited. I might joke about broken air-conditioning in the soaring early summer heat of Madrid, but in reality that general assembly of young European greens and the numerous other times that I have had the opportunity to spend time with the greens from all over Europe have been the best times of my life. I have honestly never been to better parties than the ones that we had after the Federation of young European Greens elected its first ever pair of female co-spokespersons.

However, I haven’t always been this excited and thrilled about politics. I, like the rest of my generation, grew up in an era where the foundations of democracy and especially representational systems seem to be coming apart. The global recession that started with the banking crisis of 2008 could have resulted in a total reshaping of the financial system, which it very obviously desperately needed and still needs. The most common political response, however, was austerity: excruciating cuts on spending that hit the young, the poor and the sick the hardest.

I happened to spend my teenage years in a country where this was excruciatingly apparent: the United Kingdom, a fine country for which those years were not the exactly the finest.

When I finished secondary school David Cameron rose to be the prime minister, which resulted in a vast programme of spending cuts, including the tripling of university tuition fees just when my generation was starting to plan its future. The right-wing government ripped apart whatever had been left of the British welfare state after the rule of Margaret Thatcher. When I finished my A-levels three years later, the very same man that had led this campaign of historically severe austerity decided to blame the EU for everything and suggest holding a referendum about whether the UK should stay in.

And lo and behold, after three years of ever-worsening anti-EU and anti-immigration propaganda the country voted to leave.

I just remember how baffling all of this seemed to me and my friends. It was very obvious to us that it was not the EU that had tripled our tuition fees and cut away our healthcare – and no bus printed with false claims could change that. Even more obvious was the fact that being connected to the world was at the core of what had made Britain great and that closing the country’s borders would only make things worse.

Thus it was no surprise that in the 2016 referendum over 80% of young people voted for the UK to stay in the EU.

But as we all know, we lost, and brexit became yet another sad example of the futures of young people taken away from us by the conservative political establishment.

You can only imagine how I felt about conventional politics after having grown up in the middle of all of this. Trust was not exactly the word that I had in mind when I first really stopped to think about how I felt about politics. Nevertheless I felt like I had to give it a go: I was so desperately concerned about climate change, growing global inequality and human rights abuses that I realised that I could leave no stone unturned in looking for solutions.

I went to my first green event and the next thing I know I am being asked to run as a candidate in the parliamentary elections as a 20-year-old newcomer.

At first I thought it was a joke. Weren’t there some real responsible adults who should be running instead of me? That was the first question that came into mind.

I then realised that I had spent all of my teenage years waiting for those responsible adults to come along and put an end to the chaos of conventional politics. I realised that I could either keep on waiting or do something about it myself. I was faced with the sudden realisation that there were no responsible adults waiting in hiding for the right moment to intervene. I’m sure that many here have been faced with the same realisation – the point where you have to ask yourself: if not me, then who; if not here, then where; and if not now, then when?

Those are the three questions that everyone should ask from themselves at this time of climate emergency, growing inequality and human rights abuses. There is no mystical “someone” that will come and fix it all. Ordinary people are the only real solution that we have, and thus we need to inspire, support and sometimes even gently push each other to change the world. To me that inspiration, determination and solidarity is at the core of the European and global Green movement. It is up to all of us to change the world, and like I said in the beginning, nothing gives me greater pleasure than welcoming you into my home city to come together and get on with it. In the times of darkness we must find light in each other to give us the energy to keep on making change happen. That is what I wish all of you will find during you time here in Tampere – especially since you are in Finland in November. Welcome!