A Natural Resource Strategy for Finland:

Using natural resources intelligently

Drawings: Annika Varjonen

www.sitra.fi/naturalresources

NEED FOR THE STRATEGY

How can Finland act strategically, agilely and in a forward position in relation to natural resources?

Growing use of natural resources,

together with impacts

Increasing international importance of

natural resource policy

Rapid changes in natural resource markets

Interlinkagesbetween different natural

resources

Intensified global

competition for raw

materials Great importance of

natural resources for

Finland

Sectoralorientation of

actors and expertise in

natural resources

?

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Finland’s national economy is strongly linked to global material cycles.

Source: ENVIMAT 2009, Finnish Environment Institute

MATERIAL FLOWS IN FINLAND 2005 (The material cycle includes flows of both materials and energy)

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BACKGROUND AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

Luodin-pilot study on developing dialogue and

expertise in natural resources (Finnish Forest Association)

Preparation of a natural resource strategy for Finland (Sitra)

Strengthening the coordination of natural resource policies

(Government’s mid-term policy review, 24.2.2009)

2007: Initiative

2008-09: Preparation

2009 : Implementation

Steps to initiate changes

(actors throughout society)

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Personsinterested

Network of experts

Strategygroup

An open web-based tool compiled respondents’ suggestions on which issues the strategy should address, and how.

An extensive network of experts was set up to assist the strategy group through seminars and information transferred via the internet.

Wide-ranging collaboration involving politicians, administrators, business representatives, researchers, organisations and the media took place in all phases of preparation.

THE STRATEGY WORK WAS PARTICIPATED BROADLY

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PREPARATORY PROCESS OF THE STRATEGY

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Hautojärvi Sirkka (Chairperson)

Cronberg Tarja, Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development FNCSD

Grundström Elina, Vihreä Lanka

Hakkarainen Ensio, Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries RT

Hakovirta Marko, Metso Corporation

Hornborg Michael, Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)

Kahlos Jussi, Finnish Forest Association

Kananen Ilkka, National Emergency SupplyAgency

Kauppi Lea, Finnish Environment Institute

Kolehmainen Ilmo, Metsähallitus (State ForestEnterprise)

Kuisma Juha, Finnish Museum of Agriculture

Kylä-Harakka-Ruonala Tellervo, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK

Lotvonen Esko, Regional Council of Lapland

Matikainen-Kallström Marjo, Parliament of Finland

Nurmi Pekka, Geological Survey of Finland

Nurmi Piia, Turku School of Economics, Finland Futures Research Centre, Centre for Responsible Business

Nyberg Frankenhaeuser Annika, Finland's National Public Service Broadcasting Company

Pokka Hannele, Ministry of Environment

Portin Anders, Finnish Forest Industries Federation

Ritschkoff Anne-Christine, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland

Rutanen Juha, Finnish Nature-basedEntrepreneurship Association

Silpola Jaakko, Association of Finnish Peat Industry

Stenborg Markku, Ministry of Finance

Suuronen Petri, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute

Taalas Petteri, Finnish Meteorological Institute

Taiveaho Satu, Parliament of Finland

Tiilikainen Kimmo, LFinnish Council for Natural Resources

Torvinen Laura, Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Turpeinen Harri, Neste Oil Corporation

Vaittinen Jarmo, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Virtanen Erkki, Ministry of Employment and the Economy

Vornamo Hannu, Chemical Industry Federation of Finland

Wallin Jyrki, Finnish Association of Academic Agronomists

Yrjö-Koskinen Eero, Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

Österlund Henrik, Motiva

MEMBERS OF THE STRATEGY GROUP

Project Director at Sitra: Eeva Hellström

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We are today living in a transitional period, when resources and knowledge need to be combined in new ways to improve controls over natural resource use.

Finland has opportunities to gain a competitive advantage, enhance well-being, and bear global responsibility, by pioneering such changes.

NATURAL RESOURCES AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FINLAND

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The strategy’s long-term vision and goals define the direction for the overall step-by-step process.

VisionStrategicgoals (4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

STRUCTURE OF THE STRATEGY

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A vision for 2030:

By using natural resources intelligently, Finland thrives and leads the way.

The concept of using resources intelligently relates to innovativeness, sustainability and responsibility, which will all be vital for future success.

Natural resources can be utilised as a source of well-being and a basis for sustainable economic activities that also safeguard the environment and its biodiversity.

Leading the way relates to taking an exploratory and pioneering role in international policy-making and business contexts.

Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

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Strategic goals :

1. Finland has a thriving bioeconomygenerating high added value.

” A bioeconomy for the new generation can provide a wide range of business opportunities, applying innovations based on the conversion of different kinds of biomass into various fibres and chemical compounds, and on innovations based on biological processes..”

” The bioeconomy provides a wide range of opportunities to utilise natural resources by applying and reproducing biological processes in sustainable ways.”

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

” The resources to be utilised by society should be kept within the economic system for long periods, so as to maximise added value and minimise the quantities of valuable materials that permanently leave the economic system.”

” The product planning phase is critical for material use throughout product life cycles.”

Strategic goals:

2. Finland utilises and recycles material flows effectively.

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

Strategic goals:

3. Regional resources generate both national added value and local well-being.

” Natural resources in rural areas are both a considerable asset for society, and an important basis for industrial activities. Future success will be based on our awareness of the interlinkages between different areas, and the ways their different resources can be combined.”

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

Strategic goals:

4. Finland takes initiatives and leads the way on natural resource issues.

” By taking initiatives, Finland can highlight the need for a global natural resource policy and shared responsibility.”

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

Areas for change:

1. The bioeconomy

2. The material cycle

3. Regional resources

4. International cooperation

5. Administration and regulation

6. Expertise and communications

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

1. Bio-expertise and business activities

2. Biorefineries

3. Enhancing controls over the material cycle

4. Product-centred resource efficiency

5. Restoring and closing cycles

6. Businesses’ resource efficiency

7. Services based on non-material natural resources

8. Dispersed production models

9. Interaction between rural areas and growth centres

10. Regional strategies

11. Exports of expertise on environmental and natural resource issues

12. International measures and rules

13. International natural resource policies

14. Strategies for specific natural resources

15. Administrative work-sharing, co-operation and regulations

16. Natural resource accounting and economic incentives

17. Forecasting and integrated expertise

18. Training for decision-makers

First steps towards change:

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Vision Strategic goals(4)

Areas for change

(6)

Stepstowards

change (18)

The strategy’s vision and goals can only be achieved with the help of a dynamic leadership model, where goal-setting, implementation, evaluation and development work are all seen as parts of a single continuous process.

LEADING THE STRATEGY

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The strategy is implemented through selected steps leading towards long-term goals.

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” Finland’s extensive renewable natural resources, their sustainable exploitation and the development of a state-of-the-art technology to harness these resources all offer excellent potential for economic recovery."

” Steps will be taken to strengthen the coordination of the natural resources policy in order to make Finland a leading nation in exploiting natural resources and materials in an economical and sustainable manner.” 19

Government mid-term policy review24.2.2009

INTELLIGENTLY WITHNATURAL RESOURCES