Report n°3 : from 16/10 to 1/11

by Stella, Emilien, Roxana

FINLAND and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

At the moment, global warming is at the heart of our concerns, which is why this trip is a perfect opportunity for us to observe and report on what is being implemented ecologically in this country that is foreign to us and to share our experience. 

Finland is known to be very concerned about sustainable development, but we have been able to get our own idea of the place of the environment in that country. 

First, nature is everywhere. This is one of the things that marked us most when we arrived, even in the most urban cities you can see trees everywhere. Indeed, Finland is one of the countries with the largest area of land left in the wild. But that is not the only reason why Finland is described as a green country, it is also because of all its systems in place in the environmental sector. 

First of all, factories exploit wood to produce energy for heating water and residents; an industry that is much less polluting than nuclear or other industries. In addition, the main means of transport is the bicycle (available for 50 cents/hour), used by a large majority of the population to travel, in summer and winter! However, for long journeys, for example from their homes to their country homes (which is very common), the only possible way is by car, and not by train for example, which is not very developed in the country. In addition, there are few electric cars.

Wood factories and the use of bicycles as a means of transport therefore both contribute to reducing the country's carbon footprint, mainly due to motor vehicles and the heating of homes and commercial, public and industrial buildings. 

One of the devices that also surprised us was the fact that it was possible to bring back empty bottles/cans and get a refund of part of the initial price (about 20 to 50 cents). Thus, after major events, children have fun picking up bottles and cans left on the ground to buy candy. 

Another fact is that when land belongs to an individual, he or she can sell the trees on it to a paper mill. 

Finally, we noticed that the streets are particularly clean, with the region hiring services to clean them continuously. 

However, the behaviour of Finns in relation to the climate crisis is somewhat controversial : as much as the measures taken by the State and the environmental laws applied are exemplary and fully contribute to sustainable development; as much from a civic point of view, Finns are involved in the same way as in any other country, with some feeling very concerned and others not.