Carbon removal is key to Finland’s climate neutrality goals

CDR potential: Finland’s key to net-zero

A new study by Carbon Gap and Sweco Finland warns that Finland will not meet its ambitious 2035 climate neutrality target without urgent investment in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and by harnessing its natural sinks. The report and roadmap launched today recommends that the country adopts clear policy signals and funding mechanisms to accelerate deployment of both nature‑based and technological CDR solutions.

The study, part of Carbon Gap’s Carbon Removal Readiness Assessment project which aims to cover 80% of the European continental carbon removal capability, finds that Finland has the necessary resources to lead in carbon removal, but only decisive action will close the country’s projected 16-19 Mt CO2e emissions gap forecasted by the Prime Ministerial Office’s climate and energy scenario.

As Valter Selen, Secretary General of the Nordic Carbon Removal Association puts it, “Finland is a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened when it comes to carbon removals. Its forests and sustainable biomass have large, untapped potential to deliver significant benefits to the climate and to the national economy.”

Success hinges on land use decisions

The assessment developed three scenarios based on Finland’s resources and social geography and shows that decisions in land and forest management, as well as in technologies such as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, and enhanced rock weathering will determine whether Finland reaches its 2035 target.

Whilst the most optimistic scenario shows that carbon neutrality is achievable, the other scenarios demonstrate and highlight the risks of delay and over‑reliance on land use alone.

Supporting this, and multiple scenarios in the report, our Chief Science Officer, Sylvain Delerce goes on to say, “Finland’s land sector has shifted from a carbon sink to a source, yet policy action has lagged. The study warns that even with new CDR technologies, sustainability in harvesting remains indispensable.”

Clear public support for CDR

Public and political support for carbon removal is growing. The report finds through interviews with citizens that they favour nature‑based approaches and furthermore, policymakers are considering economic support for BECCS in the upcoming Climate and Energy Strategy. The report concludes that Finland can build a robust portfolio of carbon removal methods, but as outlined in the roadmap, urgent policy action is needed to attract investment, strengthen CO2 infrastructure and position Finland as a European leader.