UPM-Biofore-Magazine-1-2016-EN

A total of 196 countries from around the world gathered in Paris for the 21 st UN Framework Convention on Climate Change this December. Its aim was to reach an agreement on halting climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. F innishMinister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen estimated on the eve of the conference that a strong message from the climate convention to the international financial market and business community will be the key to future progress. “In practice this means taking decisions and concrete actions to guide private funding towards cleantech and renewable rawmaterials. Our transition towards a bio-based economy requires that we abandon the current financial model based on fossil rawmaterials – but the change must be profitable for both businesses and investors.” Tiilikainen points out that the credibility of an international climate convention cannot rely solely on sanctions. “We will not be able to assess the validity of the agreement until we have seen the reactions of the international business community and the financial market in the long term.” At present, there is regrettably no way to completely stop climate change. “International conventions mainly try to limit the changes to an acceptable level, which is what we must of course try to do. The ultimate issue is the availability of clean water and food on our planet. If we are unable to achieve a change, we will be in trouble in the future,” he warns. Minds more open The convention in Paris was attended by 196 signatories and included national climate goals that all signing countries will try to achieve beyond the year 2020.

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