A framework for identifying cross-border impacts of climate change on the energy sector

Peer reviewe

Climate risk perception, management, and adaptation in the Nordic mining sector

Climate change can affect the mining sector in various ways. Physical impacts can be a threat to mines and personnel, transport infrastructure and supply chains, while the low-carbon transition may entail transition risks stemming from e.g., the need to respond to mitigation and adaptation policies, as well as opportunities in the form of increased metal and mineral demand. However, there is little knowledge of how mining companies perceive, manage, and respond to risks related to climate change. To address this knowledge gap, we examined annual and sustainability reports from 2019 for active metal mines in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Through a structuring qualitative content analysis, we analysed the mining companies’ self-reported experience of and expectations for climate change impacts and risks, as well as adaptation and management activities taken or planned. Our findings indicate that physical impacts of climate change are not perceived as a major risk. In contrast, mitigation activities and reactions to climate policies play an important role, at least for some of the companies. Hence, the mining sector would benefit from more stringent risk reporting regulations and distinctive guidelines, as well as more research on the direct and indirect climate change impacts.Peer reviewe

Connecting climate justice and adaptation planning: An adaptation justice index

Considerations of justice with regards to climate change adaptation are increasingly called for in the academic literature, but little attention has been paid to the dimensions of justice regarding the development of adaptation policy and instruments used. Thus, there is a gap when it comes to connecting the dimensions of justice to different types of adaptation strategies and plans. Here, we synthesise the findings of previous studies to create an adaptation justice index for the four dimensions of climate justice in the context of adaptation: recognitional, distributive, procedural and restorative justice. This index can be used ex ante to analyse and compare climate adaptation strategies and plans in different societal contexts as well as at different levels of governance, and we illustrate this by analysing four national and four city-level strategies. As adaptation planning is still a relatively new area of climate governance, the results offer potential for justice informed evaluation of adaptation plans and strategies.Peer reviewe

A systematic review of dynamics in climate risk and vulnerability assessments

Understanding climate risk is crucial for effective adaptation action, and a number of assessment methodologies have emerged. We argue that the dynamics of the individual components in climate risk and vulnerability assessments has received little attention. In order to highlight this, we systematically reviewed 42 sub-national climate risk and vulnerability assessments. We analysed the assessments using an analytical framework with which we evaluated (1) the conceptual approaches to vulnerability and exposure used, (2) if current or future risks were assessed, and (3) if and how changes over time (i.e. dynamics) were considered. Of the reviewed assessments, over half addressed future risks or vulnerability; and of these future-oriented studies, less than 1/3 considered both vulnerability and exposure dynamics. While the number of studies that include dynamics is growing, and while all studies included socio-economic aspects, often only biophysical dynamics was taken into account. We discuss the challenges of assessing socioeconomic and spatial dynamics, particularly the poor availability of data and methods. We suggest that future-oriented studies assessing risk dynamics would benefit from larger stakeholder involvement, discussion of the assessment purpose, the use of multiple methods, inclusion of uncertainty/sensitivity analyses and pathway approaches.Peer reviewe

The need for non-climate services – empirical evidence from Finnish municipalities

Peer reviewe

Ilmastonmuutoksen heijastevaikutukset Suomeen

Ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutukset jakaantuvat globaalisti epätasaisesti ja varsinkin sään ääri-ilmiöiden osalta osin ennalta arvaamatta. Eri puolilla maailmaa ilmenevät vaikutukset liittyvät myös toisiinsa monien erilaisten vuorovaikutussuhteiden kautta. Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan ilmastonmuutoksen vuorovaikutusketjuja, jotka alkavat Suomen rajojen ulkopuolelta mutta jotka ulottuvat lopulta aina Suomeen saakka. Näitä epäsuoria vaikutuksia kutsutaan ilmastonmuutoksen heijastevaikutuksiksi. Mahdollisia heijastevaikutuksia on arvioitu kirjallisuuden ja tilastojen avulla. Lisäksi on haastateltu asiaa tuntevia toimijoita. Suomen kannalta merkittäviä heijastevaikutuksia liittyy mm. energiahuoltoon, teollisuuteen, turismiin ja väestöön. Tulosten perusteella säännöllisesti päivitettävät tarkastelut ovat tärkeitä etenkin toimialoilla, joilla tiedetään jo nyt olevan voimakkaita kytkentöjä kansainväliseen tai lähialueen kehitykseen. Heijastevaikutusten hallintaa on mahdollista parantaa yhteistyöllä ja säännöllisellä vuoropuhelulla sektoreiden ja myös eri maiden välillä. Varautuminen heijastevaikutuksiin edellyttää myös asian käsittelemistä eri alojen koulutuksessa. Raportti on toteutettu osana ELASTINEN-hanketta, joka tuotti tietoa ja etsi ratkaisuja, jotka vahvistavat eri toimialojen kykyä arvioida ja hallita sää- ja ilmastoriskejä sekä sopeutua muuttuvaan ilmastoon

Crossborder effects of climate change in Finland

Ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutukset jakaantuvat globaalisti epätasaisesti ja varsinkin sään ääri-ilmiöiden osalta osin ennalta arvaamatta. Eri puolilla maailmaa ilmenevät vaikutukset liittyvät myös toisiinsa monien erilaisten vuorovaikutussuhteiden kautta. Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan ilmastonmuutoksen vuorovaikutusketjuja, jotka alkavat Suomen rajojen ulkopuolelta mutta jotka ulottuvat lopulta aina Suomeen saakka. Näitä epäsuoria vaikutuksia kutsutaan ilmastonmuutoksen heijastevaikutuksiksi. Mahdollisia heijastevaikutuksia on arvioitu kirjallisuuden ja tilastojen avulla. Lisäksi on haastateltu asiaa tuntevia toimijoita. Suomen kannalta merkittäviä heijastevaikutuksia liittyy mm. energiahuoltoon, teollisuuteen, turismiin ja väestöön. Tulosten perusteella säännöllisesti päivitettävät tarkastelut ovat tärkeitä etenkin toimialoilla, joilla tiedetään jo nyt olevan voimakkaita kytkentöjä kansainväliseen tai lähialueen kehitykseen. Heijastevaikutusten hallintaa on mahdollista parantaa yhteistyöllä ja säännöllisellä vuoropuhelulla sektoreiden ja myös eri maiden välillä. Varautuminen heijastevaikutuksiin edellyttää myös asian käsittelemistä eri alojen koulutuksessa. Raportti on toteutettu osana ELASTINEN-hanketta, joka tuotti tietoa ja etsi ratkaisuja, jotka vahvistavat eri toimialojen kykyä arvioida ja hallita sää- ja ilmastoriskejä sekä sopeutua muuttuvaan ilmastoon

Sopeutumisen suuntaviivat ilmastopolitiikassa

Non peer reviewe

Adaptation to climate change in Finland : Current state and future prospects

The KOKOSOPU project has aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the national adaptation policy with particular emphasis on the National Adaptation Plan and international policy development. In addition, future challenges related to societal development have been taken into account. Projections of climate change, Finland’s Climate Act and the strengthened adaptation policy in the EU emphasise the importance of the national adaptation policy. A key objective of the National Adaptation Plan 2014–2022 was to strengthen the adaptive capacity of Finnish society. This objective is still relevant. The conditions for reaching the objective have, however, partly changed. First, cross border consequences of climate change are increasingly emphasised. Second, issues of justice and fairness with respect to the consequences of climate change and adaptation actions are being identified as central. Third, greater weight is given to the overall sustainability of adaptation and climate action. The changing conditions for climate change adaptation should be reflected in the allocation of resources, in improved coordination within the administration and in co-operation between the public and private sector. In addition, knowledge and education should be enhanced, and resources provided for RDI, and for monitoring and evaluation that supports continued improvement of adaptation activities

Adaptation to climate change in Finland : Current state and future prospects

The KOKOSOPU project has aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the national adaptation policy with particular emphasis on the National Adaptation Plan and international policy development. In addition, future challenges related to societal development have been taken into account. Projections of climate change, Finland’s Climate Act and the strengthened adaptation policy in the EU emphasise the importance of the national adaptation policy. A key objective of the National Adaptation Plan 2014–2022 was to strengthen the adaptive capacity of Finnish society. This objective is still relevant. The conditions for reaching the objective have, however, partly changed. First, cross border consequences of climate change are increasingly emphasised. Second, issues of justice and fairness with respect to the consequences of climate change and adaptation actions are being identified as central. Third, greater weight is given to the overall sustainability of adaptation and climate action. The changing conditions for climate change adaptation should be reflected in the allocation of resources, in improved coordination within the administration and in co-operation between the public and private sector. In addition, knowledge and education should be enhanced, and resources provided for RDI, and for monitoring and evaluation that supports continued improvement of adaptation activities