Ministry of the Environment, Finland

The Finnish Government is supporting an experimental culture. Trials and smaller experiments serve to generate innovative solutions that can improve services, accelerate deregulation, cut red tape, and foster job creation and entrepreneurship. The Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is presenting experiments and new solutions which it´s carrying out with public and private partners.

• Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development. A long-term, shared objective for the future of Finland with over 300 commitments already given.
• New nutrient recycling and renewable energy solutions. Various experiments where by-products containing manure, purification plant slurry and other nutrients can be recycled significantly more efficiently.
• Textile recycling pilot and new products. Development and building an end-of-life textile collection, sorting, recycling and remanufacturing system, and new technologies to turn unwanted textiles into raw materials for new textiles.
• Peloton club – Connecting early-stage smart & clean startups with cities and corporations. Helps the most ambitious startup-teams to tap into opportunities arising from climate change and the depletion of natural resources by providing them with the tools and the networks needed to build and test great ideas.
• Contaminated land reconditioning and soil recycling. Innovative, export-oriented restoration methods and comprehensive solutions to be developed in areas undergoing restoration.
• CIRCWASTE – Towards Circular Economy in Finland. Demonstrations and pilot plants, studies and trials related to resource efficiency solutions. 19 cases, specific themes e.g. reusing of plastics, material efficiency in hospitals, biogas production, nutrient recycling, surplus food and digital systems.
• The Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC). The goal of this UN programme is to promote resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation efforts, and the shift to SCP patterns in the buildings and construction sector. Finland has a major role in building up, developing and implementing the SBC programme.