Finland's Responsibility Towards The Environment

Finland Republic of Finland [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	6th best
Capital	Helsinki
Land Area	303 890km21
Location	Europe, Scandinavia
Population	5.5m2
Life Expectancy	82.04yrs (2017)3
GNI	$49 452 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	FI, FIN, 2465
Internet Domain	.fi6
Currency	Euro (EUR)7
Telephone	+3588

Regarding its responsibility towards the environment, Finland is 63rd in the world. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Finland does the second-best in terms of its score on the Green Future Index₉. It comes in the best 20 in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in its environmental performance₁₀. Finland does not succeed in everything, however. Finland does worse than average in energy to GDP efficiency₁₁, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₁₂, reducing annual meat consumption per person₁₃ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₁₄.

1. Finland's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
   7. Green Future Index
3. Links

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1. Finland's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
14	Netherlands	71.1
15	Luxembourg	71.4
16	Sweden	71.8
17	Finland	71.9
18	France	72.8
19	Romania	73.8
20	UK	74.4
21	Turkey	75.0
22	Belgium	75.3
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
60	Netherlands	71.1
61	Luxembourg	71.4
62	Sweden	71.8
63	Finland	71.9
64	Yemen	71.9
65	Pakistan	72.0
66	France	72.8
67	Congo, DR	73.0
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better14
Pos.		Total14
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
135=	Kiribati	0.0%
135=	Saudi Arabia	0.0%
137	Nepal	-0.1%
138	Finland	-0.2%
139	Canada	-0.3%
140	Guadeloupe	-0.5%
141	Solomon Islands	-0.6%
142	Western Sahara	-0.6%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Regarding its forested percent change 2000-2020, Finland comes 138th in the world.

Forests are carbon sinks, mitigating against climate change_16,17. Unfortunately, we are destroying over 70,000 km² of forest each year₁₈. In the last few thousand years, we've removed 30-40% of the Earth's forest cover_19,17, mostly to clear space for agriculture, and for logging_20,21. The produce from both is shipped from poorer countries to richer ones. Half-hearted government efforts and company obfuscation of supply chains makes it almost impossible for consumers to tell which foods and products are from sustainable sources, and which ones are encouraging irresponsible deforestation, meaning that there is little incentive for companies to relent.

The effects are catastrophic. 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation_22,20. It brings soil erosion from wind and rain which, over time, can almost-permanently stop any hope of growing food₂₃, and spreads desertification. Entire ecosystems are collapsing as a result, including ones that we depend upon₂₄. The water cycle is driven by forests, and their loss reduces ordinary rainfall, increases flooding, removes an abundant source of water filtration, and contributes to a rise in water levels.₂₅.

Some regions of the world are increasing their forest cover₁₇; the best from 2000-2020 are Scandinavia (13.8% ), The Balkans (11.0% ) and Baltic States (7.6% )₁₄. There is an overall trend that developed countries gathered their riches by using up their natural resources, and now, they pay poorer countries to use up theirs instead, whilst they can afford to slowly rebuild their natural environments. But it's not wholly that simple - some rich regions are still burning through what they've got. The regions clearing their forests fastest are Central America (-12.8% ), Africa (-9.1% ) and North America (-2.9% )₁₄.

For more, see:

• "Deforestation" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

Averages by decade for Finland (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Finland:	-0.9%	0.8%
World Rank:	155th	⇡  62nd
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better10
Pos.		201810
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
7	Luxembourg	79.1
8	Austria	79.0
9	Ireland	78.8
10	Finland	78.6
11	Iceland	78.6
12	Spain	78.4
13	Germany	78.4
14	Norway	77.5
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Finland is 10th-best in the world regarding its environmental performance.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better11
Pos.		2022 Avg11
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
116	Czechia	1.36
117	Liberia	1.37
118	Armenia	1.42
119	Finland	1.44
120	Qatar	1.46
121	Belgium	1.49
122	Panama	1.49
123	Uzbekistan	1.52
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

Finland is positioned 119th in the world in terms of energy to GDP efficiency.

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for Finland (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1960s  Average	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Finland:	2.35	2.63	2.50	2.54	1.96	1.63
World Rank:	44th	⇣  49th	⇣  113th	⇣  121st	⇡  120th	⇣  124th
World Avg:	2.05	2.13	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
4	Latvia	81%
5	Estonia	80%
6	Ukraine	80%
7	Finland	79%
8	Georgia	79%
9	Switzerland	78%
10	Nigeria	78%
11	Germany	76%
12	Belarus	76%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

With regard to its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, Finland comes 7th-best in the world.

Each country is scored using a formula that takes the date each country took up major international environmental agreements, as a ratio of maximum possible days. The agreements covered are: (1) the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, (2) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, (3) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, (4) the Waigani Convention (for those countries that are eligible), (5) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), (6) the Kyoto Protocol and (7) its successor, the Paris Agreement, (8) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), (9) the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and finally, (10) the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Finland was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day. It then was one of 8 countries who ratified the Vienna Convention on the ozone layer in 1986 and was amongst the first batch of countries who signed the Montreal Protocol on protecting the Ozone layer in 1988, whilst most others delayed both of those until subsequent years.

“Finland is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2035 (see trajectory in Figure 1) and to deliver a 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2030 compared with 1990. In 2023, Finland accounted for 1.4% of the EU's net GHG emissions. Owing to significant reductions in its land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector's carbon sink, Finland's net emissions have fluctuated since 2005, while total emissions decreased by 40% over the period. In 2023, average EU net emissions were 30.5% lower than in 2005, while in Finland, net emissions were only 11% lower. Emissions from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) were reduced by 56.6%. For the effort-sharing sectors, Finland achieved its 16% reduction target for 2020, but has not yet provided a projection towards its -50% target for 2030.”

EU 2023 Climate Action Strategy₂₆

Averages by decade for Finland (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Finland:	34%	83%	69%	90%	98%
World Rank:	24th	⇡  5th	⇣  10th	⇣  22nd	⇣  62nd
World Avg:	8.5%	23.3%	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better12
Pos.		2011 %12
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
120	Pakistan	23.2%
121	Liberia	23.1%
122	Netherlands	23.0%
123	Finland	22.9%
124	Congo, DR	22.8%
125	UK	22.6%
126	Malawi	22.0%
127	UAE	20.8%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Finland is positioned 123rd in the world when it comes to the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population. In a 2023 survey, 55% of Finns identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world₂₆. "Most expect national government (62%) or business and industry (60%) to tackle climate change; 42% find it to be a personal responsibility"₂₆.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better13
Pos.		2021 kg13
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
129	Estonia	72.1
130	Guyana	72.4
131	Latvia	74.0
132	Finland	74.0
133	Italy	74.3
134	Norway	74.7
135	Mexico	75.4
136	Cyprus	75.8
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Finland comes 132nd in the world regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person.

There are five key arguments in favour of vegetarianism which accrue even from partial adoption: (1) Vegetarian diets have notable health advantages over carnivorous diets, especially for heart and cardiovascular issues_27,28,29. (2) It is morally better to avoid killing or harming animals. (3) Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists urge governments to encourage people to switch₃₀. (4) Vegetarian food production uses substantially less land_27,31,32. And, (5) vegetarianism is better for the environment than meat-production for emissions, sewerage, pollution and chemicals usage._27,31. A plant-based diet causes 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than a typical carnivorous diet₃₂. The global food industry causes about 1/3 of all planet-heating emissions, and so "to slow the worst climate effects, the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in meat consumption"₃₂. Despite this, "reducing appetites for carbon-intensive meat and dairy is incredibly hard"₃₃ and as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Finland was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₁₃

On average throughout the 2010s, Finland's rate was 75.2.

2.7. Green Future Index

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Green Future Index Higher is better9
Pos.		2023 Score9
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
4=	Sweden	6.3
4=	Denmark	6.3
6	Netherlands	6.2
7	UK	6.1
8	S. Korea	6.0
9	France	6.0
10=	Spain	5.9
10=	Germany	5.9
12	Belgium	5.8
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

Finland ranks 2nd-best in the world, after Iceland, with regard to its score on the Green Future Index.

The Green Futures Index (GFI) has been running since 2021, and looks at 23 data sets for over 70 countries, with a focus on effectiveness, policy and planning 'for a low carbon future. It is complementary to existing goals and frameworks for sustainable development'. Datasets include qualitative appraisals and quantitative measurements on carbon emissions across multiple sectors, renewable and nuclear energy, recycling capabilities, green technologies used in building and construction, transport, scientific and industrial green innovations and patent quantities, climate action and climate policies. Each country is then ranked by their final score.₃₄.

The 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index scored Finland 3rd-best in its recent efforts to reduce its carbon emissions (only Iceland and Angola did better).₃₄