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The target of this work was to assess the impact of projected climate change on the number of large forest fires (over 10 ha fires) and burned area in Finland. For this purpose, we utilized a strong relationship between fire occurrence and the Canadian fire weather index (FWI) during 1996-2014. We used daily data from five global climate models under representative concentration pathway RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The model data were statistically downscaled onto a high-resolution grid using the quantile-mapping method before performing the analysis. Our results suggest that the number of large forest fires may double or even triple during the present century. This would increase the risk that some of the fires could develop into real conflagrations which have become almost extinct in Finland due to active and efficient fire suppression. Our results also reveal substantial inter-model variability in the rate of the projected increase in forest-fire danger. We moreover showed that the majority of large fires occur within a relatively short period in May and June due to human activities and that FWI correlates poorer with the fire activity during this time of year than later in summer when lightning is more important cause of fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Finland, agriculture is practiced in variable growing conditions that are further challenged by climate change and under external pressure caused by international competition, changing consumer preferences and demands, and the renewal of the European Union Common Agriculture Policy and Paris Agreement climate targets. Futures studies in agriculture have focused on scenario building with expert panels, though usually without farmers' involvement. This study focuses on farmers' views of shaping the future of Finnish agriculture. It builds on the disaggregative Delphi method and combines interviews and a representative survey of Finnish farmers. The study is based on a bottom-up process in which a farmer panel of 20 farms defined their views of the future in a semi-structured thematic interview. The views were turned into statements in a structured survey sent to the second panel, which comprised all Finnish farmers who had received agricultural subsidies in 2016, with 4401 respondents. The results were analyzed using quantitative factor analysis, which produced five future images for Finnish agriculture. The images were shown to the original farmer panel for reflection. They considered the probability of each future image and their own role in it. Technology solves as a future image was most favored by farmers, followed by Ecological and specializing small-scale production image. Business-as-usual was the least likely future images according to the interviewed farmers. This paper describes the process and discusses both methodological benefits and pitfalls, as well as farmers' future views of the forthcoming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas (PAs) are crucial in conserving biodiversity under climate change. In boreal regions, trends of biologically relevant climate variables (i.e., bioclimate) in PAs have remained unquantified. We investigated the changes and variability of 11 key bioclimatic variables across Finland during the period 1961-2020 based on gridded climatology. Our results suggest significant changes in annual mean and growing season temperatures over the entire study area, whereas, e.g., annual precipitation sum and April-September water balance have increased especially in the central and northern parts of Finland. We found substantial variation in bioclimatic changes over the 631 studied PAs; in the northern boreal zone (NB) the number of snow-covered days has decreased on average by 5.9 days between 1961-1990 and 1991-2020, while in the southern boreal zone (SB) the corresponding decrease has been 16.1 days. The number of frost days in spring with absent snow cover has decreased in the NB (on average -0.9 days) while increasing in the SB (0.5 days), reflecting the changing exposure of biota to frost. The observed increases in accumulation of heat in the SB and more frequent rain-on-snow events in the NB can affect drought tolerance and winter survival of species, respectively. Principal component analysis suggested that the main dimensions of bioclimate change in PAs vary across vegetation zones; for example, in the SB the changes are related to annual and growing season temperatures, whereas in the middle boreal zone the changes are linked to altered moisture and snow conditions. Our results highlight the substantial spatial variation in bioclimatic trends and climate vulnerability across the PAs and vegetation zones. These findings provide a basis for the understanding of the multifaceted changes the boreal PA network is facing and help to develop and direct conservation and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The practice of seine fishing for vendace (Coregonus albula) has continued as an unbroken tradition in Lake Puruvesi in eastern Finland since 1300 AD. While fishing methods have evolved, the fishery still relies heavily on the traditional knowledge of practitioners, which is passed along from generation to generation. Traditional knowledge of weather patterns, the fish themselves, and other components of the lake ecosystem have allowed fishers to maintain an economically viable fishery without depleting fish stocks. Lake Puruvesi and its traditional seine fishery represent a stronghold of Finnish fishing culture and traditional ecological knowledge. In recent years, local observations by fishers have identified threats to the lake ecosystem and the fishery, including eutrophication, climate change-related threats to fish, and climate-related disruption of fishing practices. This paper explores the unique ecological, social, and economic characteristics that have allowed the fishery to remain sustainable. We discuss the role of traditional knowledge in maintaining the fishery and we use a socio-ecological framework to broadly assess the value of the fishery. We also consider threats facing the fish and fishery and discuss approaches taken by fishers to address those threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU's ambition to establish economy-wide climate neutrality by 2050 requires challenging transformations in many economic activities. This paper aims to investigate the nexus of structural changes and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in an important sector of the livestock system, namely pig farming, during the period of 2010–2020 and to discuss the main directions of GHGE reduction. The academic novelty of this contribution is characterised by a combination of the shift-share and cluster analysis that allows for the investigation of the evolution phenomenon, applying the sustainability prism in order to understand the nexus between pig farming and the livestock system, as well as combining the national and EU levels. Results suggest that the steep decline in the number of holdings and a moderate reduction in livestock units (LSUs) on farms do not bring tangible GHGE reduction results. The cluster analysis confirms that pig farming systems in pre-2004 member states, except for Finland and Greece, demonstrated positive developments or a lower decline in holdings with pigs and live swine LSUs compared to other countries, while in the dominant share of post-2003 member states, the GHGE reduction rate was higher. This research identifies a reduction in the pig population, improvement in feed production and the development of related supply chains, and changes in manure management and utilisation as the main directions of GHGE reduction; however, the identified clusters are related with different potentials of GHGE reduction when applying the aforementioned measures. Recommendations include the development and support of actions that focus on GHGE reduction from swine manure and contribute to the establishment of a circular economy in the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn this paper, we explore some of the challenges and opportunities of integrating environmental education in pre-service teacher education in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arctic. Case examples from teacher education programs in Namibia and Finland set the scene for a critical analysis of environmental education in teacher training from these two distinct contexts. We begin with an overview of the current situation of environmental education in pre-service teacher education in Namibia and Finland, followed by a reflection on the courses we have developed at our respective higher education institutions. In response to the urgency of education to attend to the escalating climate crisis, through lessons learned from our environmental education courses and our collaboration on co-designing teacher education, we explore whether sustainability really does start with teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies adaptive water governance in the context of hydropower and flood-risk management. The Kemi River basin acts as an empirical setting to study the environmental change and the capacity of the management system to respond to it. Hydropower and reservoir development has been a source of a decade-long environmental conflict in the river basin. This study aims to find out how governance structures are adapting to the environmental change brought on by climate change. The study is based on case study research, and it combines long-term monitoring data, semi-structured interviews conducted in December 2020 and January 2021, and Finnish administrative court rulings. The results reveal that the water governance in the Kemi River basin is based on a technology driven aquatic regime, which has been a source of persistent environmental conflict between technology and nature. The flood-risk management is based on adaptive planning cycles and is implemented in a participatory manner, although it is strengthening the conflict in the area, as some stakeholders suggests reservoirs as a solution, which neglects the potential of integrative river basin management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines public support for global- and national-level climate policy instruments in Finland, and the ways urban/rural-domicile and climate change risk perception predict people's attitudes toward climate policies. Moreover, this study analyzes the degree to which perception of closeness to the district modifies people's climate policy attitudes. The research method employed was ordinal logistic regression and data were from the demographically representative Finland 2019-survey (n = 1742 and response activity = 44%). According to the results, subsidizing renewable energy is an especially popular climate policy instrument, whereas approving new nuclear plants is rather unpopular. Policy instruments were typically more popular at the global level than they were at the national level. Perception of climate change risk was especially strongly linked with support for a national carbon tax. The effect of urban/rural-domicile and subjective closeness to the district on the attitudes was highly dependent on the policy instrument in question. The study contributes to the understanding of how climate policy attitudes vary depending on the climate change risk perception, urban/rural-domicile, and the instrument-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study examining the values and attitudes of nature-based tourism entrepreneurs in relation to adaptation to climate change. The aim is to focus on tourism stakeholders' values and ideas about tourism entrepreneurship, which may bring interesting new insights to the tourism and climate change research and support the industry in adaptation and mitigation processes. The data utilised in this paper consists of 19 thematic interviews conducted with nature-based tourism entrepreneurs in Finland between 2009 and 2013. Analysis of the data reveal issues concerning views on entrepreneurship in general, on the independence and individuality of the enterprises, on the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in the processes of adaptation and on the attitudes towards innovations and actions in the changing climate. These issues, together with the rate and scale of the change, seem to affect decision-making by the enterprises, but their importance as predictors of action and behavioural intentions needs to be studied more thoroughly. Additionally, more information is required regarding the role of the surrounding social environment as a co-creator of these kinds of values. However, the study supports previous studies on entrepreneurship and its influence on survival and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even in the cool climate of Finland, severe heatwaves occur sporadically, having multiple implications on public health, forestry, fishery, agriculture, and reindeer husbandry, for instance. This study assesses the occurrence and severity of ≥ 3 -day heatwaves in Finland at the 0.5 °C, 1.0 °C, 1.5 °C, and 2.0 °C global warming levels above pre-industrial conditions, utilising bias-corrected daily-mean temperature data from 60 runs performed with 25 global climate models. The severity of a heatwave is measured by the heatwave extremity index, consisting of the sum of exceedances above a fixed threshold of daily mean temperature. Three alternative threshold temperatures, 20 °C, 24 °C and 28 °C, are considered. A shift from the 0.5 °C to 2.0 °C global warming level is projected to result in an increase in the mean annual number of heatwave days above 20 °C from 1 to 5 in central Lapland and from 5 to 20 in south-eastern Finland. Concurrently, the annual sum of the extremity index becomes 4 to 10 -fold. The higher the threshold temperature, the larger is the growth in relative terms. At the 2.0 °C global warming level, heatwaves above 20 °C are experienced in southern Finland nearly every year and in the majority of northern Lapland approximately every second year. Apart from Lapland, heatwaves occurring once in 10 (100) years at the 0.5 °C warming level will then have annual probabilities of 50% (> 10%). Even between the 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming levels, projected changes in heatwave characteristics are substantial, especially for the most severe heatwaves. For example, in southern and central Finland, a heatwave with an annual probability of 12% to 13% at the 1.5 °C warming level is projected to substantially increase in likelihood under the 2.0 °C warming level, up to 19% to 21%. The paper includes a literature review on potential impacts of the intensifying heatwaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the LULUCF sector in the GHG inventory requires sound methods for estimating both the inputs and outputs of carbon (C) in managed ecosystems. Soil CO2 balance of forests consists of the CO2 released from decomposing soil organic matter (SOM) and the C entering the soil through aboveground and belowground plant litter input. Peatlands drained for forestry release soil C as CO2 because the drainage deepens the oxic peat layer prone to SOM decomposition. IPCC Guidelines provide default CO2 emission factors for different climatic zones and the defaults or locally adapted static emission factors are commonly in use in GHG inventory reporting for drained peatlands. In this paper, we describe a new dynamic method to estimate the CO2 balance of drained peatland forest soils in Finland. Contrary to static emission factors, the annual CO2 release from soil is in our method estimated using empirical regression models driven by time series of tree basal area (BA), derived from the national forest inventories in Finland, time series of air temperature and the drained peatland forest site type. Aboveground and belowground litter input is also estimated using empirical models with newly acquired turnover rates for tree fine roots and BA as a dynamic driver. All major components of litter input from ground vegetation and live, harvested and naturally died trees are included. Our method produces an increasing trend of emissions from 1.4 to 7.9 Mt CO2 for drained peatland forest soils in Finland for the period 1990–2021, with a statistically significant difference between years 1990 and 2021. Across the period 1990–2021, annual emissions are on average 3.4 Mt and −0.3 Mt in southern and northern parts of Finland, respectively. When combined with data of the CO2 sink created by trees, it appears that in 2021 drained peatland forest ecosystems were a source of 2.3 Mt CO2 in southern Finland and a sink of 2.5 Mt CO2 in northern Finland. We compare the emissions produced by the new method with those produced by the old GHGI method of Finland and discuss the strengths and vulnerabilities of our method in comparison to static emission factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors consider one Comet in Moominland, one of the early publications of the Finnish author and artist, Tove Jansson, written during and after the Second World War. The story depicts the threat of a comet hurtling towards Earth and the many ways in which the inhabitants of Moomin Valley respond to this potentially devastating threat. Prompted by the current conflict in Ukraine, which resonates in many ways with Finland's experience, the authors describe significant influences in Jansson's early life, as well as Finland's unique and tragic position during and after the Second World War. Reflecting on the story from a psychoanalytic perspective raises many issues in relation to catastrophic anxiety – how it is responded to and defended against. The significance of a secure base is highlighted, as Moomintroll is helped through his ordeal by his internalised Moominmamma, even in her physical absence. Further thought is given to the threat of nuclear war as written about by Hannah Segal, and Melanie Klein's response to war. The story also highlights the characters' reflections on the beauty and wonder of the natural world, so perilously close to destruction in the face of the approaching comet, making parallels with current pressing concerns about Climate Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examined wood preservation practices and outlook considering climate change from the perspective of Finnish experts through interviews. Key findings highlighted that: (1) pressure impregnated wood will continually evolve and secure its market, and it seems worthy of developing modified wood products, especially with the increasing attention to recyclability and lifecycle concepts; (2) demand for highly processed surface treatment products is high; (3) opportunities for more sustainable and environmentally friendly wood preservation methods, and thus production volume will increase in the future; (4) increasing mold problems in Finland due to climate change make surface treatment more important than ever; (5) demands for fire protection treatments are increasing, but fire testing fees and processes have slowed product development; (6) although the possibility of the spread of termites triggered by global warming to Finland seems to be a future scenario, this issue needs to be considered in products exported to hot countries; and (7) preservatives have become more critical to protect untreated wood from the adverse effects of climate change. It is believed that this study will help accelerate the transition of innovative and environmentally friendly wood treatments on the Finnish market, thereby promoting the use of wood in the building construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boreal coniferous forests decrease climate forcing by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. However, they also increase climate forcing through their effect on surface albedo, as coniferous forests make Earth's surface darker. Ignoring the warming effect of albedo can lead to a flawed climate policy that overstates the benefits of forest carbon sequestration. In this paper, we examine how these climate externalities affect the socially optimal harvest rotations and the social land value of a forest stand that is managed for timber, carbon, and albedo under changing economic and ecological conditions. We also examine how the relative importance of these externalities changes over time. We show that the rotations and the land value are sensitive to the changing external conditions, especially in the long run. Hence, for policy‐ relevance, stand‐level analyses with long examination horizons should account for these changes. In general, the carbon externality increases land value and lengthens rotations, whereas the albedo externality decreases land value and shortens rotations. At our study site in Finland, the positive effect of carbon on land value is stronger than the negative effect of albedo. The opposite effects of the two externalities on the timing of harvests are currently of equal strength, which means that they cancel out. More generally, inferences regarding the impacts of the externalities vary depending on climatic conditions, the incidence of solar irradiance, and the shadow prices of carbon and albedo. We discuss the extrapolation of our results throughout the boreal region based on variation in these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science can facilitate in‐depth learning for pupils and students, contribute to scientific research, and permit civic participation. Here, we describe the development of the transnational school‐based citizen science project Phenology of the North Calotte. Its primary goal is to introduce pupils (age 12–15; grades 7–10) in northern Norway, Russia, and Finland to the local and global challenges of climate change resulting in life cycle changes at different trophic and ecosystem levels in their backyards. Partnerships between regional scientists and staff from NIBIO Svanhovd, State nature reserves, national parks, and teachers and pupils from regional schools aim to engage pupils in project‐based learning. The project uses standardized protocols, translated into the different languages of participating schools. The phenological observations are centered around documenting clearly defined life cycle phases (e.g., first appearance of species, flowering, ripening, leaf yellowing, snow fall, and melt). The observations are collected either on paper and are subsequently submitted manually to an open‐source online database or submitted directly via a newly developed mobile app. In the long term, the database is anticipated to contribute to research studying changes in phenology at different trophic levels. In principle, guided school‐based citizen science projects have the potential to contribute to increased environmental awareness and education and thereby to transformative learning at the societal level while contributing to scientific progress of understudied biomes, like the northern taiga and (sub)arctic tundra. However, differences in school systems and funding insecurity for some schools have been major prohibiting factors for long‐term retention of pupils/schools in the program. Project‐based and multidisciplinary learning, although pedagogically desired, has been partially difficult to implement in participating schools, pointing to the need of structural changes in national school curricula and funding schemes as well as continuous offers for training and networking for teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Climate change impact of household waste management in Lappeenranta was calculated. • Waste management impact was investigated in 2009, 2019, and 2029. • Mixed residual waste to combustion, biowaste to digestion, and others to recycling. • The 2029 scenario was significantly affected by replacing fuel in heat production. • The role of recycled plastic demand is highlighted. Waste management processes have developed significantly in recent decades and will continue to change alongside the associated environmental impacts. This paper examines the climate change impacts of historical development in waste management, which has not received significant attention in the existing literature, while also exploring possible future developments. The city of Lappeenranta in Finland was selected as a case study, and the climate impacts of household waste (HW) management were calculated for the actual situations in 2009 and 2019 and the foreseen situation in 2029. Separately collected waste fractions of mixed residual waste (MRW), biowaste, cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass were included in the analysis. The results show that the net climate change impact decreased considerably from 945 kg CO2-eq. /t HW in 2009 to -141 kg CO2-eq. /t HW in 2019 mainly by directing the MRW to energy recovery instead of landfill. The emissions responsible for climate change could be further reduced in 2029 by directing biowaste to digestion instead of composting and by directing more fractions to recycling; e.g., plastic, the impact of which is affected by the demand for recycled plastic. For the year 2029, the net climate change impact was -181 kg CO2-eq. /t HW when heat produced from MRW displaced natural gas and was as high as 142 kg CO2-eq. /t HW if the heat substituted biomass heat. The findings reveal that as energy production mixes and materials become less fossil carbon intensive, they have a significant impact on the net climate impacts of waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building sector is critical in climate change mitigation by reducing its energy consumption. At the same time, warming climate requires adaptation measures from buildings, making it necessary to study the future thermal energy demand of buildings. This paper studies the impact of climate change on the thermal energy demand of buildings in a heating dominated climate of Finland, under "representative concentration pathway" (RCP) climate scenarios in near- (2030), medium- (2050) and long-term (2080) horizon. Additionally, the impact of the thermal performance level of the buildings is investigated. The thermal energy demand calculation is based on overarching standards from the European "energy performance of buildings" directive. The weather scenarios present both typical and extreme weather years, applied through morphing and future weather data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The results show that annual thermal energy demand in Finland in 2080 can decrease up to 74.6 kWh/m 2. In addition, the decrease in heating demand will be higher than the increase in cooling demand. Cooling can become the dominant peak in long-term evaluations, especially in South Finland (Vantaa) with passive buildings under RCP8.5 climate scenario. Renovation is the most efficient action to decrease energy intensity, the earliest it is done the better. [Display omitted] • Thermal energy demand of detached houses in Finland is studied under RCP climate scenarios. • Thermal energy demand is expected to decrease in Finland in long-term. • RCP scenario affects when the highest average annual thermal energy change occurs. • Cooling can become the dominant thermal peak demand source for passive buildings. • Renovating building to newer standards remains beneficial, though less with time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for climate change adaptation has been widely recognised and examples of successful adaptation are increasingly reported in the literature, but little attention has so far been paid to the potential negative impacts of implemented adaptation measures. As the agricultural sector is implementing measures to adapt to or cope with climatic variability and change, the potential negative consequences of these measures need to be explored in order to avoid increased vulnerability or (unintended) environmental impacts. This paper employs serious gaming and focus group methodology to study how agricultural stakeholders in Sweden and Finland frame and negotiate the unintended negative impacts of adaptation measures. The results of our interactional frame analysis suggest that the participants negotiated the potential maladaptive outcomes depending on: (1) whether they agreed that this was indeed a potential consequence of an adaptation measure, (2) whether they considered this to be a negative outcome, and if so whether it was (3) a negative outcome which they could adapt to, (4) a negative outcome that would make it preferable not to adapt at all (5) negotiable in terms of a trade-off with alternative outcomes. While it may be obvious that adaptation options that increase vulnerability should be avoided, this study illustrates the complex, value based, individual, yet dialogical processes and contextual basis for identifying and assessing maladaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change becomes an increasing concern in European countries, the bioeconomy could challenge previous conceptualizations about how states, citizens and corporations interact in everyday practices of natural resources governance. The conceptual understanding of responsive governance of the forest-based bioeconomy is an example of this challenge and is the topic of discussion in this paper. In Finland, there are efforts to support the transition towards the bio-based economy and to reform forest governance in an attempt to respond to local circumstances while mitigating global climate change. The recent articles have address the bioeconomy concept from political discourse point of view, the citizens participation has not yet been address sufficient in the current bioeconomy discourses. In order to fill this gap, this paper provides an empirical case from Finland and connects it to the theoretical contribution of responsive bioeconomy. The paper connects the capability approach and the forest based bioeconomy in the context of Finland. And argues that citizens could have capabilities and ability to participate in decisions about matters that directly affect their well-being. However, in the case of the forest based bioeconomy, the inclusion of citizens requires an interactive collaborative approach to empower various institutions and people to meet and debate on the development of their own living environment and environmental capability (i.e those bioeconomy opportunities to achieve outcomes people value). Citizens may not be able to find solutions and create the new innovations which the bioeconomy strategy require, yet it is the citizens who will live under the changed access to opportunities and entitlements including environmental services. For this reason, responsive governance and its adaptive and interactive administration need to ensure that many change actors are taken into account as a matter of basic justice in various processes of the bioeconomy transition. Therefore key aspects of change, such as citizens’ values, interests, knowhow and environmental entitlements need to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing climate change causes multiple direct and indirect impacts on ecological systems and human societies remarkably increasing diverse vulnerabilities and threatening human security, health and societal stability. Climate policies on national level have so far failed to systematically address structural causes of vulnerability which, if left unresolved, can hinder effective adaptation outcomes and adaptive abilities in society. In this paper, we examined how equity (fairness) has been addressed and operationalised through the justice dimensions both in the EU and Finnish national policies to explore key justice concerns from the viewpoint of just transition. We found that social justice is highlighted in the policies especially in terms of economic impacts and welfare gaps exacerbated by climate change impacts. Adaptive capacity is thus essentially intertwined in the ability of institutions to recognise and enforce processes that ensure the distribution of goods and resources in way that is responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable. • Key justice dimensions in environment, health and climate policies. • Identifying justice related concerns from the viewpoint of adaptation. • Recognition of institutional vulnerability to enable adaptive capacity. • EU and national policies highlight social justice as key element for fair transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household consumption accounts for 65–72% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally, and therefore, a change in current consumption patterns has the potential to mitigate climate change and provide emission reductions. There is knowledge on the consumption options with a high mitigation potential, but this information has not been combined with a consumer behavior information. This study examines the emission-reduction potential of suburban residents in Finland through a survey that assesses their willingness to adopt climate actions, and by calculating the potential impact of various actions. Finnish suburban households have already implemented low-impact climate actions (recycling, reducing food waste), but the implementation of high-impact actions in households could also be increased. Transitioning to a vegetarian diet, reducing air travel and limiting consumption are identified as the most effective mitigation actions when the potential increase in the implementation rate and impact on greenhouse gas emissions are considered. However, the results suggest that voluntary individual efforts alone are not sufficient to achieve the 1.5 °C carbon budget. Thus, alongside behavioural changes, strong policy measures and technological advancements are necessary. These findings emphasise the specific individual actions that should be prioritised when formulating climate policies at the national or city levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric tracers are often used to interpret the local CO 2 budget, where measurements at a single height are assumed to represent local flux signatures. Alternatively, these signatures can be derived from direct flux measurements or by using fluxes derived from measurements at multiple heights. In this study, we contrast interpretation of surface CO 2 exchange from tracer measurements at a single height to measurements at multiple heights. Specifically, we analyse the ratio between atmospheric O 2 and CO 2 (exchange ratio, ER) above a forest. We consider the following two alternative approaches: the exchange ratio of the forest (ER forest) obtained from the ratio of the surface fluxes of O 2 and CO 2 derived from measurements at multiple heights, and the exchange ratio of the atmosphere (ER atmos) obtained from changes in the O 2 and CO 2 mole fractions over time measured at a single height. We investigate the diurnal cycle of both ER signals to better understand the biophysical meaning of the ER atmos signal. We have combined CO 2 and O 2 measurements from Hyytiälä, Finland, during spring and summer of 2018 and 2019 with a conceptual land–atmosphere model to investigate the behaviour of ER atmos and ER forest. We show that the CO 2 and O 2 signals as well as their resulting ERs are influenced by climate conditions such as variations in soil moisture and temperature, for example during the 2018 heatwave. We furthermore show that the ER atmos signal obtained from single-height measurements rarely represents the forest exchange directly, mainly because it is influenced by entrainment of air from the free troposphere into the atmospheric boundary layer. The influence of these larger-scale processes can lead to very high ER atmos values (even larger than 2), especially in the early morning. These high values do not directly represent carbon cycle processes, but are rather a mixture of different signals. We conclude that the ER atmos signal provides only a weak constraint on local-scale surface CO 2 exchange, and that ER forest above the canopy should be used instead. Single-height measurements always require careful selection of the time of day and should be combined with atmospheric modelling to yield a meaningful representation of forest carbon exchange. More generally, we recommend always measuring at multiple heights when using multi-tracer measurements to study surface CO 2 exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declining fertility rates across world have generated deep concern among different stakeholders. In 2019, Finland's fertility rate was at an 'ultra-low' 1.35 children per woman. Investigating the affective work of policymaking on population issues—'population anxieties'—in a Nordic welfare state, this article constructs a genealogy of the affective biopolitics of populations in Finland. Drawing from a corpus of historical and recent materials, the article explores how population policy has invited and harnessed emotional orientation towards certain collective futures, while being disclosive of others. The analysis focuses on the issues of 'fertility decline' and 'the environment', and the reconfigurations of the population–environment nexus over the past decades. The article argues that persistent concerns about depopulation through ultra-low fertility underlie the affective stakes of Nordic biopolitics. Meanwhile, there is evident resistance to connecting population policy concerns with the climate crisis in the Nordic context. While in the so-called developing countries, demographic and ecological futures are seen mutually constitutive, the connection is not perceived as relevant to the Finnish welfare state. This is so despite Finland belonging to the affluent part of the world that is the largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems related to agricultural land use require better functioning solutions. Pressing problems include the increasing nutrient load in water bodies, caused by fertilization and erosion, and carbon emissions caused by various agricultural practices, for example. At a policy level, these issues are tackled via agri-environmental measures, but at farm level, these measures have not attracted as wide support as hoped for. Instead, farmers feel that many agri-environmental measures are incoherent in relation to their practices and goals, and the goals of agricultural policies in general. This type of policy problem can be called experienced policy coherence and it results in poor functioning of the policies. This paper connects practice theory and policy coherence analysis and suggests that a more systematic focus on the practices which the policies aim at influencing is needed in order to design better policies and to approach the problem of policy incoherence experienced by grass-roots actors. The empirical focus is on clearing new arable land and climate emissions in the context of Finnish agriculture. The results show that the different elements of practices identified in practice studies can pinpoint the key issues causing experienced policy incoherence and malfunctioning of policies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are considered as means to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss while simultaneously enhancing human well-being. Yet, it is still poorly understood how NBS could be mainstreamed. We address this gap by proposing a framework on NBS and employing it in Finland's Kiiminkijoki River basin through participatory workshops and a questionnaire. We examine socio-environmental challenges and visions, existing and emerging NBS to reach the visions, and ways to scale-up NBS to a river basin level. In the river basin, water quality is the priority challenge, due to its relationships with local culture, climate change, and biodiversity. Our results consider how (1) to ensure the relevance of NBS for local actors, (2) instrumental, intrinsic, and relational value perspectives can be enhanced simultaneously by NBS, and (3) site specific NBS can be mainstreamed (i.e., by scaling up, down, out, in, deep) to the river basin level and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Indonesia in the Paris Agreement targeted emission reductions of 29% on its own and 41% with international cooperation in 2030, followed by Net Zero Emissions (NZE) in 2060. To achieve NZE, Indonesia enacted a carbon tax policy on April 1, 2022. The 2022–2024 carbon tax is limited to Steam Power Plants and will be imposed on other sectors by 2030. This research examines the ratio legis of carbon cost policies in Indonesia and compares the core of carbon tax policies in Indonesia with Sweden and Finland. Indonesia is starting to implement a Carbon Pricing policy under the 'Cap-and-Tax' scheme. The Cap scheme will be a means to force changes in the business culture in Indonesia, so the companies will pay attention to and reduce the carbon emission produced to avoid paying penalties for carbon exceeding the limits. Meanwhile, the Carbon Tax will provide economic resources to Indonesia to develop environmentally friendly technologies, fund research on renewable energy, and provide incentives for environmentally friendly businesses during the transition process to a carbon culture in Indonesia. Referring to the results of the comparison of carbon pricing policies in Finland and Sweden, Indonesia can gradually increase the cost of carbon taxes starting from Rp30,000/US$2 per ton CO2 equivalent to US$10 per ton CO2 equivalent. Meanwhile, for the imposition of high carbon tax rates, such as in Finland (US$73.02 per ton CO2 equivalent) and Sweden (US$137 per ton CO2 equivalent), Indonesia must carry out tax reforms, so the applied carbon tax is able to reduce carbon emissions without causing adverse impacts for the Indonesian economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that CLT is a relatively recent innovation, there is a notable scarcity of market research in Finland. Presently, there is a limited body of literature that provides a thorough comprehension of the present state, varied applications, and anticipated future developments concerning the use of CLT within the Finnish construction sector. The limited availability of research data underscores the need for more extensive studies to fill this knowledge gap and provide a more nuanced insight into the evolving landscape of CLT adoption within the Finnish construction industry. This article aims to fill this gap through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 15 Finnish experts. Key findings highlighted that (1) the hierarchical order of familiarity with CLT among construction professionals in Finland, ranging from highest to lowest, was identified as follows: architects, engineers, developers, builders, and contractors; (2) a pronounced necessity exists for heightened expertise and training within the realm of CLT; (3) CLT was considered a promising option in endeavors aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate crises; (4) CLT showcased adaptability to environments marked by highly fluctuating climatic conditions, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach, including proactive maintenance strategies; (5) Finland adopted commendable and forward-looking sustainable practices in forest management; (6) the adaptability of CLT across a wide range of building categories; (7) the perceived vulnerabilities in CLT construction primarily included a lack of cost-competitiveness, insufficient sound insulation, and inadequate production volume; and (8) key future market prospects encompassed the versatility of CLT, increasing demand propelled by environmental considerations, and collaborative advancements in hybrid construction techniques. This article will contribute to the greater usage of CLT in the building industry in Finland by revealing the challenges, potential, and future outlook of CLT use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing climate and growing human impacts are resulting in globally rising temperatures and the widespread loss of habitats. How species will adapt to these changes is not well understood. The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) can be found across the Holarctic but is coming under more intense pressure in many places. Studies of recent populations in Finland and Denmark have shown a marked decline in body size of Northern Goshawks over the past century. Here we investigate long‐term changes to Norwegian populations of Northern Goshawk by including material from the Middle Ages. We measured 240 skeletons of modern Northern Goshawks from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and 89 Medieval Goshawk bones. Our results show that Norwegian and Swedish female Goshawks have decreased in size over the past century, whilst males showed little decline. Medieval female Goshawks were larger than contemporary females. A decline in forest habitats and a concomitant shift towards smaller prey likely drove a shift to smaller body size in Northern Goshawks. Our study shows that significant body size changes in birds can occur over relatively short time spans in response to environmental factors, and that these effects can sometimes differ between sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Major nuclear accidents are typically low-probability–high-consequence events. This paper focuses on weather and sea-level events that might affect the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs). Flooding risks at Finnish NPP sites have been re-evaluated based on investigations of long-term changes and short-term variations in sea level, which has led to improvements in the protection against extremely high sea water level. Climate change projections indicated that 1000-year return levels of high enthalpy of the air would increase by 13–27% by 2100. However, no clear future trends were projected for the all-year-round probabilities of freezing rain at the NPP sites. Simulations of the spread of hypothetical radioactive releases during two sea-breeze cases, using weather input data at a remarkably high spatial resolution, demonstrated the impacts of coastal meteorological phenomena on atmospheric dispersion. Overviews of various single and combined weather and marine events that could possibly affect normal NPP operation highlighted the need to broaden the scope of future research. Special attention was focused on various aspects of uncertainty. According to the results, a more extreme weather or marine event corresponded to a larger uncertainty in its probability of occurrence in the changing climate. Highlights • Safe production of nuclear energy requires appraisal of weather and sea-level risks. • Changing climate affects the occurrence of extreme weather and sea-level events. • Land uplift will moderate the increase of flooding risks on the Finnish coast. • Progress in data and methods reveals new potential hazards such as meteotsunamis. • High-resolution meteorological data is vital as input for dispersion modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suvilahti, a suburb of the city of Vaasa in western Finland, was the first area to use seabed sediment heat as the main source of heating for a high number of houses. Moreover, in the same area, a unique land uplift effect is ongoing. The aim of this paper is to solve the challenges and find opportunities caused by global warming by utilizing seabed sediment energy as a renewable heat source. Measurement data of water and air temperature were analyzed, and correlations were established for the sediment temperature data using Statistical Analysis System (SAS) Enterprise Guide 7.1. software. The analysis and provisional forecast based on the autoregression integrated moving average (ARIMA) model revealed that air and water temperatures show incremental increases through time, and that sediment temperature has positive correlations with water temperature with a 2-month lag. Therefore, sediment heat energy is also expected to increase in the future. Factor analysis validations show that the data have a normal cluster and no particular outliers. This study concludes that sediment heat energy can be considered in prominent renewable production, transforming climate change into a useful solution, at least in summertime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Businesses are facing increasing pressure from society and regulators to become more sustainable and do their part to address the climate crisis. These businesses will require continual sustainability innovation formulation and implementation processes to meet these demands. Collaborative foresight (CF) has high potential for helping business sectors produce a continuous stream of sustainability options to select and deploy in finished products. Recent developments in futures studies indicate that a capability called futures literacy (FL)—acts of individuals or groups switching their modes and purposes for imagining futures—is relevant to the production of innovation-related outcomes. FL may be key to driving the effectiveness of such foresight collaborations; however, little is known about its exact functions in such business networks and processes. This article examines this issue in the context of a luxury-cruise shipbuilding network in Finland. It analyzes research data from the foresight workstreams of a multi-partner consortium active across three sequential projects between 2016 and 2022. The foresight team took an interventionist research approach, conducting interviews and workshops as part of all three projects. In this article, we analyze the materials produced from these interventions for the appearances of FL enhancement. Based on this analysis, we found that FL can play key functions in CF, such as supporting actors in perceiving new developmental pathways, identifying new opportunities for innovation, and identifying alternative priorities built from new realizations and insights—a finding in line with existing claims by FL scholars and educators. This article contributes to ongoing discussions about the significance of CF and FL in addressing the most pressing environmental issues of our time. It offers an evidence-based argument for the relevance of taking a capabilities approach (i.e., introducing and developing FL) for business networks seeking to use foresight when engaging in sustainability innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is a multifaceted problem that has links to ecological transformations, geographical alternations, geostrategic shifts, and political tensions. As a result, it multiplies security challenges for states and international organizations. To capture the multilayered dimensions of climate change, this article recognizes the theoretical model of securitization as a spectrum consisting of threat-based and risk-based security logics. The article explores how the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Finland address climate change and, by extension, the challenges emerging in the Arctic region. While NATO pays close attention to climate resilience for preserving the Allied operational effectiveness and ensuring its role in defense and deterrence, both NATO and Finland articulate their concerns over Russia's growing military activities and presence in the High North, where Moscow finds strategic opportunities thanks to the increasing Arctic accessibility because of climate change. The article sheds light on a discussion about potential competition in the Arctic region and points out the paths that might lead to tension beyond it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid warming of the Northern hemisphere has especially challenged the evolvability of anadromous fish species, such as Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), which must cope with drastically different environments depending on their life-history stage. We studied the long-term trends in, and the effects of environmental factors and life-history traits on, Atlantic salmon growth rates in both freshwater and in the ocean using c. 35,000 scale samples collected across 48 years from spawners returning to three tributaries of the subarctic River Teno in the northernmost parts of Finland and Norway (70° N). The freshwater growth has decreased in all three populations and spending more than three juvenile years in freshwater before the sea migration comes at the expense of growth. On the other hand, returning mature salmon (one-sea-winter, 1SW) showed increased growth at the sea with increasing marine temperatures, which results in larger sizes at return in 1SW spawners. We did not observe such trends in growth rates in larger, two-sea-winter salmon. Here, we report the contrasting responses in Atlantic salmon growth rates to a warming climate depending on the life-history stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future climate conditions need to be considered in planning for urban areas. As well as considering how new structures would best endure in the future, it is important to take into account factors that contribute to the degradation of cultural heritage buildings in the urban setting. Climate change can cause an increase in structural degradation. In this paper, a review of both what these factors are and how they are addressed by urban planners is presented. A series of inquiries into the topic was carried out on town planning personnel and those involved in cultural heritage preservation in several towns and cities in Finland and in a small number of other European countries. The target group members were asked about observed climate change impacts on cultural heritage, about present steps being taken to protect urban cultural heritage, and also their views were obtained on how climate change impacts will be emphasised in the future in this regard. The results of the inquiry demonstrate that climate change is still considered only in a limited way in urban planning, and more interaction between different bodies, both planning and heritage authorities, as well as current research on climate change impacts, is needed in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finland updated its Energy and Climate Strategy in late 2016 with the aim of increasing the share of renewable energy sources, increasing energy self-sufficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, the issue of generation adequacy has grown more topical, especially since the record-high demand peak in Finland in January 2016. This paper analyses the Finnish energy system in years 2020 and 2030 by using the EnergyPLAN simulation tool to model whether different energy policy scenarios result in a plausible generation inadequacy. Moreover, as the Nordic energy system is so heavily dependent on hydropower production, we model and analyse the impacts of a severe drought on the Finnish energy system. We simulate hydropower availability according to the weather of the worst drought of the last century (in 1939–1942) with Finnish Environment Institute's Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System and we analyse the indirect impacts via reduced availability of electricity imports based on recent realised dry periods. Moreover, we analyse the environmental impacts of hydropower production during the drought and peak demand period and the impacts of climate change on generation adequacy in Finland. The results show that the scenarios of the new Energy and Climate Strategy result in an improved generation adequacy comparing to the current situation. However, a severe drought similar to that experienced in 1940s could cause a serious energy security threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic varves as well as the biogenic component of clastic–biogenic varves have great potential as climate and environmental proxies but the response of biogenic lamina thickness to variations in growing-season climate is not well known. The connection of biogenic lamina thickness with growing-season or open-water season climate has been the focus of a limited number of studies. We examined biogenic laminae deposited during the past 100 years in five Finnish lakes representing different catchment types. We compared variations in biogenic lamina thicknesses with growing-season temperature records and open-water-season precipitation records. Statistical analyses for the whole study period reveal that the studied lakes generally respond positively to variations in growing-season temperature and open-water season precipitation. This suggests that warm summers intensify primary production while precipitation enhances transportation of allochthonous biogenic material and nutrients into the lake. Both mechanisms lead to enhanced biogenic lamina thickness. Two lakes reveal a more complex relationship to climate. Biogenic lamina thicknesses record a distinguishable climate signal despite human activities in the catchments, such as peatland drainage and forest cutting. We conclude that variations in biogenic lamina thickness of such boreal (clastic)–biogenic varves show potential for growing-season climate reconstructions. However, the response of each lake to climate parameters should be tested and understood separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gas emissions are causing global average temperatures to rise, and Finland will experience an increase in the frequency and severity of hot weather and heatwaves in the future. Finnish buildings are built for the cold, and there is a need to adapt housing to protect against heat. This study examines how individual and combinations of passive adaptations can reduce overheating in three modern structural timber case study apartments in Jyväskylä, central Finland. The modelling tool IDA Indoor Climate and Energy is used to simulate indoor temperatures and energy consumption under current and predicted typical future (2030, 2050 and 2100) climates. Results show increasing overheating risks in the future, with the effectiveness of passive mitigation strategies varying by type and climate scenario. The most effective individual adaptation is daytime natural ventilation, while the most effective combined solution is natural ventilation and external shutters, which eliminate overheating in Jyväskylä until the 2100s. The effectiveness of occupant-controlled passive measures supports their use to reduce cooling demand, increasing passive survivability and enabling occupant adaptive comfort. Changes to building regulations and overheating modelling standards in Finland may be required to exploit the full potential of passive overheating measures and reduce reliance on active systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are three related factors affecting climate change and its relationship to the migration of IENs: 1) corporate social responsibility; 2) the code of ethics for nurses; and 3) nursing education. As the highest producer of carbon dioxide emissions, the Global North especially the Nordic Region must also consider its climate change responsibilities when recruiting nurses from the Global South. Aim: The aim of this article is to discuss the factors affecting climate change and its relationship to the migration of IENs, as well as possible solutions to mitigate its impact. Results: Climate change is impacted indirectly by the movement of internationally educated nurses (IENs). The Nordic countries need to consider checking climate change measures in the sustainability plans for recruitment companies when approving permits allowing the recruitment of nurses. Conclusion: Policymakers and decision‐makers need to consider climate change and GHG emissions factors when collaborating with recruitment agencies to recruit IENs from the Global South. International nurse recruitment policies must be ethical, economically sustainable, and planet‐centered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution ranges and spatio‐temporal patterns in the occurrence and activity of boreal bats are yet largely unknown due to their cryptic lifestyle and lack of suitable and efficient study methods. We approached the issue by establishing a permanent passive‐acoustic sampling setup spanning the area of Finland to gain an understanding on how latitude affects bat species composition and activity patterns in northern Europe. The recorded bat calls were semi‐automatically identified for three target taxa; Myotis spp., Eptesicus nilssonii or Pipistrellus nathusii and the seasonal activity patterns were modeled for each taxa across the seven sampling years (2015–2021). We found an increase in activity since 2015 for E. nilssonii and Myotis spp. For E. nilssonii and Myotis spp. we found significant latitude ‐dependent seasonal activity patterns, where seasonal variation in patterns appeared stronger in the north. Over the years, activity of P. nathusii increased during activity peak in June and late season but decreased in mid season. We found the passive‐acoustic monitoring network to be an effective and cost‐efficient method for gathering bat activity data to analyze spatio‐temporal patterns. Long‐term data on the composition and dynamics of bat communities facilitates better estimates of abundances and population trend directions for conservation purposes and predicting the effects of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore past trends and future projections of mean sea level (MSL) at the Finnish coast, in the northeastern Baltic Sea, during the period 1901–2100. We decompose the relative MSL change into three components: regional sea level rise (SLR), postglacial land uplift, and the effect of changes in wind climate. Past trends of regional SLR can be calculated after subtracting the other two components from the MSL trends observed by tide gauges, as the land uplift rates obtained from the semi-empirical model NKG2016LU are independent of tide gauge observations. According to the results, local absolute SLR trends are close to global mean rates. To construct future projections, we combine an ensemble of global SLR projections in a probabilistic framework. In addition, we use climate model results to estimate future changes in wind climate and their effect on MSL in the semi-enclosed Baltic Sea. This yields probability distributions of MSL change for three scenarios representing different future emission pathways. Spatial variations in the MSL projections result primarily from different local land uplift rates: under the medium-emission scenario RCP4.5/SSP2-4.5, for example, the projected MSL change (5 % to 95 % range) over the 21st century varies from -28 (-54 to 24) cm in the Bothnian Bay to 31 (5 to 83) cm in the eastern Gulf of Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During deep snow conditions, wildlife must balance between minimizing movements to conserve energy while seeking high amounts of browse to gain the energy. Knowledge of how snow begins to hinder their movements is therefore vital when predicting their wintertime behavior. We assessed the phenomenon with moose. Movement data from 122 GPS-collared moose were integrated with snow depth data from designated measurement stations. The effects of increasing snow depths on moose movement rates were then modeled with spline regression. The study was conducted in Finland, between 2009 and 2011. The moose were known for their sex and for the presence of calf at heel. On average, the movement rates decreased sharply until snow depths of ca. 30–40 cm, after which further significant decreases were not seen. The movement rates decreased from several kilometers per day to less than 500 m per day. Moose in the northernmost study area with the deepest snow covers moved as much as the moose in the other areas with less snow. Although we saw differences in the movement rates between males and females, differences between individuals were markedly higher than those caused by sex or a calf at heel. Moose are keystone species whose heavy browsing, especially during winter, can have profound effects on vegetation and forest regeneration. As snow covers in large parts of the boreal zone are predicted to decrease due to warming climate, the wintertime movements of moose and how they affect the local vegetation will remain relevant questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests provide a wide variety of ecosystem services (ES) to society. The boreal biome is experiencing the highest rates of warming on the planet and increasing demand for forest products. To foresee how to maximize the adaptation of boreal forests to future warmer conditions and growing demands of forest products, we need a better understanding of the relative importance of forest management and climate change on the supply of ecosystem services. Here, using Finland as a boreal forest case study, we assessed the potential supply of a wide range of ES (timber, bilberry, cowberry, mushrooms, carbon storage, scenic beauty, species habitat availability and deadwood) given seven management regimes and four climate change scenarios. We used the forest simulator SIMO to project forest dynamics for 100 years into the future (2016–2116) and estimate the potential supply of each service using published models. Then, we tested the relative importance of management and climate change as drivers of the future supply of these services using generalized linear mixed models. Our results show that the effects of management on the future supply of these ES were, on average, 11 times higher than the effects of climate change across all services, but greatly differed among them (from 0.53 to 24 times higher for timber and cowberry, respectively). Notably, the importance of these drivers substantially differed among biogeographical zones within the boreal biome. The effects of climate change were 1.6 times higher in northern Finland than in southern Finland, whereas the effects of management were the opposite—they were three times higher in the south compared to the north. We conclude that new guidelines for adapting forests to global change should account for regional differences and the variation in the effects of climate change and management on different forest ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine the effects of high temperatures on hospital visits and mortality in Finland. This provides new information of the topic in a context of predominantly cool temperatures. Unique, individual-level data are used to examine the relationship at the municipality-month level over a span of 20 years. Linear regression methods alongside high-dimensional fixed effects are used to minimize confounding variation. Analysis is conducted with special emphasis on the elderly population, as well as on specific elderly risk groups identified in previous literature. We show that for an additional day per month above 25°C, monthly all-cause mortality increases by 1.5 percent (95% CI: 0.4%-2.6%) and acute hospital visits increase by 1.1 percent (95% CI: 0.7%-1.6%). We also find some evidence that these effects are elevated in selected population subgroups, the low-income elderly, and people with dementia. Hospital visits also increase among younger age groups, illustrating the importance of using multiple health indicators. Such detailed evidence is important for identifying vulnerable groups as extreme heat waves are expected to become more frequent and intense in northern countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the efforts of civil society organizations to influence climate change policymaking in three countries with very different traditions of democratic decision making are compared: in a newly developed democracy (Indonesia), in an established democracy in the Global South (India), and in an established democracy in the Global North with an exceptionally strong civil society (Finland). The empirical material consists of 57 in-depth interviews with Civil Society Organization (CSO) representatives. The following three arguments about CSO influence in climate change politics are made: (1) the nation-state is an important avenue of influence for most CSOs, alongside global institutions; (2) CSOs influence states through specific contact points, rather than by challenging the state as a uniform entity; and (3) CSO actors' perception of influence in climate politics may be stronger where state capacity is weaker, rather than where civil society itself is strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How organisms that are part of the same trophic network respond to environmental variability over small spatial scales has been studied in a multitude of systems. Prevailing theory suggests a large role for plasticity in key traits among interacting species that allows matching of life cycles or life‐history traits across environmental gradients, for instance insects tracking host‐plant phenology across variable environments (Posledovich et al. 2018). A key aspect that remains understudied is the extent of intrapopulation variability in plasticity and whether stressful conditions canalize plasticity to an optimal level, or alternatively if variation in plasticity indeed could increase fitness in itself via alternative strategies. In a From the Cover article in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Kahilainen et al. (2022) investigate this issue in a classical insect study system, the metapopulation of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitea cinxia) in the Åland archipelago of Finland. The authors first establish how a key host plant responds to water limitation, then quantify among‐family variation in larval growth and development across control and water‐limited host plants. Finally, they use RNA sequencing to gain mechanistic insights into some of these among‐family differences in larval performance in response to host‐plant variation, finding results suggesting the existence of heritable, intrapopulation variability in ecologically relevant plasticity. This final step represents a critically important and often overlooked component of efforts to predict sensitivity of biological systems to changing environmental conditions, since it provides a key metric of adaptive resilience present in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal systems experience strong impacts of ongoing environmental change, affecting fish communities and subsequently fishery yields. In the Baltic Sea, the combined effects of climate‐induced changes and eutrophication‐related pressures constitute major threats to its living resources. Although much work has been devoted to uncovering environmental impacts on the commercially most valuable fish stocks, only little is known about community‐wide responses of fished species and how environmental change may affect their yield. In this study, the authors use a joint species distribution modelling framework to disentangle environmental impacts on species‐specific fishery yields of 16 fished species along the coast of Finland over four decades. The authors show that environmental covariates substantially contributed to variations in fishery yields and are likely to have strong impacts on fished resources also in the future. Salinity and near‐bottom oxygen concentration emerged as the strongest environmental drivers of yields at the community level, whereas temperature was particularly important for cod (Gadus morhua) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) yields. The authors found shore density to be an important predictor for fisheries resources especially for freshwater fish. The results of this study suggest that the changes in environmental conditions during the past four decades had a positive effect on the yields of freshwater and warm‐affinity species, whereas yields of marine cold‐affinity species have been mainly negatively affected by contracting favourable habitats, becoming warmer and less saline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU's energy sector depends heavily on fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change. This is why climate mitigation targets for energy production have been set, including an increased biomass use requirement. In Finland, biomass is commonly utilised but its capital, Helsinki, is still dependent on fossil fuels. With the ambition of becoming climate neutral by 2050, Helsinki is testing, inter alia, low-share wood pellet and coal co-combustion in a CHP (combined heat and power) plant. The objectives of this paper were to assess the net environmental impacts of the co-combustion and changes in urban air quality connected to pellet transport, and to identify environmental hotspots relevant to possible future higher-share co-combustion. The applied methods were screening LCA (life cycle assessment) and fine particle dispersion modelling. The results prove that low-share wood pellet co-combustion in CHP production leads to net environmental impact reductions and does not deteriorate air quality in the urban environment. If higher-share co-combustion were to be implemented, the environmental hotspots to focus on would be the operational issues of a power plant and the origin and sustainability aspects of wood pellet production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]