Business and the environment in Finland

Improving eco-efficiency - by creating more value with less environmental impact - has been recognised as one of the main ways business can contribute to sustainable development.

Finland has been top-ranked in the World Economic Forum's Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) since 2000. Finland also fares well in other international indexes describing environmental sustainability, competitiveness, clean water, and innovative solutions. The decoupling of environmental impacts from economic growth has been achieved for several important pollutants. Finland also has a high institutional capacity to handle environmental problems.

These web pages contain information on the most important Finnish environmental legislation for businesses. Businesses operating in Finland are legally obliged to be sufficiently aware of the environmental impacts and risks of their activities - and of opportunities to reduce these impacts and risks. 

Getting more from less

Finland is one of the first countries in the world to draft a major national programme addressing sustainable consumption and production. This programme, drawn up by a committee consisting of many different stakeholders, aims to make Finland one of the most eco-efficient and competitive societies in the world by 2025, through long-term yet flexible policy-making. The programme includes an impressive array of 73 wide-ranging policy measures.

Proposals include the objective that eco-efficiency should be increased throughout production chains to make Finland one of the world's most eco-efficient societies. This will give rise to new business opportunities and jobs in fields that improve well-being and create environmental innovations.