Finland

Greenhouse gas emissions have diminished significantly in 2024 because of the decrease in the use of fossil fuels in energy production, lower transport emissions and the impact of less intensive deforestation according to Etla Economic Research

On New Year's Eve, a demonstration took place in the Helsinki metro with over 200 protesters gathering to oppose the imminent increase in public transport fares by Helsinki Region Transport

Fingrid, state-owned company operating the electricity grid in Finland, said that the transmission of electricity between Finland and Estonia via the Estlink 2 link is currently interrupted due to a fault of unknown origin for the time being

A legislative amendment was passed that will stop the payment of the national pension to beneficiaries residing outside Finland in EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the UK, as of 1 February 2025

The Swedish People's Party in Espoo announced the formation of a multicultural committee with the aim of involving immigrants and non-native Finnish or Swedish speakers in local and national politics

With the intensification of wildlife movements in October and November, a seasonal peak in accidents with wildlife has been recorded; collisions with wild animals, particularly deer and roe deer, remain a concern, with around 13.000 accidents per year

Hurricane-force winds were recorded for the first time in the Finnish sea areas last week; the Finnish Meteorological Institute reported sustained winds of 33,5 metres per second

The Ministry of the Environment covered up a report discussing the negative effects of wind farms on the golden eagle, which showed some of the wind farms built on golden eagle home areas should not have been built

A recent poll commissioned by Fingo revealed that over 60% of Finns want Israeli leaders to be prosecuted for war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict and 55% support the imposition of economic sanctions on Israel

The financial difficulties faced by higher education students have increased over the past three years, with 19% of students now reporting that their income is severely limited and uncertain, up from 13% in previous years

Almost all Finnish companies have successfully exited the Russian market: only 0,9% are still in the process of withdrawing, but none of them is actively doing business, a recent survey by the Finnish Chambers of Commerce reveals

Millions of euros have been invested to increase the reimbursements to private medical practices by Social Security Institute raising them from 8 to €30 in an attempt to encourage the use of private services and reduce waiting times in the public sector