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A total of 196 countries from around the world
gathered in Paris for the 21
st
UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change this December.
Its aim was to reach an agreement on halting climate
change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
F
innishMinister of Agriculture and the Environment
Kimmo
Tiilikainen
estimated on the eve of the conference that a strong
message from the climate convention to the international financial
market and business community will be the key to future progress.
“In practice this means taking decisions and concrete actions to guide
private funding towards cleantech and renewable rawmaterials. Our
transition towards a bio-based economy requires that we abandon the
current financial model based on fossil rawmaterials – but the change must
be profitable for both businesses and investors.”
Tiilikainen points out that the credibility of an international climate
convention cannot rely solely on sanctions.
“We will not be able to assess the validity of the agreement until we have
seen the reactions of the international business community and the financial
market in the long term.”
At present, there is regrettably no way to completely stop climate change.
“International conventions mainly try to limit the changes to an
acceptable level, which is what we must of course try to do. The ultimate issue
is the availability of clean water and food on our planet. If we are unable to
achieve a change, we will be in trouble in the future,” he warns.
Minds more open
The convention in Paris was attended by 196 signatories and included
national climate goals that all signing countries will try to achieve beyond
the year 2020.
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