Climate change is one of the most significant and pressing environmental problems that affects the human population. This is why leaders of nations assemble yearly to UN’s climate summit to discuss the future of climate, environment, and humanity.
Climate research needs to be the starting point for planning global and national climate policy, since without researched information climate action can never be sustainable, effective and fair. Therefore, research and expert institutes such as SYKE has a crucial role as a producer of trustworthy information and recommendations.
“Climate change, just like biodiversity loss, is an existential crisis facing humanity. We have a responsibility but also all the possibilities to solve it for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Research has created the solutions, now it is the responsibility of decision makers to commission them faster”, comments SYKE’s Director General Leif Schulman.
Information and actions for the mitigation of climate change
SYKE produces researched information for the mitigation and adaption of climate change and supports practical climate work in municipalities and regions by carrying out emissions development assessments and disseminating information on good practices. SYKE also promotes a solution-based sustainable bioeconomy by researching new policy measures and investigating the effect of various production and consumption solutions on emissions.
SYKE’s areas of expertise are political analyses related to the mitigation and adaptation, lifecycle-based estimates on greenhouse gas emissions, inspection of measures related to limiting emissions, inspection of climate change impact scenarios, vulnerability and adaptability assessments as well as inspection of measures.
The aim is a low-carbon society that uses natural resources sustainably and is able to flexibly adapt to changes.
“No one is a winner when climate change moves forward, but in the fight against climate change there are opportunities for those who seize them. Finland cannot be a bystander in this”, comments director Jyri Seppälä.
Communicating about climate work is in a key role
In SYKE, around 40 researchers and specialists in various units carry out climate issues-related work, and SYKE takes part in numerous national and international research projects and networks. Climate issues are communicated on multiple different channels and with different partners, so that good practices and researched information reach decision makers and citizens.
For example, SYKE publishes Policy Briefs, books, pamphlets, practical guides, and reports, and offers information services. SYKE also has an important role in coordinating, participating, and communicating about different climate projects.
In honor of UN’s climate summit, SYKE has for the last week published articles about SYKE’s climate related work. The articles have discussed climate related Policy Briefs and reports, national adaptation planning and municipalities that have an ambitious emission target.
SYKE creates and updates important websites that offer information and solutions on climate change. The most significant websites are Climateguide.fi, Carbonneutralfinland.fi and energialoikka.fi. The websites have gathered all the central climate change related information, tools, and solutions. Highlighting the websites reflects a bigger picture of SYKE’s goals: researched information needs to be at the core of climate policy, and it needs to be available for all.
Read more:
The topic elsewhere:
Further information: