The Finnish technology industry has reduced its emissions significantly in recent years

According to Technology Industries of Finland’s new low-carbon roadmap, significant emission reductions have been achieved in the sector in recent years. This was accomplished despite important changes in the operating environment. The industry’s own direct emissions have decreased by 7 per cent and the annual use of fossil fuels has fallen by 11 per cent. Emissions from purchased energy used in manufacturing have been reduced by as much as 45 per cent.

Technology Industries of Finland (TIF) published its new low-carbon roadmap on 5 June. In accordance with the Finnish Government Programme, the work was launched by calculating the emission and reduction paths of the roadmaps of different sectors. However, TIF expanded its own analysis to ensure that the report covers emissions from the value chain of the entire sector.  According to a report prepared by Gaia Consulting Oy, the industry’s own direct emissions have decreased by 7 per cent in four years and the annual use of fossil fuels has fallen by 11 per cent.

Over the same period, the turnover of technology companies has grown by 43 per cent, which highlights that the decoupling of economic growth from the consumption of natural resources is progressing well.

“Technology Industries of Finland published its first low-carbon roadmap in the summer of 2020. At the time, our message was that the industry could significantly reduce its emissions by 2035. We are now well on our way to fulfil this ambition, as emissions have already been significantly reduced over the past four years. We are also very pleased to report that companies’ turnover has increased without any need to increase the use of fossil fuels,” says Annukka Saari, Director of Energy and Climate Policy.

A major export asset of Finnish technology industry products and services is their large carbon handprint: companies in the sector are thus able to develop solutions that help customers reduce negative environmental impacts. In particular, energy-efficient solutions based on renewable raw materials and low-carbon materials provided by leading Finnish technology companies play a significant role in reducing global emissions, as the energy used by customers is still produced with fossil fuels.

“The majority of indirect emissions in the industry are still generated by activities that are not caused by or under the control of the Finnish supplier’s products or services. The share of indirect emissions generated in Finland is very small, because the share of renewable electricity in the electricity network is already at over 90 per cent. Although the amount of purchased energy used by industry has not gone down in recent years, emissions from purchased energy used in the sector have decreased by as much as 45 per cent,” Saari stresses.

Annual carbon dioxide emissions of the technology industry, including the entire global value chain, amount to 29 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. However, the industry’s global emissions reduction potential stands at 75 million tonnes, according to the report.

“In particular, the introduction of hydrogen and hydrogen-based products will have a significant impact on reducing emissions. The steel industry is being modernised with the help of hydrogen technology, and these measures can achieve a reduction potential of up to ten per cent of Finland’s overall emissions. In addition to national measures, Finland aims to become Europe’s leading force in the hydrogen economy, providing services throughout the value chain. This still requires significant investment in both hydrogen and low-carbon electricity production,” Saari says.

After the publication of the roadmap, TIF and its member companies will draw up measures to accelerate the reduction of emissions and increase the sector’s handprint. EU policy plays a particularly important role in this context and it is vitally important for the Technology Industries of Finland that the EU does not relinquish its role as a frontrunner in the green transition.