The Kyoto environmental goals may become more feasible, since energy use is being cut and emissions are declining.
"Coal and peat burning for energy has dropped, and thanks to that Finland's greenhouse gas emissions will decline dramatically," says the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation's climate expert, Leo Stranius. "Now, of course, it's important to keep emissions from climbing again when the economy grows."
Traffic Emissions Drop
The Finnish Road Administration says that road traffic, especially the number of lorries, has suddenly declined.
"The drop in traffic is accelerating," says Road Administration official Reijo Prokkola.
"In January, traffic dropped by two to four percent. This is a historic change; the last time traffic declined was due to the recession in the beginning of the 1990's. Since then, it's grown continuously."
The Association for Nature Conservation hopes that the government will capitalize on this development by investing more in public transport instead of road projects.
The financial crisis has by many accounts also encouraged households to cut consumption and heating.
