Government appointed National Commission on Sustainable Development
On Thursday 18 November, the Government appointed a National Commission on Sustainable Development for 2016–2019. The Commission will be chaired by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, and Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen will serve as its Vice-Chair. In addition to the Government, the Commission will have representatives from Parliament, ministries, business life, municipalities and regions, trade unions, the church, science and research, and various organisations. The mandate of the National Commission on Sustainable Development is to ensure that the international objectives of sustainable development will be included in national policies.
"The National Commission on Sustainable Development provides an influential forum with a responsibility for the development of a national action plan and its implementation. The Government’s goal is to strengthen Finland's competitiveness. We will rely on expertise, sustainable development and bold reforms," says Prime Minister Sipilä.
The main task of the Commission is to integrate the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into an inherent part of national efforts. Another aim is to promote the implementation of the society's commitment to sustainability – “The Finland we want by 2050”. The society's commitments serve as Finland's guideline for sustainable development and a practical tool. The objective is to multiply the number of commitments and enhance the effectiveness of the commitment process.
Finland has a long history of promoting sustainable development. It is the only country in the world with a national commission on sustainable development for more than 20 years in line. Finland's model of society's commitments has also gained wide international recognition as a new way of addressing sustainable development. It is due to this model that Finland ranked number one in the Yale University's Environmental Performance Index published at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2016.
Inquiries: Riina Nevamäki, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, tel. +358 9 1602 2009 and Marja Innanen, Deputy General Secretary, tel. +358 40 777 5582, Prime Minister’s Office