PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Human actions warm up the climate with severe consequences. The target set in the Paris Agreement made in 2015 in the UN climate change negotiations is to keep the rise of global average temperature below 2°C, and even below 1.5°C. Implementation of strong and fast emission reduction measures is required to succeed. The Finnish Climate Change Act has an objective of carbon-neutrality in 2035. The Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ package, contains new national targets for sectors not subject to emissions trading (activities under the Effort Sharing Regulation ESR). Finland’s proposed new target of 50% emission reduction during 2005-2030 is of the highest among the EU Member States.
An action programme to mitigate GHG emissions from sources outside the EU emission trading system (ETS) is presented in the Medium-term Climate Change Policy Plan (MTCCPP). The plan, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, responds to Finland’s national target set in the ESR. It is reviewed once every electoral term in parallel with the Climate and Energy Strategy.
The emission level for 2030 in the renewed ESR target would be 17.2 Mt CO2e which is 3.8 Mt less than the obligation set earlier. The MTCCPP baseline scenario shows that existing mitigation measures are not sufficient to achieve the new target. There is a 5.6 Mt gap to be filled up with additional actions at the effort sharing sector outlined in the new MTCCPP. This existing emission reduction gap in the full implementation of the MTCCPP constitutes the general objective of the ACE LIFE project.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of ACE LIFE is to accelerate emission reductions foremost in the key focus areas, which are agriculture, heavy duty transport and machinery, and process emissions from small and medium-size industry, as they have largest implementation and funding gaps related to the MTCCPP.
To achieve the main objective the project sets out the following general objective and specific objectives:
- General objective: to reach Finland’s 50% GHG emission reduction obligation in the effort sharing sector by 2030 compared to 2005, together with the complementary funding and actions;
- Achieve substantial and measurable emission reductions in agriculture;
- Achieve substantial and measurable emission reductions in heavy-duty transport and machinery;
- Achieve substantial and measurable emission reductions by phasing out fossil fuels in SME’s industrial processes;
- Develop, identify and promote actions, new investments, policies and other measures to tackle barriers and mainstream climate action in the project’s focus areas;
- Improve the accessibility, effectiveness, coordination and mobilisation of climate funding required for the full implementation of the MTCCPP.
The general objective of 50% emission reduction in the effort sharing sector provides an umbrella for the specific project objectives and trajectory for fulfilling the wider societal impact of the ACE LIFE project.
RESULTS
The project’s impact is classified in four categories: 1) Emission reductions; 2) Catalytic effect; 3) Improved governance and policy; 4) Communication and dissemination. The following quantitative results are planned by the end of the project in each of these categories:
1. Emission reductions:
- Reduction of emissions from agriculture: -840 tCO2e
- Reduction of emissions from industrial processes: -2 000 tCO2e
- Reduction of emissions from road transport: -9 330 tCO2e
- Reduction of emissions from other transport: -9 800 tCO2e
- Total reduction of ESR sector emissions: -21 970 tCO2e
- Reduction of emissions from LULUCF sector: -4 400 tCO2e
2. Catalytic effect:
- Bank loans and other institutional loans: + EUR 300 million
- Beneficiary own contribution (other than co-financing): + EUR 20 million
- Grants, subsidies: + EUR 2 000 million
- Total funding: + EUR 2 320 million
3. Improved governance and policy:
- Engaged public bodies (EU, national, regional, local, other): 100
- Engaged large enterprises / SMEs: 1000
- New or adapted legislation/strategies/plans: 5
- Policy feedback actions: 30
4. Communication and dissemination:
- Webpage: 1
- Number of articles in print media (e.g., newspaper and magazine articles): 100
- Number of publications (journals and conference): 40
- Number of project reports: 35
- Number of visitors in the organized events (e.g., seminars, education events): 1500
- Replication of pilots and investments: +50
