Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and others v Finland

In August 2024, a coalition of six Finnish environmental and human rights organizations, including Finnish Nature Conservation Union, Greenpeace, Amnesty International Finland, Climate Parents, Nature Association and Suoma Sámi Nuorat - Suomen Sámi youth filed a lawsuit against the Finnish government at the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland. In Finland, the warming of the climate has a strong impact on the traditional ways of life of the Sámi people and, thus, on the Sámi culture. The plaintiffs claim that the Finnish government’s inadequate climate policies are not only a breach of the nation’s own laws but also a violation of human rights. The plaintiffs argue that the Government's insufficient climate actions and ignoring the special status of the Sami people in the preparation of policy measures in the land use sector violate the rights guaranteed to the Sami people by the Constitution and outlined in Finland’s 2022 Climate Act, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. In January 2025, the Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) of Finland turned down the complaint alleging the government's inaction on climate targets. The court acknowledged the government's consideration of carbon sinks but emphasized the need for time to assess the effectiveness of current policies. As implementing the measures takes time, it is impossible to rule on whether they can be considered insufficient relative to the target set for the burden-sharing sector for 2030 and the climate-neutrality target set for 2035. The court held that the climate report cannot be regarded as violating the law. The court also noted that the complaint could yield a different conclusion at a later date if it were shown that the additional measures were insufficient to meet the binding objectives set forth in the Climate Act.