Iida Hyvärinen, Chairman of the Northern Ostrobothnia Youth Council, is looking forward to her position of trust in the Northern Ostrobothnia Climate Action Advisory Board. He says that he discussed with the members of the youth council about young people's suggestions for climate work in the county. "We have discussed issues such as increasing public transport routes, carbon sinks and agriculture as carbon sequestration," says Iida Hyvärinen. According to Hyvärisen, climate issues affect young people a lot and are also discussed outside of meetings. "We are interested in what kind of planet we leave behind and what kind of planet we leave for future generations," Iida sums up. The task of the Advisory Board for Climate Work in Northern Ostrobothnia is to guide the formation of regional climate and energy targets. The Advisory Board monitors its operating environment, promotes the promotion of strategic objectives and monitors their implementation. The tasks of the Advisory Board also include promoting interaction and cooperation on climate issues in the region. From the perspective of the near future, Hyvärinen highlights the importance of wind power in Northern Ostrobothnia. “Windpower is an asset to us”, he explains. Hyvärinen also reminds us of the geographical scope of Northern Ostrobothnia. This is explained, for example, by a survey conducted for the Youth Council, which charted young people's thoughts on what is the most beloved nature in their own municipality. “Forests, water bodies, swamps, greenery, rivers and good opportunities for outdoor activities were highlighted in the responses. Of course, it must also be taken into account in climate work that municipalities are different in the region.” Hyvärinen expects energy issues to be strongly present in the Northern Ostrobothnia climate work advisory board. “Will we say that, at the moment and in the near future, young people’s concerns are focused on energy issues,” Iida says. The second term of office of the Advisory Board for Climate Work in Northern Ostrobothnia has been appointed for 2022-2025. Jussi Ylitalo, Chairman of the Regional Government of Northern Ostrobothnia, chairs the Advisory Board and Ritva Isomäki, Senior Specialist at the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, serves as secretary. The Advisory Board cooperates closely with the Canemure project of Oulu University of Applied Sciences.

The three key themes of climate work in Northern Ostrobothnia are agriculture, peat energy use and transport. According to studies containing strong data and different scenario options, Northern Ostrobothnia has significant potential to reduce climate emissions. In agriculture, the aim is to continue to develop as carbon sequestration. The report contains numerical information on the sustainable use of agricultural bio-based fractions and side streams, the climate impacts of the measures, the cost and yield impacts, and the potential in Northern Ostrobothnia. Three alternative emission scenarios were prepared. The report was prepared by Ramboll Finland Oy. The transport study and the calculations made in it make it possible to assess the impact of the propulsion distribution of newly registered vehicles on CO2 emissions from road transport until 2040. The report was prepared by Sitowise Oy. The report on the energy use of peat examines how the energy use of peat and wood in the region will develop, what kind of impacts the development will have on the acquisition of wood biomass and supply chains, and on the greenhouse gas emissions of the region's energy production. The report was prepared by AFRY Management Consulting. The studies and the results obtained from them are used in the preparation of the climate road map for Northern Ostrobothnia. The work will be completed at the beginning of the year and the roadmap will be approved by the Regional Board at the February 2021 meeting. The reports can be downloaded from the POPclimate project website. Further information: Ritva Isomäki, Project Manager, tel. +358 40 685 4026, ritva.isomaki(at)pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi