Operations of the Finnish Climate Change Panel

London Climate Action Week brings together the world's leading climate experts this week to help solve the climate emergency. This is the seventh time this largest independent climate event in Europe is being held. One of the event organizers is the International Climate Councils Network (ICCN). The Finnish Climate Panel is a member of the network, and its chair, Jyri Seppälä, will participate in its events in London on 25–26 June. ”Networking and sharing best practices with colleagues from other countries enhances national climate policy science advice. This year, discussions will certainly focus on the means of achieving climate goals and ensuring ambition”, says Seppälä. Countries committed to the Paris Agreement must submit new, more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) this year. Governments urgently need to implement science-based climate policies to ensure a sustainable future. Improving subnational, national, and international climate governance through effective climate councils is crucial. The main event of the ICCN on Thursday will discuss the role of governance in solving climate challenges: how effective governance helps countries, communities, and businesses improve resilience, make choices, and meet climate commitments, ensure public support, and create an enabling environment for attracting and maintaining investment and accountability. At the same event, the ICCN will launch a practical guide called "How to Create a Climate Council" to strengthen national climate governance. It brings together academic literature and case studies from the network on what needs to be considered when establishing a new panel, in terms of strategy, governance, engagement, and resourcing. The guide offers global examples for governments, researchers, businesses, and organizations. The Finnish Climate Panel has contributed to the guide by sharing its role as part of the structures between science and policy in society and the evaluations of that role. In Finland, the Climate Change Panel has grown over the past decade to become a well-known, recognized, and influential actor in state decision-making and public discourse. Earlier this year, the Finnish Climate Change Panel, together with the Finnish Nature Panel, published a memorandum on science advice for climate and nature policy. The memorandum includes a description of the current operating model and its alternatives, as well as researched information on the prerequisites for the effectiveness of science advice. For more information: London Climate Action Week website ICCN website Memorandum “Securing Science Advice for Climate and Nature Policy – Perspectives from International Comparison, Literature, and Experiences of the Climate Change Panel and Nature Panel” (in Finnish) Photo: Unsplash