The Finnish Commerce Federation and the Finnish Central Organisation for Motor Trades and Repairs: Finland will not achieve its climate targets without significantly reducing transport emissions

Finland will not achieve its climate targets without significantly reducing transport emissions. Reducing emissions also improves the energy efficiency of road traffic and makes transport more efficient. This requires accelerating the electrification of transport in passenger traffic and the cost-effective and technology-neutral use of different driving forces in transport.

“We need decisions that reduce transport emissions while keeping mobility and transport affordable throughout Finland. The costs of transport have a direct impact on the purchasing power of households and companies’ ability to serve customers throughout Finland,” says Kari Luoto, Managing Director of the Finnish Commerce Federation.

The registration volumes of plug-in cars are growing, but the still weak market situation in car sales means that we are still behind both our emission targets and our comparison countries, i.e. the other Nordic countries.

”In Finland, electrification is growing rapidly in the sales of new passenger cars when looking at the share of electric cars in first registrations. However, it is worth noting that absolute sales volumes remain low throughout the recession in car sales. We need significant growth in car sales in order to be at the electrification pace required by Finland’s emission targets,” says Tero Lausala, CEO of the Finnish Central Organisation for Motor Trades and Repairs.

The total costs of transport for households must not increase, and taxation must direct towards low-emission choices without weakening purchasing power or the competitiveness of companies.

The electrification of passenger car traffic has already come a long way, and a fairly extensive charging network has emerged in Finland, built mainly by operators in the commerce sector in a market-based manner.

”The next government will get to decide on the taxation solutions of transport. We need reforms that support the electrification of the car fleet that has just begun and, at the same time, promote the possibility for Finns to drive newer and safer cars than today,” says Lausala.

With regard to heavy traffic, the change is only just beginning. Therefore, investment support for charging infrastructure and solutions to promote the use of bio-based fuels in the transition phase are needed.

For further information, please contact:

Kari Luoto, Managing Director, Finnish Commerce Federation, tel. +358 (0) 400 688 708, kari.luoto(at)kauppa.fi

Tero Lausala, CEO, Finnish Central Organisation for Motor Trades and Repairs, tel. +358 (0) 50 407 2623, tero.lausala(at)akl.fi

On 25 May 2026, associations in the commerce sector will start a series of nationwide Commerce is the key to growth discussion events in Seinäjoki, which will examine the role of commerce as a promoter of growth, investments, employment and security of supply throughout the country.