Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition
Abstract Sustainable development policies have been implemented during several decades, but so far with too little impact apart from awareness raising. Environmental changes, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource overuse, have evolved from local problems to global crises interconnected...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Discover Sustainability |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01658-z |
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| author | Jari Lyytimäki Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen Minna Halme Lassi Linnanen Mikko Mönkkönen Ilkka Ratinen Arto O. Salonen Katriina Soini Niko Soininen Anna-Maria Teperi Reetta Toivanen |
| author_facet | Jari Lyytimäki Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen Minna Halme Lassi Linnanen Mikko Mönkkönen Ilkka Ratinen Arto O. Salonen Katriina Soini Niko Soininen Anna-Maria Teperi Reetta Toivanen |
| author_sort | Jari Lyytimäki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sustainable development policies have been implemented during several decades, but so far with too little impact apart from awareness raising. Environmental changes, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource overuse, have evolved from local problems to global crises interconnected with social issues like inequality and polarization. The need for rapid and large-scale sustainability transition is evident. Finland is one of the countries with relatively advanced national sustainable development policy and top ranking in several international comparisons of sustainability performance. Focusing on the societal uses of knowledge, this article uses Finland as a case to assess the effectiveness of conventional sustainable development policy, including national strategies, institutions, and practices. Recommendations applicable also for other countries and avenues for more impactful implementation of sustainability solutions are identified, emphasizing the urgent need to adopt a strong sustainability mindset shifting from short-term economic priorities towards coherent long-term targets beyond 2030, with corresponding policy and legal changes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0fccebce81964706a8b23f77181cddc3 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2662-9984 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Discover Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-0fccebce81964706a8b23f77181cddc32025-08-20T03:04:17ZengSpringerDiscover Sustainability2662-99842025-08-016112110.1007/s43621-025-01658-zAssessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transitionJari Lyytimäki0Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen1Minna Halme2Lassi Linnanen3Mikko Mönkkönen4Ilkka Ratinen5Arto O. Salonen6Katriina Soini7Niko Soininen8Anna-Maria Teperi9Reetta Toivanen10Finnish Environment InstitutePrime Minister’s OfficeAalto UniversityLUT UniversityUniversity of JyväskyläUniversity of LaplandUniversity of Eastern FinlandNatural Resources Institute FinlandUniversity of Eastern FinlandFinnish Institute of Occupational HealthUniversity of HelsinkiAbstract Sustainable development policies have been implemented during several decades, but so far with too little impact apart from awareness raising. Environmental changes, such as biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource overuse, have evolved from local problems to global crises interconnected with social issues like inequality and polarization. The need for rapid and large-scale sustainability transition is evident. Finland is one of the countries with relatively advanced national sustainable development policy and top ranking in several international comparisons of sustainability performance. Focusing on the societal uses of knowledge, this article uses Finland as a case to assess the effectiveness of conventional sustainable development policy, including national strategies, institutions, and practices. Recommendations applicable also for other countries and avenues for more impactful implementation of sustainability solutions are identified, emphasizing the urgent need to adopt a strong sustainability mindset shifting from short-term economic priorities towards coherent long-term targets beyond 2030, with corresponding policy and legal changes.https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01658-zAgenda 2030FinlandPolicy effectivenessSustainable developmentSustainability transition |
| spellingShingle | Jari Lyytimäki Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen Minna Halme Lassi Linnanen Mikko Mönkkönen Ilkka Ratinen Arto O. Salonen Katriina Soini Niko Soininen Anna-Maria Teperi Reetta Toivanen Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition Discover Sustainability Agenda 2030 Finland Policy effectiveness Sustainable development Sustainability transition |
| title | Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| title_full | Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| title_short | Assessing the effectiveness of Finland’s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| title_sort | assessing the effectiveness of finland s sustainable development policy to facilitate a sustainability transition |
| topic | Agenda 2030 Finland Policy effectiveness Sustainable development Sustainability transition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01658-z |
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