Finland’s parliament to reconsider whether peat is a renewable energy source

A citizen-initiated proposal to classify peat as a renewable energy source has gathered the required 50,000 signatures, forcing parliament to review the issue, reports Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

The initiative seeks to overturn a 2000 parliamentary decision that classified peat as a non-renewable energy source after a tied vote in the Grand Committee. One of the campaign’s organisers, Miika Mantela from Purmojärvi, argues that peat should be considered renewable.

“There is extensive information available, including reports from the Geological Survey of Finland, showing how peat actually renews,” Mantela told Yle.

Supporters of the initiative also emphasise the need to secure Finland’s energy self-sufficiency and access to affordable domestic energy, particularly amid geopolitical instability.

“Especially in these times, when there are conflicts here and there, we must ensure our supply and energy security, as well as domestic clean food production. This is extremely important,” Mantela said.

The petition reached the required signatures in roughly three months. It will now undergo verification by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency before being formally submitted to parliament in the coming weeks.

Mantela dismissed concerns about waterway emissions from peat production, stating that modern purification methods have resolved issues that existed in past decades.

“We’ve had mud on our faces many times before, but now we have good purification techniques—unlike in the 1980s,” he said.