National and EU climate policies in conflict: Lessons from three sectors in Finland

This article reviews and responds to policy frameworks across three sectors with the intention of efficiently reconciling national and EU climate-policy targets. The rationale behind national policies stems both from national policy ambitions and sector-specific commitments, but these may prove incompatible with broader EU policies such as the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS). Consequently, disparities between national and EU policies must, in turn, be adjusted accordingly, sector by sector. We show that reconciling differing policies does not necessarily rule out market-based instruments but that the efficient implementation of national targets can, in fact, build on and expand them.