Scrapped car. Photo: Ilya Plekhanov / Wikipedia Commons
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Environmental authorities have criticised a government proposal to offer financial support for scrapping old cars, warning that the planned system lacks the strength to drive real emission reductions in Finland’s ageing vehicle fleet.
The so-called “cash-for-clunkers” scheme would give subsidies to car owners who replace their old vehicles with newer models meeting set emissions criteria. The support would apply to fully electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, as well as petrol and hybrid models that emit less than 140 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
Finland’s vehicle stock is the oldest in the Nordic region. The average age of cars continues to rise despite previous efforts to encourage fleet renewal. Similar scrappage incentives have been trialled by earlier governments, with mixed results.
The current plan, which was circulated for comments over the summer, has attracted sharp criticism from several environmental stakeholders.
The Ministry of the Environment, the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), and the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation each voiced concern that the proposal’s emission threshold is too high to make a difference.
The 140 g/km CO₂ limit means most new internal combustion engine cars would qualify for the subsidy, according to the environment ministry’s submission. This, they argue, undermines the objective of promoting genuinely low-emission alternatives.
“The scheme’s ability to guide consumers toward meaningful emission reductions is significantly weakened,” the ministry noted.
Syke and the conservation association echoed the view, stating that a much stricter threshold or a focus exclusively on fully electric vehicles would be more appropriate if climate targets are to be met.
The government has defended the proposed framework, arguing that it balances environmental aims with consumer affordability and the practical realities of the car market. Details on the size of the subsidy, eligible models, and implementation timeline remain under discussion.
The scheme forms part of broader efforts by the government to modernise the country’s car fleet and reduce emissions from road transport. Transport is one of the largest
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
