VZCZCXRO5509 
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBW RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHHM RUEHIK RUEHKW 
RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK 
RUEHYG 
DE RUEHHE #0231 1500418 
ZNR UUUUU ZZH 
R 290418Z MAY 08 
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 
TO RUEHEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC 
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC 
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4331 
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE 
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000231 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS FOR OES/EFENDLEY 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ/DBANKS 
EPA FOR DKRUGER AND PGUNNING 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG TRGY SENV EAGR FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND TO JOIN METHANE TO MARKETS PARTNERSHIP 
 
REF: A. 07 HELSINKI 00131 B. 07 HELSINKI 00173 C. 07 HELSINKI 00580 
¶D. 07 HELSINKI 00751 
 
¶1. (U) On May 15th Finland announced its intentions to join 
the Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M), an international 
initiative that advances cost-effective, near-term methane 
recovery and use as a clean energy source. Finland will be 
the 25th country to join this U.S.-led international 
partnership. In its letter of interest to join, Ms. Elina 
Kalkku, Director General from the Department for the Americas 
and Asia in the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, said 
Finland plans to actively participate in M2M,s Agriculture 
and Landfills subcommittees. The Finnish Government sees 
methane as a valuable source of energy and as a substitute 
for fossil fuels in heat and energy production. The letter 
also states that Finland views &international cooperation as 
an important vehicle in developing new renewable and clean 
forms of energy.8 Finland is already a world leader in 
renewable energy production, with over one quarter of its 
energy coming from renewable energy sources. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Finland,s decision completes the circle on post,s 
efforts to persuade Finland to join M2M following the 
inaugural High Level Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy 
and Sustainable Development (HLD) during Finland,s EU 
Presidency in fall 2006. The HLD Joint Press Release 
specifically listed &enhance methane recovery including 
through the Methane to Markets Partnership8 as one of the 
meeting,s conclusions. Since the HLD, the European 
Commission has also joined M2M. 
 
¶3. (U) This announcement coincided with a visit by Dina 
Kruger, Director of the Climate Change Division at the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency. During her visit, Mrs. 
Kruger met with industry and government officials, including 
Economic Minister Mauri Pekkarinen. Mrs. Kruger also 
attended a UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 
(IPCC) Working Group meeting in Helsinki on May 16th. 
 
¶4. (U) Twenty-three times as effective at trapping heat in 
the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, methane is a strong 
greenhouse gas that accounts for 16 percent of global 
greenhouse gas emissions. Since methane is a relatively 
short lived greenhouse gas, experts believe reductions in 
methane can produce quicker results than efforts focused on 
carbon dioxide such as the Kyoto Protocol. Also, methane has 
the dual benefit that it can be used as an effective source 
for clean heat and energy production, as well as 
transportation use. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment: Given the importance of climate change 
issues in the Nordic countries, Finland,s membership in M2M 
could open the door for other Nordic countries to join this 
initiative that promotes tangible actions for tackling 
climate change. With close proximity to the Arctic, Finns 
and others in Nordic countries are beginning to feel the 
effects of climate change quicker than those in southern 
areas. Coupling M2M efforts with the Arctic Council,s 
climate mitigation objectives may prove especially effective 
in mitigating methane emissions. End Comment. 
 
BARRETT