Limits and opportunities in climate change adaptation in Nordic countries to be discussed in Rovaniemi on 14–15 May
News - Published 6.5.2025
Nordic solutions to climate change adaptation will be sought at the Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (NOCCA2025) to be held in Rovaniemi on 14–15 May 2025. The conference is part of Finland’s and Åland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
In mid-May, the seventh Nordic Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (NOCCA 2025) will bring together scientists, experts and practical actors to Lappia Hall in Rovaniemi to discuss ways to manage climate risks.
The keynote speakers are Professor Frans Berkhout from King’s College London, who has led the work on IPCC’s Assessment Reports, Kerstin Stendahl, Special Envoy on Environment Security of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute Petteri Taalas. The opening address will be delivered by Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah.
Information on research and practical solutions
The NOCCA 2025 conference will focus on the limits of climate change adaptation and the opportunities it offers. These will be discussed, in particular, from the perspectives of ecosystems, livelihoods and communities. Solutions related to adaptation will be presented for the national, regional and local level and for the Nordic countries. The adaptation policy of the European Union and the direction it is going to take will be discussed as well.
The topics in the programme include transboundary impacts of climate change, novel approaches for advancing the preparation for the impacts of climate change, climate security, and future of the Nordic countries under changing conditions. The panel of young people active in climate issues and researchers at the early stage of their scientific careers will chart the course of Nordic futures for climate research and action.
“Climate change is progressing fast. While it is important to continue the actions to mitigate climate change, it is also important to extensively strengthen the preparation for its impacts. Many of the challenges and extreme weather events caused by climate change in different Nordic countries will be quite similar. NOCCA 2025 will offer an excellent opportunity to share experiences of the means and solutions by which the management of climate risks can be strengthened,” says Kirsi Mäkinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Besides the presentations, discussions and posters, the conference participants will also learn about the impacts of climate change in practice. During the visit to a reindeer farms they will hear how climate warming and changing snow conditions affect reindeer and the tourism industry. At the centre of the City of Rovaniemi they will hear presentations by experts about flood risk management and urban agriculture.
Outcomes will support preparations for climate negotiations
The conference will stress the connections between research, policies and practice. Climate change adaptation will also be one of the themes of the meeting of the Nordic Ministers for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Kuopio in June, where the key messages of NOCCA 2025 will be presented. The policy brief summarizing the conference outcomes will also support Nordic adaptation initiatives for the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil in November 2025.
NOCCA 2025 is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the National Climate Unit of the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres). Part of the funding comes from the Nordic Council of Ministers. Read more about the event on the conference website nocca2025.fi.The presentation of the keynote speakers and shared sessions will be streamed live.
Climate change adaptation
- Climate change adaptation means active preparation for the impacts of climate change and the related anticipation and risk management.
- To reduce the risk of damages caused by the impacts of climate change, it is important and sensible for individuals, companies and communities, as well as different actors in society, to prepare for these in advance.
- Adaptation to and preparation for climate change strengthens wellbeing, the resilience of infrastructure and the built environment, and the conditions for economic activities.
- Finland’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan until 2030 guides the national preparation for the impacts of climate change. The implementation of the plan is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
- In addition, different administrative branches and sectors have plans and programmes aimed to prepare for the impacts of climate change and anticipate the risks.
- The Mission Network coordinated by the National Climate Unit of the ELY Centres further strengthens the linkages between the national and the regional and local levels in climate risk management.
- The European Commission is also preparing an EU-wide plan concerning climate change adaptation. Finland is taking an active part in this work.
Inquiries:
Kirsi Mäkinen
Senior Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
+358 295 162 104
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Jaana Kaipainen
Ministerial Adviser
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
+358 295 162 166
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Press release from Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 6.5.2025