Centre Party chair Annika Saarikko on Sunday said Finland had reduced peat burning too rapidly.
Saarikko said measures to phase out peat as an energy source, including raising the energy tax on peat, had been effective to the point that Finland will meet its goal of halving the use of peat as an energy source in 2022, eight years ahead of schedule.
Peat represents 4-6 percent of energy production in Finland but accounts for 12-15 percent of energy production emissions.
Heating and jobs
Writing on the Centre Party website, Saarikko said that small municipal heating plants have not had enough time to transition away from peat, which requires expensive investments that could increase heating costs, according to Saarikko, whose party has traditionally represented rural communities.
Saarikko is calling for a one-time compensation package for peat producers as well as partial compensation for any unsold stores of peat. She said people must feel that an element of fairness is present in measures to combat climate change.
The Bioenergy Association of Finland has estimated that some 1,700 people are directly employed in peat production and transport, primarily in northern Finland.
The Green Party has been especially opposed to burning peat and has urged Finland to stop the burning of peat fuel ahead of agreed schedules.
A phased transition
Finland's climate and geography favours bog and peat bog formation, and peat is primarily used in Finland as a source of heat and electricity.
However, the use of the abundant resource has fallen sharply since the peak years of the 2000s, due mainly to the tightening of EU emissions trading and a significant increase in the use of waste wood.
Last year a Sitra report found that in 2018 the burning of peat fuel was "responsible for nearly 12 percent of Finland’s total greenhouse gas emissions," a figure which is more than the total emissions from passenger vehicles.
Government budget talks next week will consider peat burning in Finland. The centre-left cabinet, of which Saarikko is the science and culture minister, has pledged to halve the use of peat as an energy source by 2030 as part of its emissions-cutting programme.