Finland
Finland
Finland
together with 50 other youth organisations, submitted a written statement to the Finnish government on the reform of the Climate Act. Sustainability and eco-social approaches are part of the curriculum guidelines at all school levels in Finland, from early to higher education. Sustainability is not a school subject but a cross-cutting competence that is main- streamed in all school subjects. Consequently, sustain- ability is present for young people from an early age; they also engage on it in their spare time and in the non-formal sector. Funding schemes and support mechanisms/structures The Ministry of Education and Culture is a key player in the field of youth policy. It allocates funding to youth organisations and the national youth centres in accord- ance with the Youth Act (2017) . To apply for state aid, these organisations must follow the core values of the Youth Act and support their realisation. These core values are respect for life and the environment, sustainable development, solidarity, multiculturalism, internation- alism, healthy lifestyles, and cross-sectoral cooperation. Under the Youth Act, international youth work activities may also receive funding from the annual state budget. The national youth centres are explicitly referred to in the Act as key players for promoting international orien- tation for young people and sustainable development. The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) is the National Agency for Erasmus+ Youth in Action and the European Solidarity Corps in Finland. EDUFI oversees funding apportioned in Finland, manages the programmes in Finland and is responsible for programme communication. Besides that its core tasks are to develop education and training, early childhood education and lifelong learning and to promote interna- tionalisation in Finland. The European Solidarity Corps programme supports youth volunteering and solidarity projects, among other things. The National Agency also functions as the Eurodesk office in Finland.
Policy developments According to reports published in 2021 and 2022 (Europe Sustainable Development Report 2021 and 2022 , Sustainable Development Report 2021 The Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals ) Finland is at the top of the list when comparing progress on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Devel- opment and its Sustainable Development Goals in Euro- pean countries. Finland has a National Commission on Sustain- able Development , chaired by the Prime Minister. Its mandate is to ensure that the international sustainable development goals are included in national policy. In 2016, rather than draw up a traditional strategy, the National Commission on Sustainable Development decided to prepare a commitment to sustainable devel- opment entitled “ The Finland we want by 2050 ”. In this document the public administration, together with other actors, pledges to promote sustainable development in all its work. The document lists eight objectives including sustainable local communities, a zero-carbon society, life choices that respect nature’s boundaries, and deci- sion-making that respects nature. In 2017 a Finnish Agenda 2030 Youth Group was set up under the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development led by the Prime Minister. The Commis- sion saw the need to increase youth participation in the national planning and implementation of the Agenda 2030, which led to the idea of providing a platform for young people interested in sustainable development. The Agenda 2030 Youth Group has two aims: to serve as an advocate for the goals, and to participate in the national planning and implementation of the Sustain- able Development Goals. The Youth Group is invited to various stakeholder meetings in the ministries and attends workshops, discussions and events on sustain- able development. It is composed of 20 people aged 15 to 28 from all over Finland and with a variety of back- grounds. The Agenda 2030 Youth Group and UN Youth,
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