Peat Worker’s Experiences of Just Decarbonization Policies

Seminar and discussion with Hanna Lempinen

Are you interested in environmental sustainability issues in the North? Do you care for how these issues are handled by governmental forces, and how those descisions may affect the civilians? Meet with Hanna Lempinen on her inspirational talk, and discuss these questions further on the following discussion!

Hanna Lempinen is a Researcher in International Political Science at the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland. She has a strong focus on the Arctic and sustainability. On this seminar, Lempinen will talk about the peat energy industry, and how Finland's new transition policies have not recognized the experiences of peat workers.

Peat has historically been an important source of energy security and rural employment, but its adverse environmental and climatic impacts have recently triggered local and national resistance to peat energy. This has also become a target of efforts to reduce emissions on Finland’s path towards climate neutrality. However, national just transition policies have sidelined its sociocultural aspects by not recognizing the experiences of peat workers, and those involved in peat harvesting. The experiences of those dependent on peat as a livelihood can provide broader insight on the ways in which global energy transition unfold in local contexts.

This seminar is a collaboration between the Arctic Centre at Umeå University, the Department of Geography, and Future Forests.

Agenda

13:15–14:00 Seminar: Hanna Lempinen
14:00–15:30 Discussion and mingle

The seminar is open for anyone interested. The discussion will have a focus towards doctoral students, but anyone is welcome to join.

Registration

Please use the registration form below.

We will offer some fika during the discussion, so please state if you will attend the discussion, and any food allergies (you can write it under "Organisation").

Attending online? Here is a Zoom-link