The article examines the growth and composition of energy consumption in Finland in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. It is based on the results of a research project that estimated the energy production and consumption of Finland since
1800 and calculated the country's energy balance, including both commercial and non-commercial energy sources. The article argues that, among European countries, Finland was “odd-man out” because it industrialized by means of renewable, indigenous energy sources. Only in the 1960s,
in its mature phase of industrialization, did the country switch from indigenous energy sources – fuel wood, wood refuse and hydropower – to imported fossil fuels. The article analyses why Finland differed from the general model for such a long time and why it joined the ranks
of other countries in a fairly short period.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.