This blog is part of the “How to Change the World” podcast, where we look at practical ways to make the world more environmentally sustainable. The episodes are in Finnish, but you can read about each solution here in English.
Guest of the Episode
“You need to create a sense of urgency. There’s a lot of talk these days about avoiding confrontation, but the reality is that meaningful conservation decisions rarely happen without it. Otherwise, you end up with plenty of activity for annual reports and environmental statements – endless communication, but very few of the protected hectares that are actually needed.”
Matti Liimatainen
Forest Campaigner
Greenpeace Finland
Forests matter deeply to Finns, and everyone has the right to voice an opinion on how state-owned forests are used. Conflicts over logging reached a turning point in 1987 at Talaskangas, triggering a long-running effort to protect state forests – an effort that continues today. Alongside environmental organizations, many other actors have taken part. Through collaboration and multi-stage processes, 200,000 hectares of valuable state forests have been safeguarded from logging. What can we learn from this?
→ Make the problem visible. Expose the gap between what is said and what is done. Metsähallitus, the agency managing state forests, and the forestry industry claimed that forest ecosystems were in good and improving condition, yet protection remained weak and valuable forests continued to be logged.
→ Follow the chain of responsibility – who can influence decision-makers? Metsähallitus carried out the logging, and authorities did not intervene. The forestry industry bought the timber. Real change began only when paper buyers refused to purchase paper produced at the expense of endangered species’ habitats and Indigenous rights.
→ Engage and pressure those responsible – while offering solutions. Paper buyers were invited to see the situation for themselves. When they demanded sustainably sourced materials, the forestry industry, in turn, pressured Metsähallitus to act or risk losing sales. Metsähallitus then invited organizations to negotiate which disputed forests would be left unlogged.
→ Insist on stronger solutions when initial measures fall short. Environmental organizations rejected partial compromises and continued to demand more comprehensive protection. Their persistence pushed the state to strengthen official conservation decisions through several stages and legal instruments.
→ Ensure the work is carried through to completion. Safeguarding forests from immediate logging threats was only the first step. Long-term security required the creation of statutory protected areas, ensuring that these forests remain intact for future generations.
This episode highlights features of effecting change that have also appeared in previous episodes:
→ Many actors working together. Old forests are ecologically valuable, and nearly all Finnish conservation organizations have participated in protecting state-owned old forests. These areas also have social and cultural significance: local residents and prominent artists have actively defended them. In northern Finland, Sámi organizations have joined the conversation, and logging in Sámi areas by Metsähallitus has even been reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee.
→ Local conflicts can reveal larger issues. The Talaskangas conflict was about more than the forests and mires in that area. Similarly, criticism from a single reindeer herding cooperative highlights broader problems. After the wars, state forests were increasingly managed almost exclusively for industrial timber production, which sidelined other goals. Dissatisfaction with state forest logging began to surface.
→ Long-term, multi-stage work yields major results. The Talaskangas conflict occurred in 1987. Following this and a few other local disputes, old forest protection programs were developed in the 1990s, and in 1996 Metsähallitus began area-ecological planning. Since then, the issue has been addressed through numerous negotiations and processes.
→ Changing the world requires multi-pronged strategies. Investors assess Finnish companies from a sustainability perspective. The UN Human Rights Committee examined the issue from the standpoint of indigenous peoples. Protests in Finland and across Europe drew media attention, creating pressure to adopt better solutions.
How to Change the World – Podcast
This podcast highlights real success stories of solutions that have advanced environmental sustainability. How was change achieved? What did it require? And what can these pioneers teach the rest of us?
The podcast is hosted by Annukka Valkeapää, Doctor of Social Sciences and Executive Director of the Compensate Foundation. Each episode features an expert who knows the success story inside and out. The podcast is funded by the RELEX Foundation.
The episodes are available in Finnish, but you can read blog posts about each solution also in English.