Ilmatar and the Istutapuita.fi organization have been collaborating since 2022. Through this partnership, Ilmatar replaces the deforestation caused by renewable energy construction and contributes to Finland’s carbon sink efforts, climate change mitigation, and forest management for decades to come.
“The trees we plant in collaboration with Ilmatar will sequester approximately 600 kilograms of carbon dioxide per tree throughout their lifespan. Therefore, for the 12,000 seedlings, it totals to 7,200 tonnes,” says Timo Tammenaho, the CEO of Istutapuita.fi.
Ilmatar has started planting trees, together with istutapuita.fi organization, in a six-hectare area in Sonkajärvi municipality, Eastern Finland which is a drained peatland that was previously used for peat production. This initiative aims to compensate for deforestation that occurs during the construction of renewable energy facilities. Increasing the number of trees is considered one of the most effective methods to slow down global warming. By growing new forests, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can be captured and stored in the tree biomass, reducing its impact on the climate.
When trees are planted in former peat production areas, the emissions caused by the soil can also be eventually stopped. This has significant importance when considering the overall impact on the climate.
“The trees we plant in collaboration with Ilmatar will sequester approximately 600 kilograms of carbon dioxide per tree throughout their lifespan. Therefore, for the 12,000 seedlings, it totals to 7,200 tonnes,” says Timo Tammenaho, the CEO of Istutapuita.fi.
The carbon sequestration capacity of the trees planted by Ilmatar is equivalent to the average annual CO2 emissions produced by approximately 700 Finns. Usually, around 2,000 seedlings are planted per hectare. The existing vegetation in the area is also utilized, and the tree species planted in Sonkajärvi is pine. Biodiversity is also taken into account in forest management, aiming to preserve naturally occurring tree species such as birch. The planted forest is intended to grow for at least 100 years.
“In Finland, forests are generally well-managed, which allows for rapid forest growth and increases the capacity of carbon sinks. Wood is often used for industrial purposes just when the forest has reached maturity, resulting in the disappearance of carbon sinks. We want to introduce a model where forest growth and management are guided more by nature values, enabling forests to be grown with a long-term perspective and better consideration for biodiversity,” explains Timo Tammenaho, the CEO of Istutapuita.fi, regarding the collaboration with Ilmatar.
“As a company, we want to actively contribute to the preservation and improvement of biodiversity and the increase of carbon sinks. While building clean, Nordic renewable energy, we unfortunately need to remove some trees. We compensate for this by planting new forests in collaboration with the Istutapuita organization. Hopefully, we can also create a new operational culture in the renewable energy sector,” says Erkka Saario, the Director of Ilmatar’s projects.
Currently, Ilmatar is developing solar and wind power in Finland and Sweden. In Finland, wind power includes onshore and offshore wind farms. When combined, all planned renewable energy production corresponds to a total nominal capacity of 20 gigawatts, and this figure is likely to increase.
Istutapuita.fi is a Finnish organization that provides an easy and understandable service for slowing down climate change by planting trees and thus increasing carbon sinks. Additionally, their goal is to help individuals and businesses find ways and areas for reducing their carbon footprint. The service already covers 77 hectares of areas that will sequester approximately 90 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions throughout their lifespan.
