Kone Foundation supports a new foundation that advances environmental issues in Finnish courts 

A new organisation supporting strategic environmental litigation has been established in Finland. Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö (“The Environmental Litigation Foundation”) has received a three-year grant totaling €1.44 million from Kone Foundaton. 

Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö will establish a new type of law firm, which will begin operations in autumn 2025. Kone Foundation’s funding enables the launch of its activities. Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö will operate independently and also seek funding from other sources. 

Strategic litigation involves identifying appropriate individual cases to bring to court with the aim of achieving broader societal change through legal precedent. Well-known examples of strategic litigation include lawsuits concerning racial discrimination in the United States from the 1940s to the 1970s. 

“There is a vast amount of environmental legislation in effect globally, but much of it remains largely unenforced. Under the current system, environmental actors cannot afford to initiate lawsuits or demand proper enforcement of regulations. The idea behind this new initiative is to flip this dynamic,” explains Tuuli Talvinko, LL.M., chair of board and co-founder of Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö. 

Internationally, large-scale strategic lawsuits have rapidly become a prominent method for environmental advocacy. In Europe, significant cases have been won in countries such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany. Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö’s goal is to establish strategic litigation as a permanent part of the legal landscape in Finland. 

“This is not a new environmental organisation, but a legal practice with a clearly defined scope in terms of its themes and represented interests. In addition to strategic environmental litigation, the foundation also defends the rights of environmental activists and supports the operating conditions of civil society actors working to protect the environment,” says Laura Kolehmainen, LL.M., board member and co-founder of Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö. 

“Ecosocial awareness is one of Kone Foundation’s core values, which means the foundation is committed to supporting both human rights and the environment. Supporting Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö is therefore well aligned with our mission,” says Ilona Herlin, Vice Chair of the Board at Kone Foundation. 

More information about Ympäristölitigaatiosäätiö (“The Environmental Litigation Foundation”):

Laura Kolehmainen, phone: +358 41 315 9362
Tuuli Talvinko, phone: +358 41 312 8926 
Email: ylsaatio@gmail.com