New Metsän puolella projects explore the use of power in forest issues 

The new Metsän puolella projects examine power structures and view the forest through the eyes of non-human species.  Mari Pantsar, the initiative’s Change Manager, believes that more sustainable use of forests is possible if policymakers listen to science. 

The Metsän puolella initiative by Kone Foundation aims to accelerate the transition to sustainable forest use and make the multiple purposes of forests more visible. This is hindered by power structures that have evolved over decades, where political decisions override science.  

In the fourth round of funding of the Metsän puolella initiative, a total of around 1.6 million euros was awarded to nine projects. Many of the projects are related, directly or indirectly, to the use of power in forest issues.  

A research project led by postdoctoral researcher Anna Kukkonen studies the valuation of forests, the use of scientific knowledge and the network of power in Finnish forest policy. The project aims to explain why public criticism and scientific evidence of the negative environmental impacts of intensive logging and forestry have had so little impact on Finnish forest policy. The national implementation of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy and Forest Strategy and the related public debate, such as the controversy over the protection of old-growth forests, serve as a case study.  

This is a very current topic. This summer, Kone Foundation coordinated a petition by more than 400 scientists demanding that the Government redefine the criteria for old-growth forests that it has committed to protect in the Government Programme – this time transparently and based on science. We also submitted a consultation statement to the Government on this. Currently, the criteria for old-growth forests have been drawn up solely based on political considerations, without any regard for scientific knowledge.  

The decision to subject old-growth forests to the threat of logging by a government focused on economic growth is economically misguided. According to a report commissioned by Kone Foundation, conserving 100,000 hectares of old-growth forests would be much more economically viable than leaving them unconserved. The report was prepared by postdoctoral researcher Johanna Kangas and emeritus professor Markku Ollikainen. 

It is no wonder that Finland is having great difficulty meeting its legally binding climate target and biodiversity loss is advancing as politics continues to override the messages of science.  

Elonkirjon kaupunki is another example of a project examining the use of power related to forest use that received funding. Its aim is to provide cities with ‘alternative zoning plans’ to save urban forests from being used as building sites. Urban forests are invaluable for the vitality of a neighbourhood and the well-being of its inhabitants. A significant portion of Finland’s last remaining primary forests are located in urban areas, but many of the zoning plans for urban forest areas are behind their time. The project will also involve residents in planning their own living environment. 

The Signal Extraction project uses media and sound art to illustrate the extractivism that humans exert on the rest of nature. The project explores increasing noise pollution from the perspective of communication between different species. The Earth’s soundscape is constantly changing, which has an impact on ecosystems. The project illustrates the importance of listening to non-human species in a world where they are often marginalised and left at the mercy of human rule.  

At Metsän puolella, we believe that we need dreams and utopias to build a more sustainable future. That’s why the multidisciplinary Metsäkissa2044 project was among the projects funded. The people behind it believe that all parties, from forest owners to the coal tit, can be happy in the Finnish forest.  

This is, of course, a utopia, but great utopias are made to be realised. That’s how the primary school system, universal suffrage or the Helsinki Music Centre’s extraordinary concert organ came about.  

It can also happen with forest use – if politics meets scientific boundaries.