What can companies do to improve the state of nature while using wood as raw material for renewable products? This will be discussed at SuomiAreena in Pori on Wednesday, 28 June, at 10 a.m. The discussion will be held on the Antinkatu stage. 

The panel discussion organised by Metsä Group will feature Marileena Mäkelä, university lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä, Professor Ilari Sääksjärvi from the Biodiversity Unit of the University of Turku, and Timo Lehesvirta, Metsä Group’s leading nature expert. The discussion will be hosted by Baba Lybeck.

SuomiAreena is an excellent venue for dialogue on nationally significant themes. Regenerative forestry is one such red-hot topic.

“Reconciling the economy and the wellbeing of nature is the most important question of our time, and Metsä Group has an answer: regenerative forestry. It means using wood in a way that strengthens the economy and the state of forest nature side by side. At SuomiAreena, we will discuss what this means in practice,” says Timo Lehesvirta. 

A change in the state of nature can be achieved by harnessing extensive multidisciplinary competence. Efforts to regenerate nature require the contribution of society at large. Research plays a key role in science-based change. We have therefore invited leading researchers in the field from the University of Turku and the University of Jyväskylä to participate in the discussion.

“Forests are important to Finns, both financially and because of their nature values. The financial use of forests has long traditions in Finland, and forest technology has been fine-tuned to perfection. However, modern forest industry causes considerable environmental impacts. Now is the time to refine the forest industry’s nature competence as well. If we want our future forest industry to strengthen nature instead of causing adverse impacts, change must begin today. Regenerative forestry could be the future of sustainable forest management,” says Marileena Mäkelä.

“Biodiversity loss is progressing rapidly worldwide. In Finland, we are well aware of the state of our nature. Unfortunately, the number of endangered species and habitats has increased over the last decades. Most of Finland’s endangered species live in forests, thus we must quickly find and implement solutions to improve the state of our forests. Regenerative forestry is an important opportunity in this work,” says Ilari Sääksjärvi.

Metsä Group published its regenerative forestry principles in the spring of 2023. The company’s goal is to strengthen the state of nature measurably and verifiably by 2030 compared with 2024. The strategy also focuses on the comprehensive management of ecosystem services, that is, the various benefits provided by nature. The overall goal includes developing verification of the impact of wood production for products and value chains.

Timo Lehesvirta will also represent Metsä Group in the discussion organised by the Finnish Forest Industries Federation under the topic “Finnish forests in 2050”. The discussion will take place on the Raatihuoneenpuisto stage on Wednesday, 28 June, at 2 p.m.

For further information, please contact:
Timo Lehesvirta, Leading nature expert, Metsä Group, tel. +358 400 752 212

Metsä Group
www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is leading the way in advancing the bioeconomy. We invest in growth, bioproduct development and a fossil free future. The raw material for our products is renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. We focus on the growth sectors of the forest industry: wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh fibre paperboards, as well as tissue and greaseproof papers.

Metsä Group’s annual sales amount to approximately EUR 7 billion, and we have around 9,500 employees in around 30 countries. We promote a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. Our international Group has its roots in the Finnish forests: our parent company is Metsäliitto Cooperative which is owned by over 90,000 forest owners. 

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