MTK (Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners) represents more than 300 000 farmers, forest owners and rural entrepreneurs in Finland.

Press release

MTK's forest policy climate toolbox - The climate benefits of forests are achieved through active management and use

2.2.2023

The use of forests, carbon sinks and the climate are heavily debated. The most critical demands are targeted at reducing the use of renewable natural resources in forests; however the primary focus should be on a rapid reduction in the use of fossil fuels. "Farmers and forest owners work with natural resources and have been the first groups to face climate change and its effects on their fields and forests. MTK has proposed a toolbox that includes clear steps towards a climate-friendly Finland," says Marko Mäki-Hakola, MTK's forest director.

MTK is calling for a smart and ambitious climate policy in Finland. The most central goal in terms of the climate must be understood; the use of fossil raw materials must be gotten rid of - quickly.

"Climate policy does not currently recognize a smart carbon sink policy. If there is no investment in the management and use of forests, there is a risk of drifting into a negative cycle where tree growth and felling opportunities slow down and the carbon sequestration capacity of forests weakens. Thanks to decades of management, the carbon stock of forests has grown continuously, and forests still sequester significantly more carbon than they release," says Marko Mäki-Hakola, forest director at MTK.

Investing in the growth and health of forests is the key, and there are no grounds for limiting logging. In terms of the climate, the alternatives are bad. Reducing regeneration felling would reduce the availability of wood for wood construction, for example. Reducing thinning would destroy the future supply of wood and the possibility to replace fossil raw materials.

"MTK's solution is investing in versatile forest management and thereby accelerating the growth of forests. At the same time, we need to take a leap in the quality and timeliness of forest management. We intend to pay special attention to the care of the peatland forests," says Marko Mäki-Hakola.

Climate-friendly forest management methods also create new opportunities for forest owners. The range of services of forest owners’ own forest management associations includes, for example, opportunities for forest owners related to carbon sequestration.

The link to MTK's Forest Policy climate toolbox in pdf

More information:

Marko Mäki-Hakola, Forest director, MTK, +358 40 502 6810, Marko.maki-hakola@mtk.fi