2026 Annual Meeting of the Reindeer Herding and Renewable Energy Collaborative Forum
At the annual meeting of the Reindeer Herding and Renewable Energy Collaborative Forum on September 2, 2026, participants discussed new methods and practices for assessing, mitigating, and avoiding the combined impacts of energy projects and their cumulative adverse effects on reindeer herding.
The collaborative forum – which has been built since 2019 by Akordi, the Reindeer Herders’ Association, and the Renewables Finland – brought together stakeholders from both sectors for the fifth time in Rovaniemi to address the challenges of coordinating these sectors in a sustainable and just way. Once again, the event brought together reindeer herding cooperatives from the reindeer herding area, project stakeholders, consultants, and government officials.
At the meeting:
- Participants shared experiences from last year’s regional collaboration, in which project operators within the same reindeer herding district met with local reindeer herding cooperatives to discuss the cumulative impacts of the projects while reviewing maps as well.
- Preliminary research findings on the impacts of wind power projects on reindeer herding were presented, and participants discussed what the accumulation of these impacts means from the perspective of reindeer herding, as well as what new practices would be needed for impact assessment.
- In the panel discussion – moderated by Emma Luoma – Marja Anttonen (LVV), Hanna Halonen (Afry), Saara-Kaisa Konttori (Sitowise), Pauli Maaninka (Taaleri Energia), and Sanna Hast (Reindeer Herders’ Association) discussed the challenges and needs of cumulative impact assessment from various perspectives. The discussion highlighted the need to develop both assessment methods and the knowledge base. The operational model tested in the Western Reindeer Herding District was considered a good example of how reindeer herding communities’ knowledge can be better utilized at various stages of project planning.
- In the group discussion on restoration, participants considered how restoration measures could promote national and regional biodiversity goals, mitigate the environmental impacts of the energy transition, and improve the condition of reindeer pastures.
- In addition, under the leadership of the MONIARVIO project, participants worked on developing a new model to better assess the combined impacts of multiple concurrent wind power projects on reindeer herding.
A big thank you to everyone who participated:
The Reindeer Herders’ Association, Renewables Finland, AFRY, EPV Energia Oy, Etha Oy, Eurowind Energy, Fortum, Myrsky Energia, Neova Group, OX2, Ramboll, Sitowise, Sweco, Taaleri Energia, VSB Uusiutuva Energia Suomi Oy, wpd Suomi Oy, Economic Development Centre of Lapland, the the Finnish Supervisory Agency, Metsähallitus, the Finnish Environment Institute, the Ministry of the Environment, and the reindeer herding cooperatives of Kolari, Niemelä, Palojärvi, and Pohjois-Salla.
