Biodiversity

 

Towards results-based systems to mitigate diffuse emissions and promote biodiversity

Results-based models are an option for improving environmental performance. A prerequisite for their use is that impacts can be measured with sufficient accuracy and at reasonable cost. The preliminary study, carried out jointly by Antti Iho (University of Eastern Finland) and Akordi, examines different indicators that could be used in results-based measures for biodiversity, water protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation, and identifies limiting conditions for measurement.
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Study: The pace of the green transition and the quality of environmental procedures : how to combine streamlining, acceptability and environmental protection?

Reducing environmental regulation does not automatically streamline permitting processes, but can have the opposite effect. This is the conclusion of a legal study published by Akordi. Several legislative reforms based on the government's programme aim to speed up the passage of the Green Transition…
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Review: Offsetting the environmental and social impacts of energy projects

The question of how to manage and compensate for the adverse impacts of projects is crucial to the acceptability of the energy transition. The review published by Akordi presents the means identified in the literature to identify and compensate for the adverse effects of projects on nature and social…
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Balancing Growth, Biodiversity, and Climate Goals in Tampere: A Comprehensive Assessment

Various international climate and nature strategies set targets for urban land use. However, attempting to harmonize the goals of growth, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation presents challenges due to potential conflicting interests. The City of Tampere commissioned Akordi to conduct…
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The Päijänne Area

The “Päijänne Branding Project”, carried out by the city of Jyväskylä and Lahti University of Applied Sciences in 2018, promoted cooperation between sustainable and responsible activities in the Päijänne area. The project also explored the interest of regional operators in applying for UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status. In the project's final workshop, led by Akordi, the outcomes of the project's events and investigations were reviewed, and options were considered for the next steps.
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Where will the conflicts generated by the Green Transition be resolved?

The green transition is a significant societal transformation, involving struggles between various interest groups. Which conflicts can be anticipated and avoided, and which battles are unavoidable? The aim of the green transition is the creation of a sustainable economy that does not rely on energy…
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Sustainable recovery in Helsinki-Uusimaa region

In autumn of 2020 the regional council of Helsinki-Uusimaa focused its strategic development on improving the framework of its stakeholder interactions. The aim was to synergize the different aims and measures drafted earlier in the regional plan, climate road map, traffic and transportation plan, and…
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Towards shared understanding of the changes in sustainability of forest use

In 2020, The Finnish Cultural Foundation granted a 150,000 euro Argumenta funding to the project “Towards shared understanding of the changes in sustainability of forest use”. The project is coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä School of Resource Wisdom (JYU.Wisdom), the Natural Resources…
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EKOTEKO project

EKOTEKO - Ecological compensations from theory to practice was a joint research project by University of Helsinki, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and Akordi. The project aim was to find a practical way to implement ecological compensations by combining science, dialogue and experimentation.…
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No Net Loss City

Ecological compensations refer to measures that compensate the lost biodiversity in one location with at least equivalent biodiversity gains in another. The No Net Loss City project introduces the first model for ecological compensations for land use planning in municipalities. The model is tested and…
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Facilitating a Nordic cormorant working group

The great cormorant is protected under the EU Birds Directive. Because of this the population growth has been strong in the Baltic Sea region during the past few decades. Conflicts between cormorants and humans, with fishermen in particular, have occured. Management of cormorant populations is not only…
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Building a Collaborative Platform for Reindeer Husbandry and Wind Power

The need for a more open dialogue and better mutual understanding had been recognized both in the wind power sector and in reindeer husbandry, and it was considered that this would improve collaboration. The work of constructing a collaborative platform began in 2020 in discussions hosted by Akordi…
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Biodiversity offsetting as an operational tool for a just sustainability transition towards no net loss of ecosystems and biodiversity

There is unequivocal scientific consensus about the ongoing environmental crisis and a strong global political ambition to halt biodiversity loss. Still, we are systematically failing with national-level implementation: globally none of the Aichi biodiversity targets designed to stop biodiversity loss…
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Preliminary assessment regarding the updating of Finnish national land use guidelines

Akordi was a partner in a preliminary assessment regarding the updating of Finnish national land use guidelines. The assessment was performed in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland Law School. The national land use guidelines are a planning instrument and system required by…
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Societal acceptance of wind power in Central Finland regional land use plan 2040

Towards the end of 2022, Akordi will carry out an assessment that will support the regional land use planning process of Central Finland. The aim is to find acceptable solutions regarding wind power proposed in the draft plant, and to increase the overall acceptance of the regional land use plan. Regional…
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Revision of Helsinki’s urban nature management practices

The Helsinki Urban Environment Division set up a working group to revise the city’s urban nature management policies. In 2022, Akordi planned and facilitated three workshops to support this work. The city of Helsinki is revising its urban nature management policies, and the city asked Akordi for…
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Enhancing Collaboration in the Koitajoki River Basin: The Koitajoki-Koitere Forum Continues its Journey

In the Koitajoki River Basin in North Karelia, a collaborative model has been developed among various stakeholders to harmonize diverse objectives and improve the condition of the basin's water systems. To further strengthen and advance this collaboration, Akordi designed and implemented a workshop in…
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Natural resources plan for the Sámi homeland

The drafting of an updated plan guiding the activities of Metsähallitus in the Sámi homeland began in October 2020. The updated plan will be for years 2022-2027, and it will align the aims of the state owned Metsähallitus (the Finnish forest administration) with those of the local populations. A working group consisting of key actors in the region was an important tool for the collaborative planning.
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Negotiations and mediation between the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, Greenpeace and the Finnish forest administration Metsähallitus in 2018-2021

The concerned parties commissioned Akordi in autumn 2018 to assess the prolonged forestry conflicts in the Kainuu region. In order for the conflict to be resolved the national level aspects had to be discussed as well. A twelve member working group was founded from members of the concerned organizations including national directors and forest experts of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and Finnish Greenpeace. The group convened 14 times between November 2019 and January 2021. The scope of the work expanded significantly from what was initially planned to include all state owned forests in Finland.
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Finnish FSC standard revision

The Forest Stewardship Council - FSC - is an international, non-profit and open association that is committed to strengthening the sustainable use of forests via certification. At the start of 2020, Akordi was requested as a neutral party to assist in the negotiations and work in updating the Finnish…
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Conflict assessment: Sámi herding cooperatives and Metsähallitus

In 2020 the lingering tensions between Sámi reindeer herders and Metsähallitus forestry called for framing the conflict. In a novel approach, a neutral party intervenes in a lingering conflict to get a clearer picture of the situation. Conflict analysis is sometimes a part of environmental conflict mediation. It isn’t research, since it has a more practical goal; to lay the foundation for resolving the conflict.
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Citizen Jury to deliberate the use of marshlands for peat production

The regional council of South Ostrobothnia and The Finnish Environment Institute, together with Akordi, assembled a citizen jury to discuss the use of South Ostrobothnian marshlands. This was a part of drafting the regional plan of South Ostrobothnia. The goal was to plan how to integrate the differing…
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Jyväskylä Strategic Forest Program

The City of Jyväskylä's Forest Program is a long-term strategic plan outlining the management and use of the city's forests. The process, which concluded in June 2018, involved the collaboration of city representatives and local stakeholders. Akordi played a key role in facilitating an interactive negotiation process during the development of the Forest Program.
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