News, articles and whitepapers
BIODIVERSITY
December 7, 2023. Finnish companies are waking up to biodiversity risks and possibilities.
Lately, biodiversity has been in the headlines. Kauppalehti published an article related to the awakening of the finance sector to the risks imposed by biodiversity loss. The topic has made its way on the agendas of Finnish companies as well. That’s why Good Ventures organized a Slush side event for corporations, start-ups and investors: Building good businesses - and how to take biodiversity into consideration. In the event, the risks were recognized, but the emphasis of the discussion was on the opportunities.
BATTERY ECONOMY
February 2, 2023. The Finnish battery industry plans to invest more than six billion euros in the next few years
The green energy transition has created new business models for regulating the electricity market. In Finland, the newly formed Akkuteollisuus r.y, expects investment of more than six billion euros leading to a turnover of more than nine billion in the coming years.
HYDROGEN ECONOMY
January 6, 2023. Hydrogen - the new oil? Finland's plans to become the Saudi Arabia of the North
The fossil free economy means a transformation challenge of historic proportions for the Finnish energy system in the next 20-30 years. Green hydrogen has the potential to become an export article for Finland thanks to competitive Wind Power and a stable transmission grid. But do we want to become the Saudi Arabia exporter of the North or build a strong local hydrogen based industry?
CARBON CREDITS
March 3, 2023. The Guardian and the Verra scandal summarised -shows the complexity of forest-related carbon credits
The Voluntary carbon market (VCM) is the “Wild West” of carbon markets. What's behind this "scandal" and can we trust carbon credits going forward? This article digs into the dispute. This week The Guardian was able to report that Verra has decided to phase out the disputed REDD+ rainforest progmme by mid-2025. The Guardian has previous reported on the veracity of forestry-related carbon credits accredited by Verra, the leading global carbon credits standards provider used by prominent companies like Shell, Disney and Gucci.
CARBON SINKS
January 1, 2023. Forest growth slows down in Finland. EU LULUCF regulation on carbon sink deficit may mean a bill of seven billion euros. What happened?
The growth of Finnish forests has slowed down. The slowdown in forest growth affects Finland's carbon sinks, even though the forests themselves remain a carbon sink. "The situation now absolutely requires that a nationwide carbon sink market be created in connection with the timber market for the use of forests instead of the current fragmented system." writes Kauppalehti in their editorial.
WIND POWER
August 20, 2022. Wind power projects for nearly EUR 5 billion planned in Finland in the next few years, but much more is needed to reach 2035 net zero target
Wind power investments in Finland are soaring with the 4GW installed capacity being doubled to 8GW by 2025, meaning an estimated investment of over EUR5bn. See the breakdown based on recent data from Suomen Tuulivoimayhdistys ry / Finnish Wind Power Association as reported by Kauppalehti this week.
VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKETS
July 14, 2022. Carbon as a new investment asset class - introduction to the Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM)
Voluntary carbon market (VCM) is the “Wild West” of carbon markets, but what is it and how does it work? In this article we dive into carbon offset, this fairly new asset class which by most industry estimates demand could reach 1 billion tonnes by 2030, >5x the 2021 level, by way of summarizing the Credit Suisse Research Report: Treeprint - the beginning of the Big Carbon Age.
GREENWASHING
June 4, 2022. The high price of greenwashing for corporations polishing their sustainability image
Greenwashing is growing increasingly expensive for corporations who seek out the financial and marketing benefits of net-zero pledges and ESG commitments. Everyone from regulators to consumers are growing more sophisticated when it comes to spotting false claims. This week DWS Group, the asset management part of Deutsche Bank and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have faced legal actions for alleged greenwashing. What does this mean for corporations and ESG?
GREEN ENERGY TRANSFORMATION
May 27, 2022. Could fossil fuels be completely phased out in Finland?
#REPowerEU is the European Commission’s plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels by 2027 https://lnkd.in/emztQhXZ Could fossil fuels be completely phase out in Finland? 6 scenarios on what this would entail were put together by Simon Michaux, Jussi T Eronen, Tere Vaden and Janne M. Korhonen at the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) / Geologian tutkimuskeskus (GTK) as a basis for discussion on what this would entail.
SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
May 15, 2022. Forests as carbon sinks- should trees be used for construction?
The Finnish Climate Panel hopes for moderation in forest felling. The solution would be to increase the share of wood construction products in forest industry production without increasing logging. Then, according to the panel, climate benefits can be achieved in the short term compared to the current situation. Solving this problem, of course, requires strong product development in wood construction and improved material efficiency.
PROPTECH AND CLEANTECH
May 12, 2022. What are the climate technologies needed for net zero transition for buildings?
What are the climate technologies critical to meeting the net-zero challenge? From AI-enhanced energy management to digital twins, this article dives into the major technological changes we’ve used in shaping the office buildings of the future.
BIODIVERSITY
January 14, 2023. The new EU Nature Restoration Law could cost Finland up to €19 billion
The European Commission has proposed a new law on the restauration of degraded habitats. According to the restoration legislation proposed by the Commission, 30% of the area in the degraded state of habitats should be restored by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050. According to LUKE, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) / Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke) the cost for Finland could reach up to EUR 19 billion according to a study published this week.