Above - selective harvesting is used in Finland, this leaves specimen trees in place to reseed naturally, leaving the forest canopy and ecosystem relatively untouched.
Sustainable
A Path Towards a Better Future
01
Forest Coverage - Finland
Forests cover more than 70% of the land area in Finland. Forestry is not only a vital part of the economy, but also of the environment.
02
20.3 Million Hectares
That's the total available for timber production in Finland, 61% of which is privately owned.
03
110 Million m4
The annual forest growth in Finland versus annual logging of 60 to 75 million m4 - means stock is growing each year.
04
3 Million Hectares
of Finnish forests are protected or under restricted use, this represents 13% of the forest area and is the highest share in Europe.
long live wood
Sustainable Forestry in Finland
Biodiversity Indicators
Forestry in Finland serves as a major source of economic and social wellbeing and are the most significant renwable resource but they are valuable also for the wildlife and ecosystems they support.
Finnish forests support a diverse range of wildlife from top predators such as Brown bear, wolves, wolverines, to golden eagles, a variety of owls, to the rarest of seals, the Saimaa Ringed Seal, found only in the Lake from which it takes its name. Whilst numbers are low and some species exist on the endangered list they are, nonetheless indicators of an healthy environment residing at the top of the food chain.
Brown Bear
Due to their range, it is difficult to estimate numbers but there are thought be between 1,200 to 2,000 brown bears in Finland.
Rieka
Rieka, a female wolf of the Exhibit Pack is one of around 300 wolves thought to range within Finland.
Saimaa Ringed Seals
Thought to number no more than around 500 individuals, Saimaa Ringed Seals are amongst the rarest seals in the wold.
Wolverine
Estimated to have around 400 individuals in Finland they were historically endangered but have been spreading in range and number.
Finlands Forestry
Carbon Capture
Data from Finlands Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows a worrying trend, once considered to be a carbon sink, this data shows that Finlands forest have, since 2021 become a source of carbon, this trend is not unique to Finland but figures show that forests here contributed the equivalent of 1.12 Mt CO2 in 2023. Although forest growth continues to outpace harvesting and natural loss, this excess was no longer enough offset the increased emissions from forest soils which normally absorb more than three times the amount of above ground biomass.
Climate warming is a key factor in rising CO2 emissions from acceleration of decomposition of mineral soils, resulting in the forest no longer being a carbon sink. All said, Finland intends to become carbon neutral by 2035 but to acheive this it needs to restore the balance partly by increasing land carbon sinks (planting more trees and reducing harvesting). Finland is also actively restoring peat lands and marsh areas to remedy the situation.
Finland is not alone in experiencing the phenomenon of land sinks, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, France and forestry even further afield in the Czech Republic are all reporting similar declines in their land sinks, the latter caused more by drought and a subsequent attack of the dark spruce beetle.
Log Buildings
Now for the Good News - Embodied Carbon
Kontio log buildings can still play a significant role in carbon capture and storage, each log acts as a carbon sink, locking away the carbon dioxide captured by the trees during their growth from a seeding to a mature tree, set for harvesting, embodied carbon being the term used.
This stored carbon remains locked away in the logs for the lifespan of the building - for most Kontio buildings this means for greater than 100-150 years or longer. At the end of the buildings life the timber can be recycled or reused, prolonging the carbon capture period..
Compare this with the expected lifespan for conventional homes of greater than 60 years, the energy input, ease of recycling at the end of the buildings life and the difference in carbon capture statistics.
Left - Nilonkangas School internal
The Carbon Footprint
Time for new thinking?
Concrete & steel production account for around 15% of global CO2 emissions - mostly due to high energy intensive production processes - timber log buildings offer home owners and architects alike a new approach to building, sustainably sourced, embodied carbon, energy efficient timber buildings.
Concrete
Concrete production, particularly the cement component, significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions, accounting for approximately 8% of the total.
This is primarily due to the chemical reactions involved in cement production, specifically the calcination of limestone
Steel
The steel industry is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions, accounting for roughly 7% to 11% of the world's total.
This is due to the energy-intensive processes involved in iron and steel production, including the use of fossil fuels and the chemical reactions that transform iron ore into steel.
Embodied Carbon
Timber buildings can contribute to reducing CO2 levels in the atmosphere by sequestering carbon within the wood structure and potentially reducing the carbon footprint of the construction process compared to traditional materials like concrete and steel.
Sustainability Summary
If one of your most important drivers is to produce a home, holiday let, retirement home or commercial building in any of the forms required, offering the most sustainable solution over conventional methods then without question a Kontio log building might just be the solution you.
We are currently putting together an in depth guide extolling the virtues of timber log buildings - watch this space.