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Deviations from environmental regulations in Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services

Metsä Group is committed to the continuous development of its operations. Metsä Group’s environmental and quality management, training for personnel and contractors, and external and internal audits aim for flawless operations.

Metsä Group annually concludes around 30,000 wood purchases, and individual deviations from environmental regulations are detected every year despite the extensive datasets and modern systems available in wood supply. Mistakes are detected both by our own employees and machine operators. Some are found in the company’s audits, external audits, or official inspections. Mistakes may be caused by inadequate map entries or human errors, for example.

Environmental deviations always lead to a detailed analysis of the incident and the adoption of corrective measures on the site and in our operating methods. We always report mistakes that may involve a breach of legislation to the authorities unprompted and we cooperate to investigate the matter.

Nature compensation as part of regenerative forestry

Metsä Group introduces voluntary nature compensation measures in its environmental deviations. As a part of the regenerative forestry approach, nature compensation will be applied to detected deviations retrospectively from 2023, which will overcompensate for any harm to nature caused by a breach of legislation. The compensation measures will be carried out in addition to the obligatory measures.

The regenerative forestry nature compensation will be activated for environmental deviations that result from our operations and concern the regulations on habitats of special importance under section 10 of the Forest Act, the conservation of species under the Nature Conservation Act, or habitat types under the Nature Conservation Act. Read more about nature compensation in our press release.

Deviations from environmental regulations in Metsä Group’s Wood Supply and Forest Services

  1. 2023

    North Ostrobothnia

    A small spring, difficult to discern, was found on a thinning site after felling. Springs are habitats of special importance under the Forest Act. As the spring had not been recorded in the Finnish Forest Centre’s forest asset data, Metsä Group did not have advance knowledge about it, which is why it was not mentioned in the harvesting instructions. The spring was not taken into account adequately during felling, and the rivulet flowing from the spring had been crossed.  

  2. 2023

    Pirkanmaa

    The guidelines provided by the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre for an area in the Natura 2000 network had not been included in the harvesting instructions. Felling was carried out contrary to the ELY Centre’s guidelines in around two hectares of the Natura area: regeneration felling was carried out in selection cutting areas and areas in which treatment was prohibited. The herb-rich forests that were to be preserved had been marked off considerably smaller than agreed. In addition, machines were operated within the buffer zones for protected plants (Epipogium aphyllum, Micranthes nivalis). Measures were taken to avoid additional damage after the mistake, and corrective action was taken as instructed by the ELY Centre. The employee who planned the felling had deviated from both Metsä Group’s procedural guidelines and the authorities’ instructions. The employee is no longer employed by Metsä Group.  

  3. 2023

    North Ostrobothnia

    Harvesting was carried out on a forest islet, which is a habitat of special importance under the Forest Act. In Metsä Group’s harvesting instructions, the area had been excluded from harvesting, but the forest owner had encouraged the harvester operator to act contrary to the wood trade agreement. When Metsä Group’s representative noticed this, harvesting was suspended, and the incident was immediately reported to the Forest Centre.  

Deviations from forest certification

Forest certification is an internationally recognised way of indicating that forest management is sustainable. We use both PEFC and FSC® schemes in our wood supply. We transparently report any forest certification deviations related to our forest operations as soon as any are detected.

  1. 2024

    Pirkanmaa

    Our employee observed that a buffer zone around a lake was too narrow, breaching PEFC certification criteria. Metsä Group had instructed harvesting to follow PEFC certification criteria, but the forest owner had encouraged the harvester operator to act contrary to the wood trade agreement. The main transport route had also caused damage in the terrain. Metsä Group reported the incident to the regional PEFC certification committee and handled the matter with the parties involved.

  2. 2023

    Central Finland

    During an FSC field audit, heavy rains were found to have caused erosion, and a slight deviation was recorded related to this. The damaged ditch was repaired, and ditch solutions were employed to prevent further erosion.

  3. 2023

    Central Finland

    During an FSC audit, logging residue was found to have been cleared from a final felling site contrary to the standard, and the amount of remaining logging residue did not meet the required 30 per cent. A slight deviation was recorded for the incident. As a preventive measure, the annual planning cycle for logging residue was reviewed and instructions were provided to contractors.

  4. 2023

    South Savo

    During an FSC audit, it was found that a ditch had been dug during soil preparation. This was done contrary to Metsä Group’s work order and instructions, and a slight deviation was recorded. The matter has been discussed with the contractor, and the instructions will be taken up again at the beginning of the soil preparation season.

  5. 2023

    South Savo

    During an FSC audit, cardboard seedling boxes were found in a planted area, and a slight deviation was recorded for this. As a corrective measure, the area was cleaned and the boxes were cleared away. As a preventive measure, the instructions will be taken up again at the beginning of the planting season.  

This list was updated on 11 December 2024

Metsäliitto Cooperative’s PEFC logo licence: PEFC/02-31-03
Logo licence of Metsäliitto Cooperative’s FSC group certificate: FSC-C111942