Strategies and programmes

The National Forest Strategy contains the key outlines of Finland’s forest policy. It also serves as a statutory forest programme. “The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry prepares a National Forest Programme in cooperation with other ministries and parties representing the forest sector and other relevant stakeholders. The objective of the programme is to promote diverse use of forests and welfare derived from these in line with the principle of sustainable development.” (Forest Act 1093/1996, section 26) The objectives and development needs at the level of counties are set down by the regional forest programmes.

The Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland METSO 2008-2025 complements the national Forest Strategy with objectives related to ecological sustainability. Its aim is to halt the decline of forest habitats and forest species and to stabilise the favourable development of biodiversity.

The climate plan for the land use sector was prepared in 2022 as part of the climate and energy policy planning system as a whole. The purpose of the climate plan for the land use sector is to explore ways to reduce emissions in the land use sector and to strengthen carbon sinks and reservoirs in the short and long term. The plan examines measures related to forest management, afforestation, reduction of deforestation, reduction of emissions from mires and peatlands, management of peatlands, reduction of emissions from agricultural lands and strengthening of carbon sequestration.

The national Bioeconomy Strategy 2022-2035, prepared under the leadership of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, aims for new economic growth and new jobs by making sustainable use of renewable natural resources.

In addition to the national Forest Strategy, the Climate Plan for the Land use sector, the Metso Programme and the Bioeconomy Strategy, measures and policies related to the forest sector are also included in several other strategies and programmes, such as regional forest programmes, climate and energy strategies and the Biodiversity Strategy. Read more on the other strategies and programmes page.

 

Related topics

The National Forest Strategy 2025
The Forest Biodiversity Action Programme for Southern Finland 2008–2025 METSO
Other strategies and programmes
Finland’s Sustainable Growth Programme
The Finnish Bioeconomy Strategy