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Good practice

METSO Forest Biodiversity Programme (Finland)

Finland · Helsinki · See the Finland profile

Finland's voluntary PES programme paying private landowners to conserve biodiversity-rich forests in Southern Finland. Over 96,000 ha permanently or durably protected; €46M annual budget in 2025. Target met ahead of schedule; successor METSO+ programme launches 2026.

>96,000 ha
Forest area permanently or durably protected (by 2024)
3,200 ha
Additional hectares secured (2024)
23 EUR million
Value of hectares secured (2024)
46 EUR million
Total programme budget (2025)

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Ministry of the Environment & Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland
Period
2008-present
Keywords
Forest, biodiversity, voluntary conservation, boreal

Context

The METSO Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (2008-2025) is a government PES scheme run jointly by Finland's Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, aiming to halt the decline of forest biodiversity by incentivising private landowners, on a fully voluntary basis, to protect or actively manage their forests for biodiversity.

Objectives

The programme prioritises ten ecologically significant forested habitat types, including herb-rich forests, old-growth pine stands and swamp forests, protected through voluntary landowner agreements.

Activities

Landowners can enter permanent nature reserves, 20-year protection agreements, or 10-13-year fixed-term environmental-aid contracts, all compensated at negotiated market rates under the Nature Conservation Act and the Act on the Financing of Sustainable Forestry. Sites are independently evaluated by Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).

Results

By 2024, the programme had permanently or durably protected over 96,000 hectares, meeting its target ahead of the 2025 deadline. In 2024 alone, 3,200 additional hectares were secured at a value of €23 million. Total METSO funding available in 2025 is €46 million.

Conclusions

Having met its protection target ahead of schedule, a successor METSO+ programme is being designed for launch in 2026.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M) — In 2024, 3,200 additional hectares were secured at a value of EUR 23 million; total METSO funding available in 2025 is EUR 46 million.
Time to results
Long (> 3 years) — Ran 2008-2025 (17 years), meeting its 96,000 ha target ahead of the 2025 deadline; a successor METSO+ programme is being designed for launch in 2026.
Staffing & skills
joint administration by the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) conducting site evaluation

Conditions for success

  • fully voluntary landowner participation with negotiated market-rate compensation
  • multiple protection instruments (permanent reserves, 20-year agreements, 10-13 year contracts) to suit different landowner needs
  • targeting of ten ecologically significant priority habitat types
  • independent site evaluation by ELY Centres

Common failure modes

  • boreal forest carbon storage is not quantified or reported by the programme despite being a plausible co-benefit

Where it fits

Governance type
national statutory programme (two-ministry co-governance)
Scale
regional (Southern Finland)
Income level
high-income (Finland)

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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