This article was originally published on The Ecologist.
“Floods in continental Europe and a record-dry May in Finland’s forests are just two of many examples of climate change in action, says Rewilding Europe. But a new project to harness the carbon sequestration potential of boreal Finland hopes to bring about positive change at a time of intense climate crisis. Catherine Harte reports.
Rewilding Europe, the non-profit organisation behind the project, hopes it’ll help restore biodiversity values and create new carbon sinks across the country. Pilot sites are already operational and this re-wilding model has the potential to be replicated in up to 5 million hectares of degraded lands in Finland.
The initiative also contains steps to address biodiversity loss and re-wilding opportunities with the Sámi, the only Indigenous peoples of Europe. New business models are a part of the initiative. Matthew McLuckie, Investment Manager of Rewilding Europe Capital and Timon Rutten, Head of Enterprise commented: “Restoring and rewilding valuable peatlands creates benefits for all Europeans.
“This ambitious transformational project aims to connect ecosystems, businesses and communities in collaboration to protect these natural landscapes and their ecosystem services. “Not only focusing on climate change mitigation, the project partners are working to ensure these peatlands positively contribute to local communities and economies and support Finland in exceeding their environmental goals and commitments.”…”
Read on at: The Ecologist.
