Nature is being depleted at a record rate. In Finland, one in nine species and one in two habitat types is already threatened.

The loss of biodiversity means that the number of species, biological communities and genetic variation is declining – in other words, nature is becoming less diverse.

A natural environment that is lacking in diversity is vulnerable. For example, in forests, monospecific spruce stands are susceptible to pests such as the spruce bark beetle. It is estimated that the damage to forests caused by the spruce bark beetlecosts forest owners in Finland millions of euros every year.

According to the World Economic Forum, more than half of the global economy is directly linked to nature. That is why the loss of biodiversity also poses an economic risk.

How can we promote a balance between nature and economic growth?

In cities, land use has a direct impact on nature and its biodiversity. Yet at the same time, we are pursuing growth, investment and jobs. How can these goals be reconciled?

– This is perhaps the most difficult question that humanity has ever faced, says project manager Heli Huuskonen. She leads a project aimed at promoting nature positivity in Lahti and its surrounding areas.

Nature positivity means that biodiversity increases rather than declines. This is achieved when human activity contributes more to the well-being of nature than detracts from it. In practice, this may mean that natural values lost as a result of construction are enhanced elsewhere, for example.

The consumption of natural resources already exceeds the Earth’s carrying capacity. This situation is described as the “Overshoot Day”. It indicates the point in time at which renewable natural resources have been fully utilised for that year. Globally, this day falls at the end of summer, but in Finland it is already in spring. Current trends are pointing towards a scenario in which the environment’s carrying capacity will be permanently exceeded.

Efforts are being made at international summits to reverse this destructive trend. The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal in 2022. The countries of the world have committed to halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity by 2030, and to working towards a society that lives in harmony with nature by 2050.

According to Huuskonen, solutions cannot, however, be expected to come solely from the international arena.

– The UN agrees on principles, but practical solutions are decided at the local level. Cities have a key role to play in this, he says.

But what does this actually mean for cities?

Environmental work is still finding its feet

Lahti has set its own target for becoming nature-positive by 2030 and has drawn up a roadmap to this end, which has been approved by the city executive board. A similar plan is in place in Espoo, Helsinki, Kuopio, Tampere and Vantaa, and many other cities are currently preparing such plans.

– In this sense, Lahti is among the pioneers, says Johanna Särkijärvi, Director of Growth Services in Lahti.

The City of Lahti’s Economic and Environmental Development Unit operates under the jurisdiction of Särkijärvi. The intention behind this decision is to strengthen the role of environmental sustainability in the city’s economic development work.

– This change has brought everyone’s expertise together and offered new perspectives. Nevertheless, in the field of nature conservation, we find ourselves in many ways in the same situation as climate action was in the early 2010s. Climate change had already been recognised as a serious problem by then, but the most effective solutions and indicators were still fragmented, Särkijärvi reflects.

When it comes to biodiversity, the overall picture is starting to take shape.

– We need a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the promotion of biodiversity. Once the key factors influencing effectiveness have been identified, we can look for the optimal combination of solutions.

The number and quality of nature areas

According to Särkijärvi, the key issue in land use is how much land is set aside for nature and what kind of nature those areas contain. It is not just the area that is crucial, but also the quality of the areas and how they are connected.

– Individual small nature areas are not sufficient to safeguard species’ habitats if these areas remain isolated. That is why, in urban planning, it is important to consider both the quality of these areas and the connections between them. When areas set aside for nature form a network and their condition is improved – for example, through restoration – this can have a significant impact on biodiversity.

From an environmental perspective, it would also be important to protect those areas which do not yet have any particular natural value.

Northern coniferous forests regenerate slowly after felling or forest damage. It takes 200 years, or even longer, for a forest to develop into its natural state, Huuskonen points out.

Land use plays a crucial role

Land use planning is one of the city’s core responsibilities. It reconciles different objectives, one of which is to safeguard biodiversity.

Land use either undermines or enhances biodiversity. Taking nature into account does not, however, mean that the land should not be used or developed at all. Instead, planning should primarily aim to avoid adverse effects on the natural environment, minimise any unavoidable impacts and provide ecological compensation for them.

– The key question is where to build and what to protect, Särkijärvi sums up.

Since it is not possible to build everything, nor to protect everything, the solution lies in strategic planning.

Olli Alho, Director of Urban Development, explains that biodiversity is taken into account in many ways in land use planning in Lahti. One example is the plan for the Jokimaa industrial area, approved in March 2026, in which areas of significant natural value have been excluded from development and designated as local recreation areas.

– Furthermore, the plan preserves a green corridor, which ensures the connectivity of forest areas and provides migration routes for species. The plan also includes a provision on lighting designed to reduce the amount of artificial light that disturbs the nocturnal activities of bats, Alho explains.

Lahti protects a quarter of its forests

Alho notes that, despite extensive environmental assessments and planning regulations, land use is always a matter of compromise.

– In all growing cities, compromises have to be made. Building plots are needed, and at the same time, natural values are inevitably lost, Alho states.

The nature conservation programme, adopted in May 2026, will almost double the area of protected areas in Lahti. Once the programme has been implemented, a quarter of the city’s forests will be protected.

– In the future, private landowners could also get involved in environmental work, Alho hopes.

New opportunities are opening up in this area, for example through the natural value market. Under this scheme, private forest owners can voluntarily protect natural values and receive compensation for doing so. This way, biodiversity can also be enhanced outside areas owned by the city.

Businesses are part of the solution

Businesses can have a significant impact on biodiversity, and many companies already have their own sustainability targets to support this.

– Companies may be willing to invest in measures that support biodiversity if clear and easily implementable solutions were available. The city could offer a ready-made model: come to Lahti – you’ll get a plot of land and, at the same time, the opportunity to offset the environmental impact of construction in a controlled and reliable way, Alho suggests.

– Many companies are already involved in environmental work, but they don’t necessarily publicise it very widely, says Johanna Särkijärvi.

Companies are increasingly guided by international sustainability requirements and reporting obligations. They must assess and report not only on the impact of their own operations but also on the impact of their value chains on the natural environment. This further emphasises the need to take biodiversity into account as a part of business operations.

Nature may still recover

One key tool for safeguarding biodiversity is ecological compensation. The idea is that any harm caused to nature is offset elsewhere.

– There is no need to pay compensation for the destruction of biodiversity caused by the use of natural resources. If there were a price tag attached to environmental damage, it would change the way decisions are made, says project manager Heli Huuskonen.

Ecological compensation was piloted in Lahti as early as 2021. The project was the first in which a local authority compensated for the damage to the natural environment caused by its economic activities by improving the state of the natural environment elsewhere.

Despite the obvious challenges, Johanna Särkijärvi sees many positive aspects in the current development.
– Nature is a tangible thing for people. It’s easier to understand than the climate.

Nature can recover if it is given time.
– As long as we still have nature left, it can also be protected and restored, says Huuskonen.

Both Särkijärvi and Huuskonen believe that, ultimately, the solution depends on the collective will.

– When there’s a will, there’s a way, they say. And when the resources are there too, then certainly, of course, Alho confirms.

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