Lahti will be nature positive by 2030
On October 7, Lahti’s City Council made an important decision: Lahti will aim for nature positivity by 2030. But what does this mean for the city, its residents, and local businesses?
Let’s start with a definition: nature positivity means that biodiversity will increase rather than decline. Currently, nature is degrading both globally and in Lahti. We may not notice it in our daily lives, as the changes happen gradually. In Finland, for example, one in nine species and half of all habitat types are endangered. The golden oriole, for instance, was last spotted in Lahti in 2016.
Nature positivity is a relatively new term, but it’s gaining traction among nations, businesses, and cities. The term became more widely recognized after the UN’s Biodiversity Agreement in 2022, which aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2030, followed by restoration. This means achieving nature positivity, where biodiversity increases rather than decreases—moving from a deficit to a surplus. Lahti is now embracing this goal with the support of the Sustainable Lahti Foundation and Sitra.
How will Lahti become nature positive?
Five key factors globally drive biodiversity loss:
- Climate change
- Unsustainable land use
- Direct exploitation of natural resources
- Pollution
- Invasive species
Addressing these pressures can move us in the right direction. For example, efforts to mitigate climate change often benefit biodiversity.
Lahti has already committed to carbon neutrality and is actively working toward that goal. Alongside this, we needed a nature target to more directly address the other four drivers of biodiversity loss.
What practical measures can the city take?
Cities play a crucial role in reducing emissions and enhancing biodiversity. By considering nature positivity in leadership, planning, and construction, we can combat both climate change and biodiversity loss. Decisions about home heating, transportation solutions, and urban planning can significantly impact both emissions and biodiversity.
Land-use planning is a core function of the city, where diverse goals must be reconciled, one of which is to protect biodiversity. Through planning, we either weaken or strengthen biodiversity. However, this doesn’t mean that land use should be completely restricted. Instead, the primary goal should be to avoid harming nature, minimize any unavoidable impacts, and, where necessary, compensate for them ecologically. Through urban zoning, the city can reduce the pressure on nature caused by land use. We can also restore degraded areas, improving their ecological condition. Public procurement processes can prioritize criteria that reduce the environmental footprint of goods and services.
Nature also supports human well-being, so the city can encourage residents and employees to spend time in nature for exercise, relaxation, or simply to enjoy its beauty.
Local businesses can assess their impact on nature and adapt their operations to support and enhance ecological well-being.
We can all enrich the built environment by planting diverse vegetation in our gardens. Most importantly, we can reduce our consumption, which is the root cause of biodiversity loss.
Perhaps the most vital step is that we can all learn more about the importance of biodiversity and how to support it. Each of us has the opportunity to become more knowledgeable about nature—this is not only necessary but also exciting! You can apply what you learn in your work, hobbies, community roles, or everyday life.
Why does Lahti need a nature positivity target?
We need this target because biodiversity loss poses risks to our health, economy, national security, social stability, and the livability of our environment. According to the World Economic Forum, more than half of the world’s GDP is either highly or moderately dependent on nature and its services.
While assigning a precise economic value to nature for a single city is challenging, some estimates exist. For instance, the annual value of Lahti’s carbon sinks has been calculated at four million euros. Additionally, nature tourism accounts for about 80% of the tourism revenue in the Päijät-Häme region, equivalent to over 250 million euros.
Physical inactivity, on the other hand, also incurs costs in Lahti. Encouraging residents to spend more time in nature can boost personal well-being and productivity while reducing healthcare costs.
The new nature target means that the city will take even better care of its natural environment and biodiversity. Nature positivity is, above all, an investment in vitality. Competition for residents is fierce, and Lahti’s beautiful nature is a critical advantage in this race.
The importance of nature conservation is growing within the business sector as well. The nature target will help Lahti’s businesses prepare for stricter sustainability requirements and potential supply chain disruptions caused by environmental degradation.
What happens next now that we have a nature positivity target?
We’ve already started preparing a roadmap for nature positivity. This roadmap will outline the necessary actions and the responsible parties to achieve our goal. It will be developed in collaboration with stakeholders, including residents, businesses, educational institutions, researchers, NGOs, and other organizations. The roadmap is expected to be finalized by spring.
Join us on the journey toward a nature-positive Lahti!