Tornator’s climate program creates a positive climate impact
The goal of our program to help combat climate change is to increase the carbon sequestration of growing stock by 20 per cent and the substitutability effects of forest use by 50 per cent during the program period. We participate in climate-conscious forestry by increasing the growth rate of growing stock, decreasing carbon emissions from soil and enabling the use of both wind power and wood raw material – a renewable source of energy – to replace fossil fuels. The implementation of our actions to safeguard the environment and the achievement of our targets are monitored annually as part of our reporting on our corporate responsibility.
Forests in climate change mitigation
When it comes to combating climate change, the most important role of forests is photosynthesis – that is, carbon sequestration – not storing carbon. This and many other facts are easily confused in climate debates. We in Tornator want to promote the growth of our forests and maintain their vitality. Coordinating economic, social, and ecological effects of forests will certainly be important in the future as well.
We increase the carbon sequestration of growing stock by 20 per cent
Our goal is to increase by 20 per cent the growth rate of the growing stock, and therefore also the carbon sequestration capacity of the forests we own and manage. Climate-friendly forestry methods include fertilising forests, using genetically improved nursery stock, and properly targeting and timing of felling and management operations.
We increase substitutability effects by 50 per cent
Reducing fossil-based emissions is essential for combating climate change. Forests have a major role to play in this. Renewable wood raw materials from forests can replace many fossil fuels and thus avoid the creation of fossil-based emissions. These positive effects are called substitutability effects. The term ‘substitutability’ in this context refers to the use of a material made from wood or energy derived from wood to replace some other material or energy source. Increasing the growth capacity of our forests also enables increased felling over time. To enable the creation of substitutability effects, our goal is to take full advantage of felling opportunities.
Tornator also promotes the use of wind-generated electricity and leases its land for the construction of wind farms. By replacing fossil-based energy production, increasing the amount of wind-generated power will have significant substitutability effects.
Questions and answers related to forests and climate change
Forests play a decisive role in combating climate change. This issue often raises many questions, however. For this reason, we have put together a set of answers to the most common questions, and have also provided a glossary of the key terms related to the subject of climate change.
Monitoring the climate program
Forestry operations require sustained effort and commitment over the long term. We regularly monitor and report on the results of the implementation of our climate program. Some of the measures taken in the past will show results during this program period, whereas some of the measures to be implemented during the current period will only show results later.
The increase in the carbon sequestration of the growing stock is mainly monitored through the improvement of the growth of the stands and the substitutability effects through the increase in the felling opportunities and the production capacity of the wind farms.
