Google’s forest clearances raise questions over Finnish law

Google’s tree-felling for data centre projects in Muhos and Kajaani has raised questions about whether the company complied with Finnish laws, Yle reports. The work began months ago, while environmental impact assessments for the projects were still underway.

Google has told Yle that about 330 hectares of forest had been cleared at the Muhos site and just under 200 hectares at Otanmäki in Kajaani. The Permit and Supervision Agency had urged Google to suspend work at Muhos.

Finnish law requires an environmental impact assessment before permanent land-use change clearings exceeding 200 hectares begin. Matti Kuittinen, a professor of sustainable construction at Aalto University, said municipal authorities can intervene if work is so extensive that it cannot be considered preparatory construction activity. He said the Muhos case appeared to involve work that should have taken the unfinished assessment into account.

The Building Act allows preparatory work such as excavation, blasting and tree-felling, but developers must notify municipal building authorities before starting. The law does not set a hectare limit for such work, and authorities can assess whether its effects are minor or whether other legal requirements apply. Kuittinen said the provision does not give developers free rein to clear hundreds of hectares.

The Forestry Act aims to support the economically, ecologically and socially sustainable use of forests, including the preservation of biodiversity. It applies to areas used for forestry, but not, among other exceptions, to land where the purpose is not to grow or maintain a forest. Google has denied acting unlawfully and said it followed the Forestry Act’s requirements in both projects. The Permit and Supervision Agency has said that clearances for projects of this kind cannot in practice be carried out solely by relying on the Forestry Act.

Ismo Pölönen, a professor of environmental law at the University of Eastern Finland, previously told Yle that he believed Google had breached the law governing environmental impact assessments in both Muhos and Kajaani. Kuittinen said the dispute could serve as a useful precedent as Finland has more than 100 data centre projects.