FINLAND Law and Practice Contributed by: Tarja Pirinen, Marius af Schultén, Fiiu Linninen and Konsta Peussa, Castrén & Snellman
Ongoing Engagement and Community Relations Successful operators maintain open communication throughout the project lifecycle, going beyond statu - tory minimums to establish genuine dialogue with affected communities. Best practice includes regular updates through multiple channels, transparent dis - cussion of both benefits and risks, and demonstra - ble responsiveness to stakeholder concerns. Opera - tors who actively pursue local employment, supplier relationships, infrastructure investment and voluntary benefit-sharing agreements with municipalities tend to achieve stronger community relations. In areas where Sámi, Skolt or reindeer herding communities are pre - sent, cultural sensitivity and respect for traditional live - lihoods are essential, requiring operators to recognise that legal compliance represents a minimum standard rather than an aspirational goal. Guidance on Sustainable Practices The Finnish Mining Association has developed the Standard for Sustainable Exploration, which provides companies with concrete guidelines for sustainable operation in each stage of exploration. Companies committed to the standard adhere to seven guiding principles: transparency in operations; adherence to best practices and continuous improvement; mini - misation of negative impacts on local communities, environment and biodiversity; respect for surrounding communities and their culture and ways of life; active dialogue with communities of interest; protection of health and safety of employees and local communi - ties; and responsible completion of aftercare meas - ures. The standard requires open communication, stakeholder participation in company practices, and environmental management that operates at least in accordance with the No Net Loss principle whilst striv - ing for Net Positive Impact. Sustainability of explo - ration is assessed through annual self-assessment using three assessment tools covering stakeholders, environment and safety, with five performance levels ranging from basic legal compliance to excellence. Areas for Improvement Whilst the legal framework is comprehensive, implementation quality can vary between projects. Enhanced consultation and consent requirements, including the landowner-consent rule after ten years of exploration, may temper some investment but are
designed to encourage higher-quality, better-planned projects with stronger social licence.
3. Climate Change, Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Mining 3.1 Climate Change Effects There are no specific initiatives for to deal with climate change with respect to the mining industry. The initia - tives to deal with climate change generally appear as tighter emission limits in environmental permits. Addi - tionally, restrictions on coal usage in power generation and the advancement of renewable energy sources and biofuels, as well as other ways to limit carbon emission, – eg, through the use of specifically elected raw materials or the development of production pro - cesses – may affect the mining industry as mining enterprises also seek to lower their carbon footprint. 3.2 Climate Change Legislation and Proposals Related to Mining Finland’s primary climate legislation, the Climate Act (423/2022), establishes the country’s objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. Furthermore, the law seeks to guarantee that greenhouse gas outputs from both the effort-sharing and emissions-trading sectors decline by no less than 60% by 2030 and no less than 80% by 2040 when measured against 1990 baseline figures. The target also includes a 90–95% reduction by 2050. The Act additionally requires Fin - land to implement domestic measures for climate adaptation by fostering climate resilience and effec - tive climate risk management. State authorities must support these goals through their operations. The new Government Programme released on 20 June 2023 outlines plans for developing a fresh energy and climate strategy targeting carbon negativity, with clean transition promotion and industrial investments serving as core components. 3.3 Sustainable Development Initiatives Related to Mining While Finland does not have a separate sustainable development law for mining, the Mining Act and the Environmental Protection Act incorporate sustainable
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