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The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (FANC) is the oldest and most influential environmental organisation in the country, with 150 local associations and thousands of active members all over Finland. We work to stop biodiversity loss and global heating. Together we protect Finnish nature.

Together we preserve the Finnish nature - be a force for nature!

We have over 30,000 individual members in about 160 local member associations in 15 county-based district organizations.

Kuva: Raisa Kyllikki Ranta

Over 30 000 members and 15 district organizations nationwide

Nationwide, we have over 30,000 individual members in about 150 local member associations and 15 country-based district organizations. The Nature League (FANC’s youth organization) operates nationwide and has about 6,000 individual members. Local associations, district organizations and the Nature League are independent, registered associations. FANC’s headquarters is centrally located in Helsinki. There are about 30 specialists working in nature and environmental protection, administration, communication and marketing at the headquarters and at the Suomen Luonto periodical.

Purotalkoot. Kuva: Timo Torpo.
Working to restore a brook. Photo: Timo Torpo.

The central organization was founded in 1938, but the oldest local member association, The Kuopio Nature Friends Association, is over 110 years old (founded in 1896).

Most of the work in the local associations and district organizations is voluntary in nature. FANC employs 15 people at its regional offices across Finland. Regional offices in Turku, Oulu and Lappeenranta have full-time district chiefs, the rest of the offices have part-time employees.

Campaigning against clear-cutting in Tampere, spring 2018. The campaign Avohakkuut historiaan (”make clear-cuts history”), a joint effort by multiple environmental organizations, succeeded to gather over 50,000 valid statements for a citizen´s initiative to ban clear-cuts in state-owned forests.

In order to realize our purpose we

  • act as a link between different environmental organizations
  • practice publishing, training, environmental education and other educational activities and research
  • put forward motions and initiatives and issue statements on affairs associated with our field
  • act in other similar ways to keep the Finnish nature viable, productive, beautiful, diverse and valuable
  • promote nature protection and sustainable development in the regions affected by Finland as an industrialised country, and
  • participate in the international co-operation in our field.

We above all value knowledge, and all communication made by The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is carefully rationalized with high-value researched information. Independence from party politics and interest groups ensures that nature is always our number one priority. We are boldly taking initiatives and trailblazing in the prevention of environmental problems and resolving them together with conviction and strong determination.

Important fields of work include:

Forest protection

Approximately 36 percent of our endangered species live primarily in forests. Our policy related to forests is sustainable only when our species and forests are doing well. We seek to increase the level of preservation of our forests and have a say in how they’re used. We influence the preparation of environmental legislation and campaign for our forests that need to be preserved. We campaign against clear-cutting and promote more sustainable forest management.

Mire and water protection

Our goal is to end peat digging and protect Finland´s last mires in their natural state. Protecting our waters is crucial, since water is the basic element of all life on Earth. Everyone needs fresh pure water – and we at the FANC work in unison for the benefit of a cleaner Baltic sea and the thousands of lakes situated throughout our country. We work for a clean Baltic Sea and healthy freshwaters.

Climate action

Climate change is the biggest environmental threat of our time. The FANC works at home and abroad towards effective and efficient climate policy, which secures environmental wellbeing on all levels. Our climate work is diligent, hopeful and against cynicism. We root for political decision-making that tackles climate change on all levels. Our goal is strong environmental law, forbanned coal use after 2029 and global temperature rise of less than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Legislative advocacy

Every Finn has the right to influence the way that we live. The FANC protects nature by partaking in the development of legislation that supports the government in achieving environmental victories. Our goal is ambitious environmental legislation that secures much-needed ecological sustainability.

Land use issues and protection of endangered species

As much as 11,9% of the Finnish nature´s species are endangered. We want a secure future for every species and biotope of the Finnish nature.

Nature management

We aim to preserve the biodiversity of traditional rural biotopes through low-intensity management. FANC directs a major project to eradicate various invasive species.

Learn about Finvasive LIFE project

Mining

We promote Finnish nature´s interests amid increasing mining activity. Our goal is an ecological reform in current mining legislation.

Saimaa ringed seal

Our symbol is Finland's only endemic mammal, the Saimaa ringed seal. Mankind is the sole enemy of the Saimaa ringed seal and net fishing is its greatest threat. We want to save Saimaa ringed seals from extinction.

Learn more about Saimaa ringed seal

International cooperation

Through international collaborations, we aim to achieve environmental preservation and human development.. At the moment, our collaborations focus on partnerships in natural forest protection in Russia and Madagascar. We assist local organizations and communities in implementing natural protection practices and fostering sustainable land use related to both our natural forests and swamplands.

From local action to international cooperation

To fulfil its purpose, the FANC works on nature conservation and environmental policy on the municipal, regional, national, and EU levels, and follows the UN sustainable development work. FANC cooperates with many environmental organizations in forest protection both in Madagascar and in Russia.

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation also owns and manages the EKOenergy label, an international ecolabel for renewable energy that is currently available in more than 40 countries.

FANC actively monitors environmental regulations and scientific research. Our experts implement heavily-researched initiatives for preventing and resolving timely environmental issues. The FANC works on nature conservation and environmental policy on municipal, regional, national and EU levels. Our organization follows the UN sustainable development framework. The FANC cooperates with many central environmental organizations, for example, in forest protection and sustainable energy policy.

The international label for sustainable energy EKOenergy

EKOenergy is an international non-profit ecolabel for energy, founded by the Finnish Association of Nature Conservation. EKOenergy acts as a bridge between project developers, energy suppliers, energy consumers and environmental organisations. EKOenergy´s mission is to promote the most sustainable forms of energy and to raise funds for additional climate and biodiversity protection.

Read more

In order to better achieve its goals, the FANC works actively as a member of several international coalitions. These include:

Support our work!

As a donator, you can choose to allocate your support for endangered species protection, forests, swamps and waters, climate-related work or as a general donation for Finnish nature. To help increase our impact and boost our achievement of environmental victories, we gratefully accept all support. You can use these following transaction details to donate:

Recipient: Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto Ry
Account number: FI2850000120443071 OKOYFIHH
Label: General / Forests, swamps and waters / Endangered species / Climate / Saimaa ringed seal

More donating options (in Finnish)

More information:

  • FANC headquarters, address: Itälahdenkatu 22a B, 00210 Helsinki, Finland; personnel email addresses are firstname.lastname@sll.fi
  • Executive Director Mr. Tapani Veistola, tel. +358 400 615 530, tapani.veistola(at)sll.fi
  • Personnel and direct phone numbers (in Finnish)

Executive Director Mr. Tapani Veistola