Minister of the Environment Paula Lehtomäki gave
today away the Countdown Certificate of Honour for the best action for Finnish
nature in 2007 to 2008. The winner is the City Council of Espoo with its
decision to protect 550 hectares of forest to celebrate the 550th anniversary of
the City.
The best action was found in Finland’s second Countdown2010 competition
seeking for new solutions to promote the vitality of nature and human welfare.
The competition was arranged by the IUCN National Committee of Finland.
Minister Paula Lehtomäki thanked Espoo for acting as strong pioneer in the
work for biodiversity and as a good example for other municipalities and
decision makers. “If a city in the densely-populated Southern Finland can do
this, it surely is an inspiration for other municipalities in Finland to strive
for similar solutions”, says Lehtomäki. “The protection decision is an
innovative and concrete way of combining decision making, human needs and
environmental issues”.
The competition jury, the IUCN National Committee of Finland says that the
decision of Espoo to protect a total of 550 hectares to celebrate the 550th
anniversary of the City is significant and exemplary as concerns the
safeguarding of biodiversity in the densely-populated metropolitan area. The
jury regards the idea of combining the anniversary and the decision to protect
nature excellent.
The jury emphasises the importance of the decision from the viewpoint of
protecting forests in Southern Finland where the share of protected areas is
lower than in other parts of the country. With this decision to protect a vast
area, Espoo is a strong pioneer in municipal nature conservation and a good
example for other municipalities and their decision makers. This anniversary
decision leaves an immeasurable, priceless and everlasting legacy for future
generations that can be enjoyed already by the present generation.
A few of the areas to be protected have already been designated and the rest
will be chosen in 2009. The area of 550 ha to be protected covers three per cent
of the area of Espoo. The IUCN National Committee of Finland will follow the
realisation of the protection decision.
The Countdown2010 Initiative seeks to find ideas to safeguard
biodiversity
The Countdown2010 Initiative started by IUCN and the European Union aims at
halting or considerably slowing down the loss of biodiversity. The initiative
brings to public attention new means to reach this goal. Safeguarding natural
diversity is paramount for human welfare and livelihoods.
The Countdown competition is arranged in Finland every two years. The first
competion arranged during Finland’s EU Presidency in the autumn of 2006. The
successful natural landscaping of a former dump and landfill site, with its
ingenious and unique reuse of waste soil, its introduction of wholly domestic
species and the environmental education of children and youth at the site,
singled out the Crafts Workshop of the Helsinki City Public Works Department's
Environmental Production branch as the clear winner of the 2006 Countdown
competition.
IUCN National Committee of Finland comprises IUCN member organisations: the
government, Hunters’ Central Organisation, WWF Finland, the Finnish Society for
Nature and Environment (Natur och miljö) and the Finnish Association for Nature
Conservation. The Government of Finland is represented by the Ministry of the
Environment together with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of
Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Environment Institute and Metsähallitus
Natural Heritage Services.
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