Finnish Association for Nature Conservation

Description

The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is the largest non-governmental organisation for environmental protection and nature conservation in Finland. It was established in 1938, though its oldest local member association dates back to 1896, and it now has around 29,000 members.

Its work covers forest protection, mire and water protection, climate change prevention and sustainable energy policy, sustainable production and consumption, protection of cultural landscapes, land use issues, protection of endangered species, and waste and chemicals policy. It also hosts the European EKOenergy Secretariat, a renewable energy label it administers.

The association is organised into regional conservation districts across Finland, run through a federal council and a federal board, with staff working on environmental policy, projects, communications, and finance and administration. It publishes two magazines, Suomen Luonto and the members’ magazine Luonnonsuojelija, and gives legal and administrative support to its regional districts and local associations.

An independent youth organisation, Luontoliitto, runs nature camps and clubs and promotes environmental education for children and young people. The association is also linked to related bodies working on sustainable culture, ecological certification and environmental grant-making.