Safeguarding forest biodiversity is one of the core objectives of our association. Through our activities, we seek to improve the state of forest species, for example by requiring that 10 percent of the productive forest land covered by the certificate is protected. All High Conservation Value forests (HCV forests) must also be safeguarded, regardless of whether the 10 percent protection target has already been reached. Biodiversity is also addressed in many other criteria of the certificate. There is a genuine need for measures to secure biodiversity. For instance, the majority of Finland’s endangered species—over one third—live in forests. Forests are also the most important secondary habitat for threatened species. They serve as one habitat for nearly half of all endangered species (43%) and for over one third of all Red List species (38%) (Suomen lajien Punainen kirja 2019).

Biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and adaptation go hand in hand. Clear-cutting and climate warming have been identified as causes of the drastic decline of the willow tit in southern Finland. This is why the EverCover Certificate’s requirement for no clear-cutting significantly advances biodiversity as well. A more diverse range of species, in turn, ensures nature’s greater resilience in a rapidly changing climate.

Eutrophication and darkening of waters caused by forest drainage are an increasingly serious problem (see. Yle news 9.10.2023). Safeguarding water quality, from small streams and brooks all the way to the Baltic Sea, must be achieved through changes in land use and forestry practices. The EverCover Certificate does not allow drainage except in very exceptional cases. Continuous cover forestry ensures that soil water balance remains suitable for forest growth without ditches.