Sustainability in a tech company –
Making an impact by planting trees
At Vaadin, we’re actively striving to make sustainable choices in everything we do. We firmly believe that our actions today echo into the future, influencing our planet and people in the long run. That’s why our approach is anchored in a commitment to social, environmental, and financial sustainability.
The Vaadin Sustainability program serves as our roadmap, guiding us to areas where we can create the most meaningful impact on both people and the planet. It’s more than a strategy; it’s our compass, directing us toward initiatives that matter.
Through our collaboration with Istutapuita.fi, we’re taking tangible steps to counter our carbon footprint.
Our goal is to contribute to the reduction of emissions over the long term by planting trees and supporting reforestation projects. This effort is part of our broader commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility.
We recognize that tree growth and carbon sequestration are gradual processes that will contribute to our climate objectives over decades.
We continue to seek innovative ways to minimize our environmental impact, from reducing energy consumption to enhancing the efficiency of our operations.
Our yearly emissions from the company operations measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
Trees growing after summer 2024 plantings
Tons of co2 sequestered during the life cycle of trees planted
About Vaadin
Vaadin is an international technology company founded in 2000, with the aim of helping application developers worldwide in creating reliable web applications more efficiently and with an enhanced user experience. The company has set goals for reducing emissions, and the collaboration with Istutapuita.fi is part of the company’s broader sustainability program.
The place is dried peatland in Kärsämäki, Finland
SILONEVA SITE IN KÄRSÄMÄKI
Area
60 hectares
Seedlings planted in the area
Approximately 40,000 seedlings will be planted in the summer of 2024
Tree species
Pine (pinus sylvestris) trees will be planted in the area
Location
Open Google Maps
The area is dried peatlands, retired from peat production. There is still residual peat in the area, causing carbon dioxide and methane emissions.
Ash fertilization has been done in the area, which creates stellar conditions for the growth of seedlings to be planted as well as existing ones. In addition, any vegetation interfering with the growth of the seedlings is removed.
All measures are taken with the expertise and experience of the regional forest management association which has the best knowledge of local forestry and area management. Work in the area is ordered from local entrepreneurs.
Ash fertilization
Ash fertilization has been done in autumn 2022.
Rehabilitation of ditches
Field ditches are mostly in order, but the situation is being monitored even more closely.
Reversal mounding
The action will take place slightly before plantings.
How istutapuita.fi works
Here at istutapuita.fi we don’t just plant trees. We also try to consider the effect on nature in everything we do. We want to constantly evolve, hence we cooperate closely with different stakeholders to provide our customers with the most straightforward and reliable service possible. Domesticity, concreteness, transparency, stability and measurability are the values that guide our work. Read more about different topics below.
The acquisition of peatlands
We buy dried peatlands in Finland, that are retired from peat production. By owning the land used for afforestation, we can keep the entire carbon absorbing process under our control for the entire 100-year life cycle of the forest. For us (or for the atmosphere), the geographical locations of the peatlands are not relevant: Our projects can be located anywhere in Finland – what matters is to increase domestic carbon sinks.
The forest’s first steps towards a carbon sink
Starting already from the planting stage we cooperate with local forest management associations and companies so that our seedlings get the best possible start on their journey towards a full-grown forest. All our forests (excluding Karhusuo) are FSC certified, which guarantees immediate responsible management of the forest including necessary cultivation. The usual measures before planting, which are vital for the growth of the seedlings, are ash fertilization, reversal mounding, and the rehabilitation of ditches. Our planting density is 2,000 seedlings per hectare.
The development of carbon sinks
The compensation we offer to customers is based on the carbon-absorbing calculation provided for us by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE). According to this the carbon compensation of the hectare we afforest is 323.6 t C/ha. This means that a single seedling we plant offsets an average of 594 kg of CO2e. We carry out inspections on our plantings, where, for example, dead seedlings are replaced with new ones if necessary. The number of growing seedlings and trees is also monitored on behalf of an independent operator.
The life cycle of a forest is 100 years, and thinning is carried out at 44 and 74 years to maximize the absorption of carbon. Consequently not all planted seedlings live to be 100 years old – some are eliminated. This, however, does not mean the loss of the promised compensation, rather the calculations are based on carbon dioxide absorption per hectare.
The diversity of our forests
We actively cooperate with different stakeholders (e.g. Sykli – the Environmental School of Finland) to maximize the diversity of our forests. We try to take diversity into account in all we do. In practice, that means, for example, that during thinning we leave other tree species (than the pine we mainly plant in our forests) to grow. An important part of the diversity of forests is decayed wood, which we try to take into account in forest management. Read more about the topic in the article “What is biodiversity and how do we consider it in our operations?”.
Transparency
The forest management association provides us with a planting report that verifies that at least as many seedlings have been planted on the site as we have received orders for. This part of the process is audited. In addition, we update the progress of the plantings on our website, providing website visitors with an easy glimpse of the progress of our projects.
Communication
We feel that communication plays an important role in the company’s environmental work. Therefore we always publish the customer stories of our business clients on our website and post about new partnerships on social media. Our customers receive a participation diploma that can be easily used in their communication. In the best-case scenario, communicating about an environmental act inspires others to act, or at least to reflect on the environmental effect of their actions.
What’s the impact on climate
Increasing the number of trees is currently considered the most effective way to stop the acceleration of climate change. By growing new forests, we absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into the biomass of trees, rather than let it strain the atmosphere.
Why dried out peatland?
In old peatlands, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere continues. With the afforestation of poorly growing forest stands and bare land, we can absorb the carbon released into the biomass of trees and ground vegetation. Reforestation of peatlands is climate action in its best form; not only does it reduce emissions from peat decomposition, but it also creates a significant carbon sink!
Read more about us on our website www.vaadin.com
You can find more information about carbon sink projects at www.istutapuita.fi. You can also ask Timo from Istutapuita.fi directly by e-mail at timo@istutapuita.com.
