Finland receives over five billion kroner from the EU to halve peat mining in the country.
At the same time, the Finnish state is Sweden’s largest peat producer.
Here, the state-controlled Finnish company has the ambition to increase peat mining on Swedish bogs.
– It’s absolutely insane, considering what research knows about peat mining, says Åsa Kasimir, peat researcher at the University of Gothenburg.
Under Åsa Kasimir’s boots lie thousands of years of stored carbon dioxide in the form of peat on the Kollanda bog north of Gothenburg. Peat binds twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests.
– It is very important to keep the peat in the ground so that it does not break down, says Åsa Kasimir who is a professor at the Department of Geosciences at the University of Gothenburg.
When peat bogs are laid dry to access the peat, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released. In Sweden, this corresponds to greater annual emissions than from car traffic, according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, the EU wants to phase out peat mining.
– You can compare it with other forms of dirty fuel, such as coal, says Stefan de Keersmacker, who is spokesperson for The European Green Deal at the European Commission.
The Finnish state receives EU subsidies to phase out peat
Therefore, the Finnish state receives 465.7 million euros in EU grants to halve its use of peat as an energy source by the year 2030. And in Finland, many old peat mines are now being restored. In Sweden, on the other hand, the Finnish state mines peat from Skåne to Norrbotten through the company Neova, which they control.
The EU Commission does not want to directly comment on Finland’s actions, but points out that all member states must work for a better climate and to protect nature.
– The contributions must be used in line with sustainable development. And all member states are bound by the EU’s climate and environmental legislation and must follow it, says Stefan de Keersmacker at the European Commission.
Excavates turf at 60 locations in Sweden
Neova AB is 51 percent owned by the Finnish state, the rest owned by Finnish municipalities. They mine peat at approximately 60 locations in Sweden and are one of several foreign-owned peat producers in Sweden. The sale of Swedish peat, mainly for cultivation, amounted to SEK 288 million last year, and the company’s ambition is to increase it.
– Hopefully we will get new permits and be able to increase production because demand is rising, also in Europe, says Peter Persson, production manager at Neova AB.
Åsa Kasimir at the University of Gothenburg points out the discontinued peat extraction at Kollanda Mosse. The old turf graves are still clearly visible on the desolate, dark brown field. The effects of peat mining on the environment and biodiversity are long-lasting. Professor Åsa Kasimir believes that peat mining should not be allowed to increase, on the contrary.
– We must stop peat mining completely. There are other countries that are making decisions to stop peat mining. I expect the Swedish authorities and government to work in that direction, says Professor Åsa Kasimir.
Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari says in a written comment that the government is currently not preparing a ban on peat mining, but that climate change will cause several technologies to be outplayed and disappear.