Voluntary nature value markets

Nature values market is a marketplace for producing, selling and buying additional nature values.

The state of nature and ecosystems has deteriorated, both globally and in Finland. Nature values market offers one way to improve the state of nature and offset actions that cause it to deteriorate, specifically in Finland. The nature values market enables to meet obligations arising from the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Nature values trading can be used to offset losses to nature caused by different kinds of activities. After the legislative amendment that is being prepared, nature values trading can also be used for actions that have positive impacts on nature that are not based on any specific deterioration. Nature values trading also enables to meet restoration obligations arising from the Nature Restoration Regulation. 
 

When legislation on ecological compensation was prepared, principles were also formulated that enable to identify both the state of nature by habitat types and the restoration methods that work for each of these specific habitat types. About 100 researchers participated in the process to develop these methods. This means that the benefit has been defined on the basis of the best available scientific knowledge.

Nature values market can be used to produce, sell and buy nature value hectares produced under the Nature Conservation Act, for example. Typically, this requires the landowner to undertake restoration measures and another party that is prepared to pay for the nature value hectares produced. The producer and end-user of the nature values can also be the same party.

In nature values trading there are no restrictions on who can participate in the sale or production of nature values. In general, however, the landowner is in one way or the other always involved in the sale of nature values. Potential buyers include companies, various kinds of foundations and municipalities.

In this context, a nature value hectare means the improvement in the state of the site that is achieved through restoration measures or conservation. The state of the site and how much this improves as a result of the measure or conservation are assessed before the restoration or conservation measure is taken. This change is then multiplied by the surface area of the site.

Nature value hectares can be produced with measures that restore a site where the nature values or condition have deteriorated towards the target state, increase the surface area of a habitat type or habitat of a species, or improve the ecological quality of a habitat type or habitat of a species.

Restoration can mean the restoration of a mire by blocking ditches or the maintenance of a semi-natural meadow through grazing. The Nature Conservation Act also allows to produce nature value hectares through conservation offsets. This means the permanent conservation of an occurrence of a threatened habitat type that is representative in terms of its natural state in a way that maintains or improves the natural state or the desired state in terms of biodiversity by preventing an activity causing the deterioration of the natural state. However, a conservation offset can be used only if it produces a better ecological outcome than could be achieved by taking certain measures.
 

In principle this is possible, but the rules for this will be established by the amendment to the Nature Conservation Act that is still under preparation.

Yes. One of these is the Luontoarvot.fi service of the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners MTK, which also deals in nature values.

For a landowner, producing and selling nature values is one way to generate income from owning land. A company or municipality, in turn, can buy nature value hectares to offset losses caused by a project or to demonstrate their ecological responsibility.

The authority’s role in the nature values market is to create the rules and supervise at pre-agreed stages that they are complied with. The supervision is carried out through statements issued by the permit authority. The authority also maintains a register on the nature value hectares that have been produced and used.

The scientifically credible criteria behind the system, certification by the authorities and the register kept by the authorities ensure that the nature values are truly additional, their quantity is based on the best available knowledge and they are used only once.

The measures to produce the nature values are implemented or the conservation offset made before the authority approves the offsetting. 

When nature value hectares are used as ecological compensation, a permanent prohibition of destruction and deterioration is issued concerning the offset site. 
 

Yes. Provisions on the production of nature value hectares are laid down in chapter 11 of the Nature Conservation Act (9/2023).

In ecological compensation, or offsetting losses, the deterioration caused to species or habitat types is compensated for by improving the state of species and habitat types outside the area where the deterioration takes place, provided that the deterioration has primarily been avoided and secondarily minimised. If possible, the state of the deteriorated species and habitat types has been restored in the area where the deterioration takes place.

The legislation currently in force recognises ecological compensation, that is, offsetting losses, as the only way to use the nature values market. 
 

As pointed out in the above answer, offsetting measures are taken in advance. Besides this, the consideration by the authorities is based on scientifically credible criteria defined by researchers.

The number of nature value hectares is the sum of the nature values that have already been realised and the average of the nature values to be created over the next 30 years. The use of nature value hectares is followed by a public register maintained by the authorities.

With respect to ecological compensation, the condition is laid down in the Nature Conservation Act but, in practice, this is ensured through the provisions of the substantive law applicable in each case.

In autumn 2025 there were just a few examples of this that had proceeded to consideration by the authorities. The nature protection authority has issued a statement and measures are being implemented regarding the offsetting plans of three projects. One conservation offset plan has been submitted to the authority for consideration.

Yes. The government proposal that is being prepared would extend the use of nature value hectares for purposes other than offsetting a deterioration, such as ecological responsibility of companies and voluntary nature actions of communities and citizens.

The current calculation of nature value hectares does not take avoided losses into account. This is because of the challenges related to scientifically credible calculation of avoided losses. In the carbon market, for example, avoided loss has been taken into account even if none of the deteriorating actions affected the area concerned.

1. If you are a landowner

First, consider what kind of nature values there are in your lands and plan how they could be improved through different kinds of measures. Seek assistance, if necessary.

2. If you are a buyer

You can search nature value hectares at marketplaces, from agents or directly from producers. You can also consider the possibility to produce nature value hectares for your own use.  
 

Producing nature values does not yet mean any commitment by the landowner. The landowner is free to make choices about the use of the land as long as the owner of the addition to the nature value has changed. After that, the landowner must refrain from destroying or deteriorating the nature values to be produced.

Producing nature values may also involve measures that need to be repeated and can be implemented even after deterioration. The law does not set any maximum time limit for these, but 20 years can be considered reasonable.

It depends on the contract between the buyer and seller for how long payments are made for such measures. When the nature value hectares have been used, a permanent prohibition of destroying and deteriorating the nature values is issued concerning the offset site.
 

Any site where the state of nature has deteriorated and can be improved by restoration measures or passive restoration such as when using conservation offsets.

Read more about the use of conservation offsets in the answer to ‘How are nature value hectares produced?’ 
 

The prices are always agreed between the seller and the buyer. Matters to be taken into account in this include the restoration costs, future restrictions on the use of the site and possible costs related to maintaining the nature values.

Purchase contract is a document between the buyer and seller, who must agree on its content together. A contract template can be found on the website of the BOOST project, for example.

The site can be used freely as long as the use does not deteriorate or destroy the nature values on the site which have been certified by the authority.

The original owner of the site still owns the land, unless otherwise agreed. Nature values trading alone has no impact on land ownership.

The prohibition of destroying or deteriorating nature values also applies to the next owner, which should be taken into account.

No, if this has been the reason for undertaking the measure or for conservation. Measures for which no financial support has been paid are accepted. 

The market is open to different kinds of parties offering agent services. Such agents can help a seller and buyer meet each other or provide support for filing applications and making surveys. The Ministry of the Environment has commissioned a study on different kinds of agents and marketplaces. Here is the link to the study:

• Organisation of Operations on the Nature Values Market

At present there are some operators serving as agents between the producers and buyers of nature values.  

As a rule, yes. Whether this is profitable for the landowner always depends on the site concerned and the restoration measures or conservation that are suitable for it. 

The Ministry of the Environment is preparing an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act that would promote the operations of the market by also allowing to use the nature values produced for other actions for the benefit of nature.