Climate change and biodiversity loss pose an existential threat to humanity. In order to halt climate change and biodiversity loss, we need to be able to assess what kind of impacts our actions have on climate and nature. Our multi-disciplinary research group develops metrics and methods for assessing the carbon and biodiversity footprints of organizations, together with pilot organisations.
Our goal is to develop open-access methods for assessing carbon and biodiversity footprints, which can be utilized by all kinds of organizations. Our methodology combines information about the drivers of biodiversity loss, such as land use, climate change and pollution, to the biodiversity impacts caused by the drivers in specific locations. We utilize for example environmentally extended input-output databases, life cycle assessment and other scientific databases. We aim to make visible the biodiversity impacts of organizations’ activities and value chains, and thus also to develop pathways for impact reduction. We are also exploring opportunities to assess biodiversity handprints, i.e. positive impacts for nature. In addition, we are studying the integration of carbon and biodiversity footprint assessment to financial accounting and developing ways to financially value footprints, for example based on offsetting mechanisms.
Our partners include for example S Group, Nokia, The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, SRV, City of Espoo, City of Tampere, The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, the Universities of Jyväskylä and Turku and the Ministry of the Environment. We are also doing research collaboration with the Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland, VTT and the University of Oxford.
| Project | Implementation | Supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Biodiversity footprint of S-Group | Jani Hohti, Laura Hynönen, Essi Järvinen, Maiju Peura | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Biodiversity footprint of Nokia: Methodology accelerator | Charlotte Maddinson | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Compatibility of biodiversity footprinting with sustainability frameworks | Brayshna Kundi | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Carbon and biodiversity footprint of the University of Oulu | Veera Vainio | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Carbon and biodiversity footprint of the University of Tampere | Veera Vainio | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Doctoral theses | ||
| Metrics for biodiversity footprints and handprints | Essi Pykäläinen | Sami El Geneidy, Maiju Peura, Maria Hällfors (Syke, Finnish Environment Institute), Janne Kotiaho |
| Biodiversity footprint of investments | Aija Hokkanen | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho, Katja Lähtinen (Luke, Natural Resources Institute Finland) |
| Biodiversity footprint of S-Bank funds | Juho Saarinen | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Integrating climate and biodiversity action through footprinting approaches | Charlotte Maddinson | Joseph Bull (University of Oxford), Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Nature Positive Higher Education Institutes: reporting, mitigating, and offsetting the biodiversity footprint | Ulla Helimo | Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
| Biodiversity footprint and handprint of construction and city planning (SRV, Tampere, Espoo) | Krista Pokkinen | Sami El Geneidy, Joel Jalkanen (University of Helsinki), Janne Kotiaho, Matti Kuittinen (Aalto University) |
| Carbon and biodiversity footprint of the Finnish transportation system | Venla Leppilampi | Stefan Baumeister, Sami El Geneidy, Janne Kotiaho |
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