Supporting Akordi in anticipating and resolving green transition conflicts at the local level

Green investments worth over €300 billion are in the pipeline in Finland, but many of these projects are at risk of being delayed or scrapped altogether due to local opposition. The arrival of large-scale projects can understandably feel uncontrollable to residents. Even though the projects have climate goals on their side, they still need to get the local community on board. Often, environmental and economic perspectives clash in discussions, dividing the community into camps for and against. The new project draws on lessons learned in the field of conflict resolution and offers new ways of managing the green transition at the local level.

“It is clear that large industrial projects cause concern and uncertainty. Green transition projects often have negative environmental impacts, giving rise to so-called ‘green-on-green’ conflicts. In addition, projects change the livelihoods, population, and identity of the areas where they are located in significant ways. We need to quickly adopt better ways to anticipate and resolve these difficult equations together in fair and widely acceptable ways.” Akordi’s CEO Jonna Kangasoja explains.

Akordi proposed a project targeted to these challenges to the TAH Foundation and the RELEX Foundation. The foundations co-fund the project with a total of €200,000.

“The green transition is not just about technology, or the economy, or the climate. It is also about nature, people, and justice. We need practical examples that show how conflicts related to the green transition can be resolved at the local level and how solutions that are good for local communities, businesses, nature, and the climate can be found. That is why we want to fund Akordi’s work,” says RELEX Foundation CEO Outi Kuittinen.

The work began in June. Over the course of a year these issues will be tackled in five localities, which are Kristiinankaupunki, Oulu, the western reindeer herding area, Sodankylä, and the Kaustinen region. There are some resources allocated to be able to attend to requests for help from other areas.

In Kristiinankaupunki, the work began with a discussion meeting for newly elected council members in June. With Akordi’s support, the city wants to strengthen its own ability to deal with the major changes ahead in a transparent, controlled, and fair manner.

“One of the biggest issues in Kristiinankaupunki is the planned green transition projects, which will affect the vitality and future of the municipality. In cooperation with Akordi, we want to increase understanding of different perspectives and create a shared vision of the future through dialogue at the right time and based on sufficient information. The aim is for the discussion to be proactive and to focus on what kind of projects are wanted in Kristiinankaupunki and on what terms,” says Mila Segervall, Mayor of Kristiinankaupunki.

Mats Brandt, Regional Mayor of Ostrobothnia, will be discussing the topic on July 11 at the Kristiinankaupunki Community Day, alongside Marjo Lehtisalo, Executive Director of the Ostrobothnia District of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. Brandt hopes that the Kristiinankaupunki pilot will produce an model that can be rolled out across the entire region.

The main objective of the project is, in fact, to roll out and scale procedures that have already been tested and validated in Akordi’s work. Akordi compiled these in a Playbook for the Local Acceptability of the Green Transition, published with the support of the TAH Foundation in November 2024. The Playbook provides concrete advice on how to earn local acceptance and build trust between the companies, municipalities, and residents.

“Akordi’s science-based and skilled approach draws from international best practices. It has proven to be very effective. Crafting collaborative and negotiated solutions at the local level is essential to be able to achieve a future within planetary boundaries,” says Henna Hakkarainen, Executive Director of the TAH Foundation.

The goal is to roll out and scale up previously tested methods

This initiative builds on the previous work funded by the TAH Foundation, entitled Anticipating and resolving conflicts in the green transition, during which Akordi, among other things,

• collected international examples (from United States and the Netherlands)
• organized open events, visits by international experts to Finland, and a Finnish excursion to the Netherlands
• piloted mediated collaboration and conflict resolution processes in several different contexts. The pilots resulted in both concrete local solutions and replicable models and procedures, which Akordi now aims to scale

The new initiative, funded by TAH and RELEX Foundations, will be rolled out in the following municipalities:

• Kristiinankaupunki – proactive consideration and widely accepted solutions at municipal level
• The western reindeer herding area, where concrete steps have been taken to promote dialogue and problem-solving between renewable energy project developers, reindeer herding cooperatives, and a mining company. New methods for assessing cumulative impacts and compensating for harmful impacts are being invented and developed in collaboration by the Lohijärvi and Palojärvi reindeer herding cooperatives, Taaleri Energia, Myrsky Energia, Energiequelle, VSB Energy, and the mining company Mawson.
• Sodankylä, in the form of supporting and expanding the activities of Akordi’s previous Collaborative Water Monitoring Platform of Mining
• Kaustinen region, the case is in the situation assessment phase, themes include hydrogen and renewables
• City of Oulu, the case is in the situation assessment phase – themes include hydrogen and renewables

Resources are allocated also to respond to any urgent needs that arise across Finland during the project. Akordi will respond to requests for assistance and take action to clarify the situation. Together with the parties involved, we can develop a suitable plan of action for the situation. The aim is to provide rapid, proactive assistance to municipalities, counties, companies and NGOs before disputes escalate.

New challenges require new skills

“The sustainability transition is a huge societal change that requires a lot of new skills and expertise in companies, municipalities, and throughout society as a whole. We want to raise awareness of procedures that have been found to work in practice in the field, such as negotiation and alternative dispute resolution, and help them become part of everyday life in the green transition. With the support of the foundations, we were able to get started quickly,” says Jonna Kangasoja.

Local Acceptance of the Green Transition Playbook has been received with great interest by companies. Based on the playbook, free training courses have been organised across Finland. The participants come from nearly 80 different organisations, including more than 30 energy companies and network operators. The participants also include employees from municipalities, ministries and associations. The courses will continue in the autumn 2025.

The project is also developing expertise in Swedish. The development work supports Nordic cooperation and the sharing of best practices across national borders.

Further information:

Press release on Akordi's website

Jonna Kangasoja, CEO, Akordi Oy

jonna@akordi.fi, +358 50 441 2863