Green Criminology Perspectives In Finland

04 Nov 2025 --
0 Comments

Green criminology is a branch of critical criminology that examines environmental harm, ecological justice, wildlife protection, pollution-related crimes, and the power dynamics that shape environmental regulation. In Finland, green criminology engages heavily with:

1. Environmental Criminal Law (Environmental Protection Act, Criminal Code Ch. 48)

Finland criminalizes environmental degradation through:

Environmental degradation (Ympäristön turmeleminen)

Aggravated environmental degradation

Nature conservation offences

Wildlife and hunting offences

2. Strong Regulatory Agencies

Key bodies include:

Finnish Environmental Institute (SYKE)

Regional State Administrative Agencies

Police Environmental Crime Units
They contribute scientific expertise and conduct environmental forensics.

3. Emphasis on the “Nordic Environmental Model”

This includes:

High trust in regulators

Precautionary principle

Strict permit systems for industry

Transparency and public participation (Aarhus implementation)

4. Recognition of “Harms Beyond Crimes”

Researchers analyze environmental harms even when no law has been violated, such as:

Legal logging in ecologically sensitive areas

Corporate pollution within permit limits

Green colonialism issues with Sámi Indigenous lands

Detailed Case Law Examples

Below are seven detailed Finnish case examples illustrating the application of green criminology.

Case 1: Talvivaara Mine Environmental Disaster (Kainuu Court of Appeal, 2018)

Crime: Environmental degradation
Industry: Nickel mining
Legal Outcome: Convictions for negligence-based environmental offences

Details

The Talvivaara mine caused large sulfate, metal, and uranium leaks into nearby lakes and rivers from 2008–2013. Wastewater pools repeatedly overflowed due to poor design and risk management.

The Court found that:

The company failed to implement adequate safety measures

Warnings by environmental authorities were ignored

Heavy metals accumulated in water systems, harming aquatic ecosystems

Green criminology perspective:
Talvivaara represents “state-corporate environmental crime.” While the operation was legal, regulators underestimated risks and prioritized economic development. Long-term ecological harm far exceeded the penalties imposed.

Case 2: Metsähallitus Logging in Lapland & Sámi Indigenous Rights (Supreme Administrative Court, 2022)

Issue: Ecological and cultural harm
Legal Outcome: Logging suspended in traditional Sámi reindeer-herding areas

Details

Sámi groups argued that state-owned forestry (Metsähallitus) endangered:

Lichen needed for reindeer

Biodiversity of old-growth forests

Sámi cultural rights under the Constitution and international law

The Court ruled in favor of halting logging in certain regions because:

Environmental assessments failed to consider cultural sustainability

Old-growth forests are ecologically irreplaceable

Green criminology perspective:
This case illustrates “green colonialism”—state exploitation of Indigenous land for commercial interest. Environmental harm intersects with cultural survival, expanding criminological analysis beyond simple pollution.

Case 3: Illegal Wolf Hunting Ring in Eastern Finland (North Karelia District Court, 2020)

Crime: Serious hunting offences, wildlife crime
Outcome: Multiple convictions, confiscation of weapons & vehicles

Details

A group of hunters illegally hunted protected wolves, using:

GPS tracking

Snowmobiles

Luring techniques

Authorities identified an organized network intentionally minimizing wolf populations.

The court imposed:

Suspended prison sentences

Loss of hunting rights

Compensation for ecological damage

Green criminology perspective:
Wildlife crimes reflect rural resistance to conservation policies, conflict between humans and predators, and cultural tensions around the state’s role in wildlife management.

Case 4: Diesel Spill into the Gulf of Finland (Helsinki District Court, 2017)

Crime: Environmental degradation by negligence
Details:
A shipping company’s tanker accidentally leaked diesel during refueling operations in Vuosaari harbor. The spill caused:

Shoreline contamination

Bird mortality

Costly cleanup operations

The company was found negligent for:

Failing to follow spill-prevention procedures

Inadequate equipment maintenance

Green criminology perspective:
This is classic “corporate environmental negligence,” demonstrating how small operational failures can cause wide ecological harm.

Case 5: Farm Ammonia Runoff into River System (South Ostrobothnia District Court, 2019)

Crime: Environmental degradation by agricultural pollution

Details

A large farm released excessive manure and ammonia into a nearby river. Investigators found:

Improper storage

Broken containment systems

Failure to install required runoff controls

Consequences included fish deaths and eutrophication.

Green criminology perspective:
Agricultural pollution is often normalized rather than criminalized. This case highlights how “ordinary economic activities” create major environmental harm that remains under-policed.

Case 6: Illegal Peat Extraction in Protected Bog Area (Pirkanmaa District Court, 2021)

Crime: Nature conservation offence
Details:
A peat extraction company expanded operations into a Natura 2000 protected bog without proper permits.

Authorities documented:

Destruction of rare bog vegetation

Lowering of groundwater levels

Permanent habitat loss

The responsible managers received fines and were ordered to restore the area.

Green criminology perspective:
Peat extraction in Finland raises sustainability questions; peat is both energy source and environmentally damaging. This case touches on tensions between energy policies and conservation.

Case 7: Toxic Waste Dumping in Municipal Landfill (Varsinais-Suomi District Court, 2016)

Crime: Aggravated environmental degradation

Details

A waste management contractor secretly dumped industrial solvents and hazardous chemicals into a regular municipal landfill.

The Court found:

Intentional violation of waste handling laws

High risk of soil and groundwater contamination

False documentation

The perpetrator received a prison sentence due to the intentional nature and high magnitude of harm.

Green criminology perspective:
This is “pure environmental crime”: deliberate, profit-driven ecological harm motivated by avoiding disposal costs.