Metaplay partners with the Pelimetsä project to protect old-growth Finnish forests, promoting carbon neutrality in the games industry. Learn how game companies can make a tangible environmental impact through forest preservation.
Protecting Our Planet With the Pelimetsä Project
In collaboration with the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation, Pelimetsä is committed to preserving old Finnish forests - areas rich in biodiversity that act as permanent carbon storage, and help ensure the longevity of our environment.
We sat down with Pelimetsä's worker ant (his words, not ours) and facilitator, Jani Kahrama to talk about giving back, sustainability, and what companies in the game industry can do to help protect our environment. Jani is also the CEO of Secret Exit, and boasts over 20 years of experience within the Finnish game industry scene.
Pelimetsä has a unique approach to nurturing biodiversity. What do you do, and how can the game industry get involved?
"Pelimetsä is driven by a singular goal: To make it incredibly simple for game companies to do tangible good for the environment.
Here's the process: A game company donates money to the Pelimetsä campaign, and the money is used in its entirety by the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation to purchase and permanently protect old-growth forests.
To facilitate the process, the Pelimetsä website features a CO2 footprint calculator that can be used to estimate the appropriate donation size.
This is all voluntary, with no intermediaries, and the results speak for themselves - as anyone who donates can visit the protected locations."
What measurable outcomes highlight Pelimetsä's impact and how you've helped the industry to give back?
"Pelimetsä has made respectable strides in conservation, having received 564k euros in donations from game companies and individuals in the game industry.
These contributions have protected two locations covering a total of 330 acres (130 hectares).
As the campaign continues to receive donations, our capacity to preserve more natural areas grows.
Each new location we protect adds to this virtuous cycle where the good news demonstrates our power to make a change, and inspires us onward."
If a game company finds itself financially able to take positive action, prioritizing long-term sustainability over short-term profits is the example we should be setting.
Jani Kahrama
Facilitator at Pelimetsä
How can Pelimetsä's work with Finnish game studios inspire positive change globally?
"Pelimetsä's success lies in its ability to cut through the often complex and demoralizing bureaucratic processes, replacing them with a straightforward and deeply satisfying approach.
A certificate or a diploma does not provide the sense of accomplishment you get from walking in a forest preserved thanks to your contribution.
You've made a meaningful difference with direct action and tangible results - and that's an approach we want to pass on to the industry worldwide.
The key takeaway for everyone, everywhere, should be this: allocate resources where they are needed, and make the impact of contributions visible and personal."
To learn more about Pelimetsä and how you can get involved, head to their website.
FAQ
How does Pelimetsä turn a game studio's donation into permanent forest protection?
When a studio donates, 100% of the money goes to the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation to purchase old-growth forest outright. No intermediaries, no admin costs. The forests are permanently protected – they can never be logged or sold – and donors can visit the specific locations their contribution secured.
How much old-growth forest has the Finnish games industry protected through Pelimetsä?
As of the time of writing, game companies and individuals in the Finnish games industry had donated €564,000 to Pelimetsä. That funded the protection of two locations covering 330 acres (130 hectares) of old-growth Finnish forest, which serves as permanent carbon storage.
Why does Pelimetsä focus on protecting existing old-growth forests rather than planting new trees?
Old-growth forests store significantly more carbon than young plantations and support far greater biodiversity. Crucially, they store it permanently – a protected old-growth forest keeps its carbon locked away indefinitely, while a newly planted forest takes decades to accumulate meaningful storage and can still be felled. Pelimetsä's model secures what already exists.
How can a game studio estimate the right size of contribution for Pelimetsä?
Pelimetsä's website includes a CO2 footprint calculator that estimates a studio's emissions based on its size and operations, and suggests a matching donation amount. The process is entirely voluntary, takes minutes, and involves no certification programmes or ongoing reporting obligations.
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