Domestic carbon markets are Finland’s next export asset — if we take action.

Finland needs policy instruments to ensure transparency, additionality, and permanence in its carbon markets.

Finland has excellent conditions for implementing climate action domestically. However, we need clear rules of the game – we cannot afford to wait for the EU’s CRCF regulation to be finalized. Elsewhere in Europe, national certification systems are already being built, and now it is Finland’s time to act. The opportunities are there – we need to seize them.

Solving the climate crisis requires both strengthening carbon sinks and reducing emissions. Carbon offsetting alone will not solve climate change, which is why it is often criticized as a climate solution. Problems arise when transparency, additionality, and permanence are lacking. In other words, what has truly been done? Would the project have happened without funding, and will its impact last over time? Without these conditions, offsetting can become a disguise for climate positivity.

The Label Bas-Carbone certification system, launched in France in 2018, demonstrates how carbon offsetting can be done along a public-sector-led path without heavy bureaucracy. Many French companies across different industries finance LBC projects as part of their sustainability strategies. Since 2022, French legislation has required domestic airlines, for example, to compensate for their emissions (Martel et al., 2025). According to figures from the French Ministry of Ecology, after six years, more than 2,000 projects have been certified — corresponding to over 7 million tonnes of avoided or sequestered CO₂ emissions (Sanchez, 2025). 98% of the carbon impact has been achieved through reforestation, forest restoration, livestock management, and crop cultivation (Martel et al., 2025).

In France, projects are approved by public authorities and undergo independent auditing. Measures are based on precisely defined methodologies — for example, in forestry or agriculture. Emission reductions are calculated conservatively, and verification occurs only after several years (Martel et al., 2025). As of September 5, 2025, verified emission reductions can also be transferred once the projects are certified. The latest regulation aims to make the market more efficient and attract investors (Sanchez, 2025).

The Netherlands, meanwhile, has introduced a national model based on the EU’s CRCF principles, developed by the Stichting Nationale Koolstofmarkt (SNK). SNK applies the certification framework to create reliable and commercially viable voluntary carbon markets in the Netherlands. The system issues certificates based on verified emission reductions and carbon sequestration projects implemented domestically (SNK, 2025).

As seen from the examples of France and the Netherlands, the voluntary carbon sequestration market is evolving — and it offers Finland a chance to turn carbon compensation into a significant export product. If anywhere, Finland’s forestry expertise is world-class. The world is not waiting. Now is the time to act and claim our place on the international map.

While public actors are still considering their solutions, the private sector is already using its capital to build a cleaner future. Carboreal’s goal is to bring the same coherence as Label Bas-Carbone to Finland. Carboreal enables companies to participate in afforestation projects that deliver genuinely measurable climate benefits.

We believe that when the rules are clear, trust in climate markets can be restored. Carbon sequestration is more than just marketing — it must become a part of better climate policy.