Fortum updates its terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity targets and outlines its first biodiversity transition plan

FORTUM CORPORATION PRESS RELEASE 13 NOVEMBER 2025

Fortum has updated the company’s terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity targets and outlined its first biodiversity plan with concrete actions for the upcoming years. The company has also published its terrestrial biodiversity footprint for the first time.

“Addressing biodiversity impacts is a critical part of a sustainable energy transition. These targets formalise our efforts to manage our impacts on nature, to strengthen ecosystems, and to contribute to global biodiversity goals,” says Tomas Qvickström, Vice President Corporate Sustainability of Fortum.

“With our strategy, we want to power a world where people, businesses and nature thrive together. Thanks to our low-carbon Nordic energy and in cooperation with our customers and society, our aim is to mitigate climate change and address biodiversity loss,” he continues.

Fortum is one of the leading energy companies in the Nordics. Its strategic priorities are to deliver reliable low-carbon energy and enable decarbonisation in Nordic industries. In 2024, 99% of Fortum’s power generation came from renewable or nuclear sources, leading to one of the lowest specific CO2-emissions in Europe. With its ambitious international Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated emission reduction targets, and the updated biodiversity targets, Fortum will manage its impact on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

Biodiversity targets

The revised biodiversity targets address the impacts of Fortum’s own operations, including land use in all operations, the effects of hydropower on aquatic ecosystems, and the supply chain land use impacts from sourcing biomass.

Fortum’s three main biodiversity targets

Aquatic:

• Increase the ecological value in river stretches where actions have the most ecological benefit, by 2040

Terrestrial:

• Achieve a net positive biodiversity impact on land use for our own operations from 2030 onwards
• No increase in land use negative impact on biodiversity from procured biomass in existing operations compared to 2024 levels

Fortum is one of the largest hydropower operators in the Nordics, with a total of 124 hydropower plants – 111 in Sweden and 13 in Finland. Additionally, Fortum has 20 co-owned hydropower plants together with Kemijoki Oy in Finland. This corresponds to approximately 20 TWh of annual hydro power generation. Fortum acknowledges and takes responsibility for the negative biodiversity impacts from hydropower.

Terrestrial impacts are identified with a Biodiversity Footprint Assessment (BFA, by Global Biodiversity Score® Tool). Fortum has updated its BFA for 2024, and the key results are published for the first time. According to the BFA, the majority of Fortum’s impact on terrestrial biodiversity comes from GHG emissions, especially in the supply chains that have an impact on biodiversity loss through climate change pressure. This impact is tackled by reducing emissions in line with the climate transition plan based on Fortum’s SBTi-validated near- and long-term emissions reduction targets to be net zero by 2040. Other terrestrial impacts are related to land use pressure, both in Fortum’s own operations and its supply chain, for which Fortum has outlined concrete actions in the biodiversity transition plan.

 

Biodiversity transition plan

In its first biodiversity transition plan, Fortum outlines interim targets and concrete actions for the coming years for each target. The transition plan will be updated over time.

1. Increase the ecological value in river stretches where actions have the most ecological benefit, by 2040
   • Systematically assess sites and by 2035 undertake at least 15 biodiversity actions compared to 2024
   • Remove at least 30 obsolete dams in Sweden by 2035 compared to 2024
   • Contribute to habitat and water quality restorations
   • Participate in R&D initiatives on aquatic biodiversity, impacts of hydropower and effectiveness of mitigation measures
2. Achieve a net positive impact on land use for our own operations 2030 onwards
   • 50% of new wind and solar projects that reach ready-to-build status in 2027 have plans for reaching net positive land use impact
3. No increase in land use impact from procured biomass in existing operations compared to 2024
   • Ensure that increase in biomass use is done through purchasing certified residual biomass

Fortum will continue to work with local communities, NGOs, and regulators to ensure meaningful participation and long-term positive impacts on biodiversity. Reaching the milestones in the transition plan is dependent on permit processes. The actions can include both voluntary and mandatory actions.

The key results from Fortum’s terrestrial biodiversity footprint assessment (BFA 2024, with GBS®-tool) and Biodiversity transition plan are available on Fortum's webpage.

Fortum Corporation
Communications

Further information:
Media: Fortum News Desk, newsdesk@fortum.com, +358 40 198 2843