Finland eyes 10% increase of carbon sink for state forests

The Finnish government on Tuesday set the first-ever carbon sink targets for state forests, eyeing a ten-percent increase in the next four years, reported news agency Xinhua.

Hailing the target as a "good beginning," Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen said at a press conference that further steps will be required later, for Finland to be carbon neutral by 2035.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä noted at the same press conference that the cutdown of state forests will also be reduced slightly.

He underlined that the availability of state forests will secure the planning of future investments in the forest industry.

Around 75 percent of the Finnish land area is covered by forest. Even though only a third of Finland's forests are in state ownership, sales by the state are essential to the industrial plants, especially in Northern and Eastern Finland. Most state forests are in the North.