Finland: Google stops work on data centres
Google plans to build several data centres in Finland and invest around 13 billion euros in digital infrastructure. At one location, 300 hectares of woodlands were cleared before the environmental impact assessment had been completed. The Finnish supervisory authority ordered all environmentally detrimental construction work to be suspended. After a long silence, Google has apologised and work on the sites has been suspended.
No reason to be timid
Finland is in a strong negotiating position when it comes to large corporations wanting to invest in the country, says Helsingin Sanomat:
“Google could, however, be doing the Finnish mindset a favour. Other giants are also setting their sights on the country's energy and mineral resources. Finland should not be timid in dealing with them, but must boldly defend its own interests. Renewable energy and mineral resources are so coveted in today's world that interested parties are clearly prepared to pay for them and respect Finnish legislation – and by extension, the Finns.”
Close the loopholes
Kauppalehti calls for a closer look:
“This is not a matter of negligence or ignorance. Google claims to have made the decision based on its understanding of Finnish legislation at the time. ... Google wanted to press ahead with an ambitious project within a tight timeframe. Whether everything was done in accordance with the law is still being clarified. If the law permits the environment to be significantly altered before the impacts have been assessed, the system may need improving – regardless of whether the company is acting in good faith. In Finland, we cannot rely on all international companies automatically behaving as one would expect. That is why loopholes must be closed.”