SATO leads the way in action against biodiversity loss – Biodiversity Roadmap published

Biodiversity is one of the environmental themes of SATO’s Sustainability Programme. As a large rental housing provider, SATO has the opportunity to affect biodiversity and the company also wants to lead the way for others.

Biodiversity is an important theme for SATO. In spring 2023, SATO launched its project to prepare a Biodiversity Roadmap, and the roadmap was published in the Sustainability Report in early 2024. The roadmap sets out actions to make taking account of biodiversity part of everyday life at SATO. The roadmap is based on a review of the current state and a materiality analysis for which an extensive stakeholder survey was conducted. The survey showed that stakeholders regard SATO’s biodiversity action as important.

“Alongside climate, biodiversity is an important theme for us, as the built environment burdens the natural environment. Climate change and biodiversity are strongly interconnected, and biodiversity preservation can also reduce the adverse impacts of climate change,” says SATO Sustainability Manager Jenni Rantanen.

“This issue is of global importance. It’s no longer merely about nature conservation. Instead, biodiversity loss is also a threat to development and the economy,” says SATO Project Development Manager Kirsi Ojala.

As a large rental housing provider, SATO wants its Biodiversity Roadmap not only to contribute towards the preservation of biodiversity through SATO’s own action but also to lead the way for other housing actors.

Biodiversity supported by choices such as native plants in landscape design

At SATO, the work begins with an update to planning and design guidelines in line with the Biodiversity Programme. These guidelines determine the solutions and materials used in contexts such as landscape design.

“Going forward, our aim is to take account of biodiversity in procurements and competitive tendering processes – when we know what we’re aiming for it’s also easier to make sustainable choices in our everyday work,”, Ojala says.

In addition to the update of the planning and design guidelines, SATO will pilot nature-based solutions and biodiversity improvements at selected SATO-owned properties. The aim is also to ensure that SATO’s own specialists as well as its partners have sufficient competences for their work with regard to biodiversity issues.

At SATO properties, nature-based solutions may include allowing natural stormwater retention in indentations, designing snow piling areas so that the melting snow will be absorbed in the ground, and selecting native plants that thrive in that part of the country for the grounds of SATO properties.

“Native plants, meadows and, for example, dead trees left in place also provide natural habitats for a variety of species,” Ojala says.

Residents included in biodiversity action

SATO residents are also interested in biodiversity.

“Residents hoped to see more areas in their natural state and more pollinator-friendly plants around their homes. Some of our residents are also interested in taking part in biodiversity action in their own residential environment,” Rantanen says.

Consequently, the best ways to involve residents are currently explored at SATO.

“One way of participating could be building bird next boxes and insect hotels, as has been suggested by residents. We could also organise residents’ communal work gatherings to remove harmful plant species such as lupines, Himalayan balsams or Japanese roses from building grounds,” Ojala says.

For more information, please contact:

Jenni Rantanen, Sustainability Manager, SATO Corporation, phone +358 201 34 4270
Kirsi Ojala, Project Development Manager, SATO Corporation, phone +358 201 34 4011

Email address format: firstname.lastname@sato.fi

For media enquiries, please contact:

Marjaana Kivioja, Communications Manager, SATO Corporation, phone +358 400 773 181