Stakeholder frames in the making of forest bioenergy legislation in Finland

Abstract

The Finnish forest bioenergy production has mainly evolved in close connection to the industrial forestry system producing pulp, paper and building materials, with tensions also related to these competing forms of forest resource utilization. However, in recent years, the tensions have been growing in terms of climate change, sustainability and innovations, and forest bioenergy production is facing important pressures pushing simultaneously for both increasing and restricting the production. Focusing on stakeholder perspectives in the preparation processes of two recent bioenergy related pieces of legislation, and drawing from framing theory, this study demonstrates the existence of the tensions. Only parts of the tensions are acknowledged in the making of bioenergy policies. The most significant tension evolves between actors related to forest industry and bioenergy production. Environmental tensions and wider sustainability aspects including local actors are largely neglected. The results show sustenance of old energy and forest policy paradigms with resistance related to new emerging interests. The resistance is explained by the ability of established actors to frame themselves as important in the policy arena, which hinders the entrance of new actors. The resistance presents a risk for aggravated tensions in the future and may constrain innovations related to the development of different types of bioenergy production.