News & insights The Future of Sustainability 2024/25 Restoring the Arctic’s carbon vault: How Snowchange Cooperative is protecting the northern peatlands Snowchange Cooperative is restoring degraded Arctic and Boreal peatlands, blending Indigenous knowledge with scientific innovation. As a Bright Spot, Snowchange shows how nature-based solutions can secure climate resilience and strengthen community and Indigenous sovereignty. The Arctic and Boreal regions hold one of the planet’s most critical climate assets —peatlands, which store a third of the world’s soil-based carbon and regulate global temperatures. But these ecosystems are under threat from, industrial activities such as forestry and peat mining, as well as the impacts of climate change, risking the release of massive carbon reserves. Snowchange Cooperative, an Indigenous and Finnish-led organisation based in Finland, addresses these challenges through its Landscape Rewilding Programme (LRP) restoring and protecting over 55000 hectares of peatlands across Finland, Canada, Alaska, and beyond. By establishing Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), Snowchange promotes a shift from extractive industries to community-led, nature-based solutions, aiming to securing a climate-resilient future for northern regions and the planet. How is Snowchange Cooperative different from mainstream approaches? Snowchange Cooperative distinguishes itself from conventional conservation efforts in the Arctic and Boreal regions by centering Indigenous and community leadership and traditional ecological knowledge. Mainstream approaches often rely on top-down governance or fragmented policies that may not fully address local realities. Snowchange challenges this by creating locally governed restoration hubs where ancestral practices are combined with cutting-edge scientific tools like greenhouse gas trace analyzers and biodiversity inventories. Through its Landscape Rewilding Programme, Snowchange restores degraded peatlands and boreal forests using community-led approaches. Unlike much of mainstream climate action, which often emphasises technological and large-scale interventions, Snowchange employs peatland restoration — one of the most cost-effective, nature-based climate strategies. Their work spans over 55,000 hectares across 149 sites, integrating traditional knowledge with scientific research in partnership with global institutions like the Arctic Council and IPCC. This holistic approach not only restores ecosystems but also strengthens Indigenous land rights, ensuring that conservation efforts are both ecologically effective and culturally grounded. "Most people think of the north as a polar desert when in fact it is a homeland of diverse Indigenous and local cultures, languages and peoples. We need to keep the north of the planet cool and functioning and peatlands are central to that mission. They help the caribou, migratory birds, water ways, salmon, trout and all the iconic species for example in the European North. We started in 2000 to address the northern climate change and have discovered peatland restoration to be a major solution that is also very cost-effective." —Tero Mustonen, Finnish Chair, Snowchange Cooperative Why does Snowchange Cooperative matter? Northern peatlands are crucial carbon reservoirs, storing an estimated 415 ± 150 gigatonnes of carbon, thereby acting as Earth’s “cooling lid.” If these ecosystems degrade, they could shift from carbon sinks to significant carbon emission sources, exacerbating climate change. Snowchange Cooperative actively restores these vital landscapes, preventing catastrophic carbon release while improving biodiversity and supporting local livelihoods. The initiative has already influenced global climate policy, earning recognition through the Goldman Environmental Prize and St. Andrews Prize for the Environment. By preserving peatlands, Snowchange is securing climate stability for future generations while reinforcing Indigenous sovereignty over ancestral lands. What could the future look like if Snowchange Cooperative's model becomes the norm? Imagine a future where Arctic and Boreal peatlands are no longer at risk of degradation but serve as interconnected climate sanctuaries across Alaska, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. These transborder restoration hubs could create an interconnected system of protected carbon vaults, revitalising wildlife corridors critical to global biodiversity and potentially slowing global warming at scale. Governments and philanthropies might recognise peatland conservation in the Arctic as a climate security priority, investing in large-scale, restoration anticipatory restoration plans designed not only to prevent catastrophic carbon release but also to regenerate degraded ecosystems. Indigenous governance models could replace outdated extractive policies, ensuring long-term sustainability rooted in cultural traditions. This vision is within reach—Snowchange’s success shows that nature-based solutions, when led by communities with ancestral knowledge, can contribute to planetary-scale climate resilience. Questions to consider: How do Indigenous-led conservation efforts challenge mainstream climate solutions? What role does peatland restoration play in global climate security? How can we keep the caribou, salmon and migratory bird pathways working? What is the most cost-effective climate solution for the Arctic? Images courtesy: Snowchange Cooperative Meet the Bright Spots A Forum for the Future initiative, in partnership with The Earthshot Prize, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Trane Technologies, The Future of Sustainability: Reimagining the Way the World Works is showcasing the social and climate initiatives shaping a better future, today. Manage Cookie Preferences