Major Finnish timber firms linked to illegal tree harvesting at Google data centers

UPM and Metsä Group, certified under the Forest Stewardship Council, have been reported to purchase timber from Google’s data-center construction areas in Muhos and Kajaani. The Finnish Nature Conservation Society alleges the trees were cut without proper permits, noting the absence of a binding zoning plan or landscape-work permit for the sites. While both firms claim the amounts bought were limited, Metsä Group stopped any additional shipments after being alerted to potential issues, and UPM states most of the wood had already been delivered.

Pfeifer Nordics likewise disclosed acquiring wood from the same projects. The controversy raises questions about compliance with FSC rules that forbid sourcing from illegal logging.