30.9.2020

Castrén & Snellman to Compensate Carbon Footprint through Safe Water Project in Rwanda

Castrén & Snellman will compensate its 2019 carbon footprint by buying emissions reductions through a clean water project in Rwanda that will reduce the burning of wood. Compensating its carbon footprint is part of Castrén & Snellman’s work to reduce its climate impact.

‘The Rwanda Boreholes project is part of the UN’s emissions compensation system. The system focuses on developing countries that do not have their own emissions reduction targets. By compensating our emissions through these projects, we are helping to more fairly distribute the burden of fighting climate change’, says Castrén & Snellman’s Head of Sustainability Anna Kuusniemi-Laine.

‘Our personnel voted on what compensation project to support’, Kuusniemi-Laine says. The firm has previously compensated its air travel emissions and has now expanded compensation to cover its other emissions sources, as well.

Along with reducing and compensating its emissions, Castrén & Snellman is launching a climate project in Finland later this autumn.

Safe Water Reduces the Burning of Wood and Promotes Health

The Rwanda Boreholes project restores and repairs boreholes in the least developed parts of Rwanda, removing the need for communities to burn wood to boil their water for purification. The reduction in emissions comes directly from reduced wood burning. The project also has significant health impacts.

This Gold Standard certified emissions reduction project is carried out by South Pole, a sustainable development expert organisation with experience from over 700 emissions reduction projects.

Read more about the project on South Pole’s website.

Targeting a 25% Carbon Footprint Reduction by 2025

Castrén & Snellman completed its first carbon footprint calculation this summer. Based on the calculation, the firm set itself the goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 25% from its 2019 level by 2025.

As a member of the UN Global Compact, Castrén & Snellman is committed to the UN’s sustainable development goals and to taking action against climate change. The Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Carbon Footprint Mapping, Reduction and Compensation Part of C&S’s Sustainability Work

The mapping, reduction and compensation of its carbon footprint are now a part of Castrén & Snellman’s annual sustainability work. The firm will continue to refine its picture of its climate impact and follow-up on its emissions reduction targets to make sure they remain ambitious.

Read more about sustainability at Castrén & Snellman.

Latest references

We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi in connection with their investment in VEV, a leading provider of commercial fleet electrification solutions. The investment, led by Jolt Capital with Tesi as co-investor, will support VEV’s next phase of growth and expansion across Europe. As part of the transaction, VEV became an independent company following the acquisition of Vitol’s stake in the business. Founded by Vitol, VEV provides integrated fleet electrification solutions combining fleet strategy, charging infrastructure, energy supply and operational services. Through its VEV IQ platform, the company supports more than 6,000 commercial electric vehicles across Europe and has been deployed across more than 600 sites spanning the transport, logistics and waste sectors. Jolt Capital is a private equity firm focused on growth investments in European deeptech companies. Tesi is a Finnish state-owned investment company that promotes Finnish business and economic growth through investments. We advised Jolt Capital and Tesi on the equity financing and structuring aspects of the transaction. International law firm Goodwin advised the investors on the acquisition of VEV.
Case published 10.9.2026
VR-Group Plc is a transport and logistics group owned by the Finnish State, operating passenger and freight rail transport in Finland with activities also in the Swedish market. VR Group provides passenger, logistics and maintenance services with over 160 years’ experience in developing responsible transport of the future. We advise VR Group in intellectual property matters as part of the company’s wider brand protection efforts. Our assignments have included advice on copyright, design rights and trademarks, focusing on the protection of the company’s visual identity – including its distinctive green colour – in connection with transport services as part of a comprehensive IP protection strategy. VR Group’s consistent brand building has also received recognition, including the Finland Chamber of Commerce’s Brand of the Year award in 2026. In the competition, brands were viewed comprehensively from various perspectives, including their story, strategic role, brand renewal ability and intellectual property protection. The jury found that VR had understood the importance of the protection of its brand as part of a comprehensive business strategy. 
Case published 9.9.2026
We advised NoHo Partners Plc on the issuance of EUR 50 million senior secured floating rate notes. The notes have a tenor of four years and mature on 10 September 2030. The notes bear interest at a rate of three-month EURIBOR plus a margin of 4.375 per cent. per annum. The notes were allocated to a mix of domestic and international investors. We also advised NoHo Partners on the negotiation of its new senior facilities agreement. The facilities agreement comprises a EUR 60,000,000 term loan facility, a EUR 10,000,000 capex facility and a EUR 27,000,000 revolving credit facility. “We are delighted by the interest investors have shown in the company’s Notes, which reflects confidence in our strategy. The successful issuance of the Notes, together with the new loan agreement, extends the maturity profile of our financing and enables the company to continue executing its growth strategy going forward. I would like to thank all investors for their participation, as well as our partner bank for the excellent execution of the Notes issuance”, says Jarno Suominen, CEO of NoHo Partners. OP Corporate Bank plc acted as the sole lead manager and bookrunner for the issue of the notes. NoHo Partners Plc is a Finnish group established in 1996, and it specialises in restaurant services being the creative innovator of the Northern European restaurant market. The company was listed in Nasdaq Helsinki in 2013 becoming the first Finnish listed restaurant company, and it has continued to grow strongly throughout its history. NoHo Partners’ vision is to be the leading restaurant operator in Northern Europe.
Case published 4.9.2026
We advised Topfoods Oy, a Triton-backed Geia Group company, on its acquisition of Oy Delice Plus Ab, a Finnish supplier of cakes and pastries. Through the acquisition, Topfoods strengthens its retail business and further reinforces its position in the cakes and pastries segment. Founded in 2008, Topfoods supplies selected food products to professional kitchens, the retail sector, and the food industry. 
Case published 4.9.2026