9.9.2019

What Will Finland Be Like in 2049? New podcast series looks to the future

Castrén & Snellman’s experts will dig into this question with other professionals from different fields in a new podcast series, ‘Suomi 2049’. Its eight episodes will cover topics such as the transformation of work, sustainability, digitalisation, Finnish and European policy and Finland’s competitiveness.

Our speakers are Outi Tähtinen, Partner, employment law expert; Anna Kuusniemi-Laine, Partner, sustainability specialist; Eija Warma-Lehtinen, Partner, data and technology expert; Mikko Alakare, Partner, tax expert and referee; and Managing Partner Sakari Lukinmaa.

In the first episode, Outi Tähtinen will talk about the future of work together with Hannu Kahra, university lecturer of Finance at the University of Oulu; Gun Eklund, Managing Director at the Folkhälsan Välfärd healthcare organisation; and Juha Kostiainen, Executive Vice President, Urban Development at YIT and representative of the Confederation of Finnish Construction Industries. The podcast is hosted by futurist Mika Aaltonen.

The first episode came out on 4 September. It will be followed by a new episode every Wednesday. The podcast is available on all platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcast, Acast and Castbox.

The Suomi2049 podcast will plunge into big questions that touch upon Finland’s competitiveness and ask how the decisions we make now will affect our lives in the years to come. Join us and listen to what the future might look like!

Latest references

We advised Neste as it signed a EUR 150 million bilateral green term loan agreement with Danske Bank A/S, Finland Branch. The proceeds of the loan will be used to finance eligible assets and projects in accordance with Neste’s Green Finance Framework. The loan has a tenor of 24 months with one 12-months extension option of 12 months. Neste published a renewed Green Finance Framework in February 2024 to align future financing activities with market best practices and standards. In addition to renewable and circular solutions, Neste’s renewed framework includes renewable energy as an investment category. Longer term actions on ourNeste’s climate roadmap include scaling up new technologies and innovations, with focus on renewable hydrogen. Renewable hydrogen and other new technologies are estimated to have a reduction potential of 20% or more of the 2019 scope 1 &and 2 emission baseline by 2030. 
Case published 4.11.2024
We assisted Nrep in the development of a residential building that will be built adjacent to the Arabia Shopping Centre in north-eastern Helsinki. Our assignment included assisting in a financing arrangement for the residential building, together with corporate and real estate arrangements related to the project. This involved restructuring through share transactions and a demerger, a zoning change, a change of plot division, a joint arrangement, and a management division agreement. The new 16-storey residential building will consist of 188 Juli Living rental apartments and additional business premises on the street level. Once completed, the building will be one of the most energy-efficient residential buildings in Finland. The financing arrangement complies with Nrep’s sustainability targets. LEED Platinum certification will be applied for the project, while the previous two LEED Platinum certificates for residential buildings have been awarded to Nrep’s Herttoniemi and Friisilä sites.
Case published 28.10.2024
We acted as Finnish counsel to Pernod Ricard in the sale of a portfolio of local Nordic brands to Oy Hartwall Ab, an affiliate of the Danish group Royal Unibrew. Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry. The local portfolio of brands includes spirits, liqueurs and Finnish wine brands, the best-known being the liqueur Minttu, along with their related production assets based in Turku, Finland. The closing of the transaction remains subject to customary conditions.
Case published 21.10.2024
We advised Neste as it signed a EUR 200 million bilateral green term loan agreement with UniCredit Bank Austria AG. The proceeds of the loan will be used to finance eligible assets and projects in accordance with Neste’s Green Finance Framework. The loan has a tenor of six years. Neste published a renewed Green Finance Framework in February 2024 to align future financing activities with market best practices and standards. In addition to renewable and circular solutions, Neste’s renewed framework includes renewable energy as an investment category. Longer term actions on Neste’s climate roadmap include scaling up new technologies and innovations, with focus on renewable hydrogen. Renewable hydrogen and other new technologies are estimated to have a reduction potential of 20% or more of the 2019 scope 1 and 2 emission baseline by 2030. 
Case published 21.10.2024