25 September 2026 | Article

When the Forest Becomes More Than Carbon

Some things are difficult to explain in a presentation. The feeling of stepping beneath the canopy of an old forest. The scent of damp moss and autumn. The lichens, the deadwood and the traces of a landscape that has evolved over a very long time. That is why fightCOtwo invited representatives from our customers LIWLIG and one of Sweden’s best-known technology companies, together with our reseller Atmoz, to Norrbotten and one of the areas within Boreal Mix.

A forest needs to be experienced

In an almost magical autumn landscape, we walked through old forest where green blended with yellow, orange and red. Moss covered ground and old trees gave way to open herb rich meadows, wetlands and flowing water. It is this variation that creates life, the mosaic that makes the landscape come alive.

We also visited aquatic environments where fightCOtwo has carried out habitat restoration measures. Through simple interventions, including adding deadwood, natural structures and habitats for fish and other aquatic species are being restored. It is a tangible example of how we are not only conserving natural values but also working to strengthen them.

We have forgotten what a forest can look like

For many of us, managed production forests are the forests we have grown up with and therefore tend to see as natural. But through generations of intensive forestry, we have gradually lost the historical perspective. Many people have never experienced a forest with long ecological continuity – with trees of different ages, lichens, mosses, fungi and deadwood. A complex ecosystem that has taken a very long time to develop.

We can plant new trees. But we cannot plant back time.

Seeing the forest from another perspective

At lunch, we were joined by Leif Lundberg from the Maskaure Sámi community. He spoke about how forestry has affected reindeer husbandry as older forests disappear, lichens decline and continuous grazing areas become increasingly fragmented. This is where climate, biodiversity and reindeer husbandry intersect. Initiatives such as fightCOtwo, which give forest owners an economic alternative to harvesting, can therefore also contribute to better conditions for reindeer husbandry.

On the second day, we continued to the Silver Museum in Arjeplog, where we explored Sámi history and the relationship between people, reindeer and the landscape Suddenly, the forest we had walked through the day before took on another dimension.

The landscape is not only nature, it also carries human history.

More than a carbon credit

Experiencing the project first hand gave our guests a very different understanding of what lies behind a carbon credit. It also sparked new ideas about what we can achieve together going forward.

When companies understand the landscape, the people and the natural values behind the credit, their relationship with the project changes. It is no longer only about tonnes of CO₂, but about what is actually being conserved. And somewhere among the autumn colours, the old forest, the herb rich meadows and the flowing water, it became very clear why Boreal Mix exists:

Because some forests are worth more standing than harvested.

Photo: fightCOtwo