Google cuts down 250,000 trees for AI data centers in Finland
Google's €13 billion AI expansion in Finland has cleared roughly 330 hectares of forest at a site in Muhos, an area the Guardian says is larger than 450 American football fields. Finnish authorities ordered Google’s subsidiary, Tuike Finland, to stop work until environmental impact assessments are completed, after the company cut down about 250,000 trees at the Muhos location and an estimated…
Key points
- Google cleared about 330 hectares of forest, cutting roughly 250,000 trees at Muhos and 150,000 at Otanmäki
- Finnish authorities ordered Tuike Finland to halt work until environmental impact assessments are finished
- Google pledged to plant trees on 130 hectares in Muhos but faces criticism over the loss of mature forest
Google country manager Antti Järvinen apologized, saying the company believed its forestry activities complied with Finnish law. Google has pledged to plant trees across 130 hectares in Muhos as part of a biodiversity plan, but residents and environmental experts warn that replacing mature forest is not a simple trade‑off. The incident highlights the growing tension between AI infrastructure growth and environmental regulation in Europe.
Google just cut down 250,000 trees for AI data centers — and now it's facing a major backlash
yahoo.com · 22 October 2026
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