# Google cuts down 250,000 trees for AI data centers in Finland

Digest AI · Policy & Regulation · published 2026-10-22T12:36:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/google-cuts-down-250-000-trees-for-ai-data-centers-in-finland

## Summary

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 150,000 more at a second site in Otanmäki, bringing the total to around 400,000 trees.

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.

## 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

## Why it matters

The halt shows regulators can intervene in AI infrastructure projects, forcing companies to address the environmental cost of the AI boom.

## Sources

1. [Google just cut down 250,000 trees for AI data centers — and now it's facing a major backlash](https://yahoo.com/news/world/articles/google-just-cut-down-250-193622990.html) (yahoo.com, 2026-10-22)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Google cuts down 250,000 trees for AI data centers in Finland", 22 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-cuts-down-250-000-trees-for-ai-data-centers-in-finland

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