The ResPro project, led by the University of Helsinki, and the BLINK project, led by the Building Information Foundation, will study structural overconsumption over the next two years. Both projects received €500,000 in funding from the Nessling Foundation’s Murros-call, which aims to generate knowledge and science-based solutions for breaking away from structural overconsumption.
Structural overconsumption refers to a situation where the institutional and cultural structures of society steer us towards unsustainable use of natural resources. Especially in public debate, efforts to curb consumption tend to focus easily on the individual, while in reality there is a diverse range of societal structures behind our consumption decisions, guiding our behaviour either consciously or unconsciously.
The institutions of our society were designed at a time when the depletion of natural resources and environmental harms were not key concerns. For our consumption to stay within the planetary boundaries, change must reach deep into our structures. We need knowledge about what these structures are, why they have locked us into overconsumption, and how they could be reformed. I am pleased that we have been able to fund two such different research projects, and I hope they will find some concrete solutions,
says Iina Koskinen, the Science and Executive Director at the Nessling Foundation.
ResPro research project looks for a next step to address the overconsumption of animal-based products
The ResPro project, led by the University of Helsinki, seeks realistic alternative compromises for protein production that improve both environmental and animal welfare, and at the same time address the overconsumption of animal-based products.
Current livestock production has many environmental impacts. We know that, in the long term, the system needs to change. We want to identify the next possible and feasible steps of change that challenge existing systems. At the heart of our work is a shared dialogue in which all parties are heard,
says Nina Janasik, responsible leader of the ResPro project and University Lecturer at the University of Helsinki.
The BLINK project challenges norms in the construction sector
Led by the Building Information Foundation, the BLINK project examines established practices, guidelines, decision-making structures and incentives in the construction sector. A particular focus is on concrete through which the aim is to identify how different structures and value chains hinder resource efficiency and how they can be steered to support ecological, economic and technical sustainability.
The root causes of overconsumption do not lie with individual experts, organisations or technologies, but really in the very structure of our society. How is construction regulated, what kinds of contracts are made, and how do these affect the planning of construction and, in turn, the grassroots level? It is also a question of what we value: we should be proud of our existing building stock, care for it and use it more,
says Katja Tähtinen, the responsible leader of the BLINK project and Research Director at the Building Information Foundation.
The projects will begin their work in early 2026 and run for two years. Although they operate in different fields, the projects believe they can also draw support from one another.
Overconsumption is a systemic problem that cannot be solved with solutions from a single sector or with small tweaks to existing practices. Breaking away from overconsumption requires a major shift not only in attitudes but also in ways of working, as well as innovation. I believe these new research projects will be able to drive this transformation forward,
says Koskinen.
Taustatietoa luonnonvarojen ylikulutuksesta
- The consumption of natural resources continues to grow. Global natural resource use has soared by almost 400% since 1970 and is predicted to increase by 60 per cent from 2020 levels by 2060. (UNEP 2024)
- Material resource consumption of Finns is the highest in Europe. At the same time, the circular material use rate in Finland was only 2.4 per cent in 2023, which is significantly lower than the EU average (EEA 2025a). In the European Environment Agency’s latest publication, the circular material use rate for Finland in 2024 was even lower, at 2.0 per cent. (EEA 2025b)
- The production of animal proteins places a far greater burden on the environment than the production of plant proteins. Globally, it provides only about 18 per cent of the calories we consume, yet it uses the majority of the freshwater used in agriculture and up to 80 per cent of agricultural land. (Poore & Nemecek 2018)
- 80 per cent of EU agricultural subsidies go, directly or indirectly, to livestock production. (Kortleve ym. 2024)
- Construction is a major consumer of natural resources both globally and in Finland. Globally, around half of all the natural resources we use go into construction, and the sector generates roughly 30 per cent of all waste. (UNEP 2024)
- Of all construction materials, concrete is the most commonly used, and its environmental impacts are significant. It has been estimated that if concrete was a country, its carbon dioxide emissions would be the third highest in the world, after the United States and China. (WRI 2022)
Original news on Foundations webpage >
