The Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu, Finland, is cooperating on sustainable development with the North Karelia Biosphere Reserve by protecting a rare, endangered lizard sensitive to climate change, compensating its carbon footprint, and raising awareness of climate change and other environmental issues.
13 July 2011: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has reported that the Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu, Finland, is cooperating on sustainable development with the North Karelia Biosphere Reserve by compensating for its carbon footprint and protecting a rare, endangered lizard.Ilosaarirock is also contributing to raising awareness of climate change and environmental issues. It has established a memorial tree park called “Pop forest” in the vicinity of Koli National Park, in cooperation with the UNESCO biosphere reserve of North Karelia and the regional sustainable development programme Koli Cultura. The celebration of the Ilosaarirock festival’s 40th anniversary will coincide with the opening of Pop forest, as well as the launch of a study of the festival’s carbon footprint. [UNESCO Press Release]