Five Finnish municipalities will show how to curb climate change

17 June 2008

Photo: Parikkala

Finnish municipalities roll up their sleeves to mitigate climate change

Five municipalities - together with businesses, researchers, and public administration - are about to start a project with objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than what is required by EU goals and more quickly than has been agreed. The long-term goals reach as far as 20 years into the future, and the ultimate goal is a carbon-neutral municipality.

For the first time in Finland, the activities of municipalities and the businesses and people within them are examined in the same study from the perspective of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The five participating municipalities include Mynämäki, Uusikaupunki, Kuhmoinen, Padasjoki and Parikkala. The project was started by six business managers who were concerned about climate change, together with Devoi Oy and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

The project will support the future development of the municipalities and promote the introduction of climate-friendly technology. The procedures developed within the project will be applicable in other municipalities in Finland and elsewhere in the world.

In addition, the project will also promote the formation of environmental domestic markets and thereby benefit businesses within the environmental branch.

Tools for cost-efficient emission reduction

The municipalities will define their short-term goals and plan the required measures together with experts. The project will search for tools that municipalities can use in their efforts to check climate change. Thus, it will be possible to achieve concrete results already within a few years.

For example, the municipalities can in their purchase policies favour energy-efficient and low-emission products, or improve the energy efficiency of their premises, or promote recycling.

The municipalities will also be assisted in their implementation efforts by researchers and experts as well as businesses that develop and sell climate-friendly technology.

According to Professor Jyri Seppälä, Finnish Environment Institute, the project has good possibilities - for example - to promote the use and production of renewable energy because the municipalities represent rural localities where renewable resources exist. "In addition, the integrated approach applied in this project can produce the new innovative and employment-improving solutions based on energy efficiency and sustainable use of local natural resources."

"Different measures at the same time will offer additional value from the viewpoint of climate change mitigation, and contribute to Finland's capacity to cope with more stringent emission requirements." Professor Seppälä stresses.

Benefiting environment and related businesses

The enterprises whose leaders launched the project include Aina Group, Deloitte, Raisio, Veikkaus, Microsoft, Solution Space, and TAC Finland. This new union is an unorthodox mixture of different industries and corporations, all which have a same goal.

Mr. Jari Raitanen, Managing Director, Devoi Oy, describes that the corporate figures who started this unique project are forerunners in many ways. This group of managing directors has a pioneering attitude, and will to develop something new. Their attitude and thoughts gave birth to this new kind of partnership.

"Now we have a platform for businesses to test their products and know-how in the real environment. I hope this is of interest to all kinds of companies."

"We need visionary people to process and think over the proceedings of this project, but we also aim to activate companies that can bring an additional advantage to the cause. We will find a role for all the interested parties," says Raitanen.

"The enterprises have contributed by funding the initial stage, but we need additional funding to ensure that the project will proceed," Raitanen concludes.

More information on the project:

Finnish Environment Institute

Devoi Oy

More information on Finnish clean technology:

27 February 2008
Finland is preparing for cleantech era
28 April 2007
Cleantech Finland - innovative technologies for clean environment
27 February 2007
Finland to take the lead in environmental business