City of Lappeenranta joins network of carbon neutral municipalities
The city of Lappeenranta will join the HINKU network of carbon neutral Finnish municipalities. The City Council made the decision to join the network on 31 March 2014. Joining the network is also a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Lappeenranta region by 80% from the 2007 level by 2030.
The interim emissions reduction targets are 15% by 2016 and 40% by 2022. The city of Lappeenranta will get its own HINKU working group, tasked with seeking and developing actions for achieving these targets.
A breakthrough for HINKU
In the opinion of the responsible project leader of the national HINKU project, Professor Jyri Seppälä of the Finnish Environment Institute, the participation of Lappeenranta will significantly enhance the HINKU networks weight in the climate change mitigation work conducted in Finland, as well as the project’s brand value internationally.
– Lappeenranta is in a position to transform climate change mitigation solutions to real opportunities for Lappeenranta and for Finland as a whole. Visibility will be provided and new market areas opened up for the low-carbon expertise and products of the Lappeenranta University of Technology and companies through the HINKU network of Finnish carbon neutral municipalities. The city of Lappeenranta is in a great position to achieve the joint targets set for the HINKU municipalities, estimates Seppälä.
With Lappeenranta, the HINKU network now comprises 16 Finnish municipalities. The municipalities share ideas and implement measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions in cooperation with their region’s companies, residents and experts.
All the municipalities participating in HINKU are committed to the emissions reduction target of 80% from the 2007 level by 2030.
Energy-efficiency, renewable energy and regional well-being
According to Director Ilkka Räsänen of the Lappeenranta Region Environmental Office, Lappeenranta will reduce emissions especially by improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy. The aim is to further strengthen and deepen cooperation with businesses and residents in the Lappeenranta region.
– In addition, we can influence land use, energy production and traffic emissions though municipal decision-making. We also aim to strengthen local well-being through, for example, cost savings, energy self-sufficiency and new business opportunities, says Räsänen.
Lappeenranta well on way towards carbon neutrality
Lappeenranta has already taken some major steps towards carbon neutrality in recent years: in 2010, the city switched to using bioenergy in district heating. Energy efficiency is taken into account when developing the urban infrastructure. Within buildings too, energy efficiency is being improved on a consistent basis and solar energy is being promoted.
The City of Lappeenranta is engaged in close cooperation with the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT), which focuses on and invests heavily in the development of renewable energy, energy technology and environmental technology. The Green Campus of LUT has been internationally awarded in recognition of innovative sustainable development actions.
In 2013, Finland's second largest inland wind farm was launched in Lappeenranta and UPM-Kymmene Oyj is currently constructing a biodiesel plant in the city.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Lappeenranta Region Environmental Office
Director Ilkka Räsänen
tel. +358 400 815 284
ilkka.rasanen@lappeenranta.fi
City of Lappeenranta
Director Markku Heinonen
tel. +358 40 581 1998
markku.heinonen@lappeenranta.fi
Finnish Environment Institute
Professor, Director Jyri Seppälä
tel. +358 40 740 1708
jyri.seppala@ymparisto.fi
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