Climate action in Vantaa
Vantaa has set itself the goal of being a carbon-neutral city in 2030. The change will not happen on its own; it requires definite action by everybody: the city, businesses operating in Vantaa, and the residents.
In practice, the carbon-neutrality goal means reducing climate-warming emissions by 80% as counted from the level in 1990, since it is very difficult to remove all greenhouse gas emissions arising from human action. The remaining 20% will be compensated for, for example, by financing projects aiming at carbon neutrality.
Vantaa’s most important measures to attain carbon neutrality consist of
- Improving energy efficiency of building
- integrating and developing urban structure
- improving public transport
- making sustainable acquisitions
- accounting for the energy efficiency of premises and devices.
The city’s Roadmap to Resource Wisdom dictates Vantaa's long-term environmental goals. The key points of the Roadmap to Resource Wisdom consist of circular economy, renewable energy, as well as residents and businesses who deploy environmental liability in all their actions.
The Roadmap to Resource Wisdom progresses along six lanes, which are Urban structure and mobility, Carbon-neutral energy,Lifecycle of materials and the circular economy, Biodiversity, Responsible Vantaa as well as Carbon sinks and compensation.
The desired outcome is carbon-neutral Vantaa in 2030 where the city plans and implements in a resource-smart way, the nature is versatile, natural resources are used in a sustainable manner, and residents, businesses and associations operate in a responsible manner, creating preconditions for sustainable wellbeing.
Adaptation to climate change
The metropolitan area has joint guidelines for adaptation to climate change. In addition, Vantaa’s storm-water program, to name but one example, offers practical adaptation methods as regards climate change.
In addition to reducing the risk of floods, natural management of storm water retains water circulation in built areas in as natural a state as possible.
Traffic development
Vantaa makes particular investments into developing pedestrian and cycling routes, as well as into well-functioning public transport. An integrated and compact urban structure enhances public transport and helps maintain green areas that are important for biodiversity.
The city improves the quality of pedestrian and cycling routes, for instance, in connection with developing city centers. Cycling options are improved with the help of quality cycling lanes that translate into continuous, high-quality cycling routes.
Rail transit plays an important role in a carbon-neutral city. Around 200,000 residents and as many as 200,000 jobs are estimated to be situated within a one-kilometer radius from the Ring Rail Line stations in the future.
Real property energy consumption
Heating buildings causes more than a third of greenhouse gas emissions in the metropolitan area. Vantaa is committed to the Municipalities’ energy-efficiency agreement (KETS). The agreement aims to improve Vantaa’s overall energy efficiency and to cut the city's energy consumption. The agreement also includes measures related to increased use of renewable energy. Low-energy solutions constitute the starting point of new building.
A significant amount of household greenhouse gas emissions arises from heating and electricity consumption of buildings. By reducing your energy consumption and buying environmentally marked energy, you can reduce your housing emissions to a significant extent.
Consumption and materials
Vantaa is one of the most rapidly growing cities in Finland. Due to heavy building, the city has lots of possibilities of developing new uses of demolition and recycling materials, as well as of land masses. The city continuously develops its operating model for circular economy together with its partners and HSY, the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority.
Environmentally liable everyday
Big everyday habits—for example, how we live, move from one place to another, and what we eat—have an impact on our carbon footprint. The biggest household greenhouse gas emissions arise from living, electricity consumption, mobility, food choices, as well as consumption of goods and services.
You can lower your carbon footprint to a significant extent, for instance, by moving smartly and by making sustainable consumer choices. Sustainable consumption is also important for reducing the amount of waste, since the majority of waste arises already before the product is in the hands of the consumer.
Sorting household waste is important for re-utilizing the materials. The Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY is the primary party counseling Vantaa residents about waste issues.
Increasing environmental awareness
Vantaa participates in HSY's Ilmastoinfo, which helps and encourages residents in the metropolitan area to make choices that are good for the environment.
The City of Vantaa also encourages its employees to be environmentally liable. Ekotuki is an operating model for accounting for environmental issues at the City of Vantaa's workplaces. Trained eco support persons promote sustainable operating procedures and increase environmental awareness in their work communities.
Increasing environmental awareness and promoting environmental liability play a key role in Vantaa schools and daycare centers as well.
Environmental Liability Reports and other reports
The City of Vantaa's environmental liability report tells how well the department-specific goals of Vantaa's resource-smart roadmap have progressed and how the city has progressed in its way toward carbon neutrality by 2030. In addition, the report introduces examples of good practices and acts that Vantaa has deployed to promote resource smartness during this period. The city's indicators of environmental sustainability—with which the city has monitored the development already since 2007—and environmental accounting have also been collected in the report.
Effective solutions
Attaining Vantaa’s climate goals requires cooperation between all Vantaa residents and actors. The Sustainability Leap view below shows the latest acts and solutions in Vantaa. The Finnish Environment Institute is responsible for the Sustainability Leap service. We build carbon-neutral and resource-smart Vantaa together!