Espoo moves towards carbon neutrality – be part of the change
Espoo wants to be carbon-neutral by 2030. The target is almost within reach, but practical measures are still needed to reduce emissions. Each climate action is now significant.
The children of Painiityn päiväkoti day care centre are excited. They are sitting in Muksubussi, and one of the day care centre’s employees sits in the driver’s seat. Pedalling the electric cargo bike is surprisingly easy, even though there are eight children aboard.
With Muksubussi, the day care group can head off for a trip to the nearby woods, the sports park, or the library, among other places.
“Muksubussi offers the day care centre the opportunity to expand its learning environment and go on more local excursions. The bike ride is, in itself, an experience for the children,” says project coordinator Tuuli Tepponen from the ‘Varhaiskasvatuksen aktiivinen arki’ (active daily life in early childhood education) project.
Muksubussi brings some fun variety to the daily life of the day care centre and gets children excited about local excursions, exercise that promotes health and wellbeing, and sustainable lifestyle choices. It also supports climate education.
“Children learn that you do not need to travel everywhere by car, that you can also get from one place to another under your own steam,” Tepponen says.
Climate Watch shows emissions status
Espoo is aiming to be carbon-neutral by 2030. This means that the city will only produce as much greenhouse emissions as can be absorbed by carbon sinks, such as forests and green areas.
Achieving the target will require an 80 per cent decrease in emissions from the level of 1990. The work is already well under way, as the city is taking many concrete actions to reduce emissions.
The Climate Watch shows the overall status of Espoo’s emissions development and all the climate actions taken by the city to achieve the carbon neutrality target. The Climate Watch is constantly being updated, and it is available to everyone at ilmastovahti.espoo.fi/en(external link, opens in a new window)
“You can use the Climate Watch to view Espoo’s emissions by sector. In addition, it shows land use, housing and transport measures for reducing emissions, among other things,” says Espoo’s Head of Nature and Environmental Information, Mira Soini.
District heat production to become carbon-neutral
The Climate Watch clearly shows that a large part of Espoo’s emissions is currently caused by district heat production.
“In the future, carbon-neutral district heat will be produced using waste heat, renewable electricity and biofuels. Cooperation between Espoo and energy company Fortum plays a key role in this,” says Niina Nousjärvi, Espoo’s Climate Work Development Manager.
The Climate Watch’s scenario tool’s prediction curve shows where we are in achieving the carbon-neutral Espoo 2030 target. Transitioning to carbon-neutral district heat production will significantly reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and bring the city several steps closer to achieving its carbon neutrality target.
“Still, the emission reductions are not quite enough and we need to take further measures,” says Soini.
You can take part too!
Along with housing, transport is one of the largest producers of carbon dioxide emissions, as one third of emissions are caused by transport. In this sector, residents also have a significant opportunity to take part in the city’s carbon neutrality efforts.
“The aim is for everyone in Espoo to travel smoothly and with low emissions. Walking and cycling are the most ecological ways to travel, and they also help to improve health. It’s also a good idea to favour public transport and electric and hybrid vehicles,” Nousjärvi emphasises.
The city is doing its part to promote emission reductions by electrifying transport, improving public transport and park-and-ride services, and developing the charging network for electric vehicles.
The city’s budget includes a description of Espoo’s climate work, and the Carbon-Neutral Espoo 2030 roadmap, which is currently being prepared, will provide more detailed guidelines.
Text: Susanna Cygnel
This article has originally been published in the Espoo Magazine 1/2024.
Read other articles in the Espoo Magazine.