Networks and twin towns

The City of Espoo is an active participant in international networks. The networks offer platforms for sharing knowledge and experiences in order to improve the city’s services and the competence of its staff. Furthermore, these networks aim to influence important city-related decisions, for example in the EU, and to reinforce the role of local government.

International networks

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network (external link)that develops and coordinates work related to sustainable development in cities and municipalities. The network encourages local authorities to implement sustainable development measures so that they can respond to global challenges such as climate change, increasing urbanisation and economic and population fluctuations.

The Covenant of Mayors is an international network(external link) and a commitment between cities. The purpose of the commitment is to highlight the potential of cities to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, as cities produce 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. The signatory cities commit to reducing their emissions by at least 40% by 2030. In line with the commitment, the cities must draw up a Sustainable Energy Action Plan, which outlines the key actions they plan to undertake to achieve their emission-reduction target, as well as a Baseline Emission Inventory.

The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities helps cities achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals(external link) by developing practices in support of lifelong learning and quality education. The central idea of the network is that lifelong learning lays the foundation for a city’s sustainable future. The cities in the network share expertise and ideas, develop their activities and create tools and recommendations to promote lifelong learning. The network consists of more than 300 cities from around the world. Espoo has been a member of the network since it was founded in 2015.

In addition, the city’s employees are involved in other international networks, often focusing on a specific theme, whose activities increasingly take place online.

Sister cities

The City of Espoo maintains established friendships with sister cities from the Nordic countries, China, the United States and Hungary.

Since the Second World War, the establishment of sister city relations has been a traditional way of networking and communication between cities. As Europe has become more integrated and new city networks have been established, the significance of sister city activities has decreased.

The City of Espoo has a long-lasting and solid cooperation partnership with the City of Shanghai. The cities signed a sister city agreement in 1998. Our partnership with the Chinese city did not develop overnight, but through long-term work, we have been able to move beyond rhetoric. Shanghai is the third largest city in the world and an important economic centre. Espoo seeks to pave the way for Espoo-based and Finnish businesses wishing to enter the market in Shanghai and China.

The cooperation between the two cities is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The current agreement is valid until 2023, specifying the themes of cooperation:

innovations and entrepreneurship
business, trade and investments
education
sports and exercise
culture
tourism and conferences
sustainable development
health, well-being and elderly care.

Espoo and Shanghai have been sister cities for over 20 years, and this cooperation has benefited Finnish business life extensively. Inter-city cooperation is highly important as it enables interaction between different actors, opens doors, enhances learning and makes it easier to solve sustainable development challenges.

Highlights of this long-term cooperation include the sister schools of upper secondary schools, cooperation between universities and other institutions of higher education and business contacts. The students of Espoo’s upper secondary schools have many opportunities to build international networks – one way is to participate in the Shanghai cooperation. Since 2016, all Espoo upper secondary schools have had a sister school in Shanghai.

Networks and twin towns

International networks

Eurocities

Union of Baltic Cities

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

Unesco Global Network of Learning Cities

Sister cities

Cooperation between Espoo and Shanghai

Network of Nordic sister cities

Espoo’s other sister cities