Tapiolan Honka’s tips for organisations: How to make sustainable development part of your operations

Right before the pandemic, the Tapiolan Honka club launched a project to reduce the carbon footprint of the club. The initiative for the project came from parents. Thanks to dedicated volunteers and support from the entire organisation, the project had a strong start. The impact of the project was increased by engaging the City of Espoo and corporate partners in the effort. Meri’s speech about the sustainable development actions of the club is available on the YouTube channel of Espoo. Espoo NGO Day, 8 September 2022 - Carbon-neutral Tapiolan Honka - YouTube(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish).

Honka members drive about 1.4 million kilometres in a year, which means that traffic emissions are something that could be reduced. Similarly, the consumption of energy is a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2020, the club used the Hiilifiksu calculator of Sitra to calculate the carbon footprint of the club. In order to reduce emissions, the club switched to more environmentally friendly district heat and wind electricity and the club encourage their members to bicycle and carpool.

Cooperation has been implemented with partners such as Fortum, Ilmatar, Yeply, Kone and the City of Espoo. Cooperation is also a way of fund-raising and provides the partners with positive exposure. Partnership is also visible in the core operations of the club. For example, ‘sunny player’ acknowledgements are awarded in games in cooperation with Ilmatar.

In 2021, the Olympic Committee awarded the club the Fiksu seura environmental prize for their good work. The prize money was used to purchase, in accordance with the values of the club, a pump for joint use at the sports hall to encourage bicycling.

Circular economy is promoted by establishing an FB flea market for the club, making the recycling at the Honkahalli hall easier, and by having different work parties where goods are donated to charity and excess jerseys are donated to Tanzania.

Active communications with partners on different channels inspire the people at the club and other sports clubs to participate in similar efforts. They also help raise funds for the project through positive exposure.

The carbon-neutrality project has participated in activities such as planning the ‘Carbon-neutral Tapiola football stadium and Sports Park 2030’ project of Espoo. Tapiolan Honka has also been the first Finnish operator to join the UN’s international sports network for climate and the club has encouraged other clubs and sports operators to join them.

Meri recommends that other clubs try the Kestävästi liikkeelle online course, provided by Liikunnan Kehitysyhteistyö LiiKe ry(external link, opens in a new window). After the course, you understand the challenges of the sustainable development of sports and know how to influence them in a positive way as part of the sports sector. The course is worth one credit and you can complete it at your pace.

‘If the basics are not in order, it weakens your credibility,’ says Meri at the end of her presentation. You should clean your homebase first and focus on what the most relevant things in the operations of your organisation are.

The sustainable development of Honka continues. The next things to focus on are the promotion of geothermal heat and solar electricity at the Honkahalli hall, the city schools’ sustainable use of energy, and supporting of sustainable modes of mobility. Biodiversity, food, and sustainable purchases have also become important targets for development among the members of the club.

• Events: Encourage people to use sustainable modes of transport to get to the events.
• Catering: Make the vegan option a basic option, emphasise the healthiness aspect.
• Procurements: Recycle, repair, buy from a responsible supplier, buy products made from recycled materials. Always consider whether the procurement is absolutely necessary.
• Premises: Switch to wind electricity, for example. Check the temperatures and that no unnecessary lights are on when the premises are empty. Ensure that recycling is in order.
• Be inspiring in your communications: Make sustainable development part of your communications and inspire members to contribute.
• Learn new things: Online course: Kestävästi liikkeelle(external link, opens in a new window) (for sports sector organisations in particular, in Finnish).
• Collaborate with local companies.
• Follow others’ example - Copy good practices.

We encourage all Espoo organisations to tell their members and residents about their environmental efforts. We are happy to highlight good examples in the communications of the City of Espoo. Contact us, if you are interested in communications cooperation to promote sustainable development!

Follow the sustainable development in Espoo and stay up to date about the sustainable development work of the city and the current news and events.

Sustainable development goals as part of the planning of own operations.

A new application supports choosing sustainable modes of mobility. Tapiolan Honka tested the application.

The Hiilifiksu calculator (external link, opens in a new window)for calculating your emissions (in Finnish, Sitra & University of Helsinki).

The Kestävästi liikkeelle course for sports sector organisations Kestävästi liikkeelle - Liikunnan Kehitysyhteistyö LiiKe ry(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish).

Final report on the state measures to promote sports and physical activity(external link, opens in a new window) 

The environmental liability plan of the Finnish Basketball Association(external link, opens in a new window) 

Carbon-neutral Tapiolan Honka(external link, opens in a new window)

KEKE coach of the Olympic Committee: Olympiakomitean KEKE-koutsi | Veikkaus - YouTube(external link, opens in a new window) (1 min video, in Finnish) and KEKE-koutsi - tips for environmentally friendly club operations - The Finnish Olympic Committee(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)

The article is a part of the Solution Path to Sustainable Growth Ecosystems (RAKKE) project, funded through the support for sustainable growth and vitality in Uusimaa (UKKE) funding.