HSY Climate work

Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY) is working to mitigate climate change in order to achieve the jointly approved objectives of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area climate strategy to the year 2030. This work focuses on promoting and monitoring implementation of the strategy, and reporting on the progress of jointly approved measures.

HSY monitors and reports on greenhouse gas emission trends and implementation of the climate strategy in the cities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. It publishes a biannual review of progress in climate work.

Methods of calculating greenhouse gas emissions are being developed to improve impact assessment and the international comparability of findings. HSY is involved in the joint EUCO2 80/50 -project of European metropolitan areas, which compares emission data from 18 urban regions.

To implement the climate strategy, HSY has launched Julia 2030: an EU-subsidised three-year project seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions in public procurement and the use of public buildings, and to improve forecasting models for waste volumes. The partners in this project are local authorities in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kerava and Kirkkonummi, together with the Finnish Environment Institute and Helsinki Region Transport (HSL). HSY is responsible for implementing and reporting on project measures.

Work has begun on formulating a strategy to enable the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to adapt to climate change. This will form part of Julia 2030 and the BaltCICA project co-ordinated by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK). The strategy is due for completion in 2011.
A climate seminar is arranged yearly to discuss the latest research findings and the outlook for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

The GreenOffice approach applied by HSY at its headquarters in the Pasila district of Helsinki is one way in which the Authority sets an example in promoting implementation of the climate strategy.