Total emissions in Helsinki rose in 2018-2019
Published : 15 Jul 2020, 17:30
Updated : 16 Jul 2020, 05:52
Total greenhouse gas emissions in Helsinki increased by 2 per cent from 2018 to 2019, said a City of Helsinki press release.
Emissions from the transport sector in Helsinki were reduced by 2 per cent from 2018 to 2019, and emissions from electricity consumption other than heating were reduced by 6 per cent, according to the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority (HSY) statistics.
Emissions from district heating increased by 5 per cent.
The HSY reports on emissions in the region annually.
Trends in district heating production play a crucial role in the achievement of Helsinki’s emissions goals. The 2019 emissions from district heating consumption represented about 52 per cent of the total emissions in Helsinki. In addition to district heating consumption, emissions from district heating are affected by the fuels used in district heating production. The share of renewable energy sources in district heating production increased somewhat in Helsinki from 2018 and is now slightly less than 14 per cent. However, the share of coal in district heating production increased from 2018 and, as a result, the estimated emissions from district heating increased in Helsinki.
“It’s evident by the emissions trend that we need large-scale, systematic actions to combat the climate crisis. We need an increasingly determined approach to achieve our carbon-neutrality goal, and Helsinki continues to pursue its strong climate action. We will make the biggest impact by replacing coal with sustainable alternatives, which is what we’re currently pursuing with our ongoing Helsinki Energy Challenge competition,” said Helsinki Mayor Jan Vapaavuori.
Helsinki seeks to be carbon neutral by 2035. Helsinki launched the international Helsinki Energy Challenge on 27 February 2020. The competition looks for solutions to heat the city in a sustainable manner without coal and with minimum amounts of biomass.
“Emissions from district heating are also affected by curbing district heating consumption. The City of Helsinki is committed to improving the energy efficiency of its own real estate. However, the City’s own action is not enough, but climate action also requires inputs from other actors in the real estate sector and from private housing companies,” said Mayor Vapaavuori.
According to the release, “The City of Helsinki sets strict standards to the energy efficiency of its building stock: all new non-residential space and other city-managed buildings are constructed to comply with high energy-efficiency standards. In addition, improvements in building energy efficiency should always be sought in connection with renovations. However, major decisions concerning the energy consumption of the city’s own real estate are reflected in emissions only with a delay. Helsinki is making preparations for an Energy Renaissance programme, which seeks a marked increase in the rate of energy renovations in the private building stock.
Actions to impact emissions from the transport sector in Helsinki include a major investment in rail transport – the Jokeri Light Rail project – and improvements in the city’s cycling infrastructure.
In addition to emissions from district heating, emissions also increased from industry, work machines and waste processing.
Total emissions were reduced in Helsinki by 26 per cent from 1990 to 2019. Total emissions per capita were reduced in Helsinki by 44 per cent from 1990 to 2019.
The City of Helsinki’s emissions monitoring is based on the annual HSY statistics on greenhouse gas emissions in the Helsinki region and the calculation method used to compile the statistics. Statistics produced annually using the same calculation method makes it possible to compare the emissions data