Helsinki declares climate emergency to reduce emission

The City of Helsinki on Friday has declared a climate emergency, thereby acknowledging its responsibility for reducing its carbon footprint and expressing its awareness of the urgency of climate action, said an official press release.

Helsinki has brought up the role of cities in solving the climate crisis in several fora, paying attention to the matter in its advocacy.

“Helsinki does not combat climate change only because it is the economically rational thing to do but, above all, because it is our responsibility to save the planet for future generations. We are one of the cities with a truly credible, ambitious and implementable climate program”, said Helsinki Mayor Jan Vapaavuori.

The City of Helsinki has committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. The City reduces its emissions by 80% from the level of 1990 and compensates for the remaining emission share.

The emission target concerns all direct emissions of the city’s entire geographical area.

On September 23, the City Council approved the City Board’s proposal of preparing a climate emergency declaration. The proposal was based on a motion by Council member Leo Stranius. The Mayor decided on Helsinki’s climate emergency declaration on the 25th of September.

More than a thousand municipalities around the world have declared a climate emergency. Helsinki is presumably the first Finnish city to declare a climate emergency.