Greenreality in Lappeenranta
In Lappeenranta, we invest in green actions open-mindedly. We have pioneered sustainable solutions, and participated actively in climate change mitigation, improving circular economy and restoring waterbodies.
A green Lappeenranta is a key goal in the city strategy in terms of both residential comfort and industrial policy. Our actions are based on resource wisdom and carbon neutrality.
Less talk, more actions
Our goals are ambitious. We want to be a model city for sustainable actions and work at the forefront to achieve it. Lappeenranta has already achieved plenty of attention for its sustainable development actions, i.e.:
- We have been WWF's Climate Capital of Finland in 2014 & 2016
- We are the first city in the world to utilize only EKOenergy certified electricity
- We are the first city in Finland to acquire only biogas or electric cars
- We received the Finnish Association of Municipal Engineering's (FAME) award for separate plastic collection in 2018
- We received the European Green Leaf 2021 Award from the European Commission
- Lappeenranta was chosen as one of the 100 climate cities of the European Union in the spring of 2022
- Our Mayor Kimmo Jarva was part of the 2022 Covenant of Mayors initiative, the world's largest climate network for local climate energy actions
The aim is to become a carbon neutral city by 2030. By 2050, we are a city that doesn't produce landfill waste or greenhouse gas emissions and doesn't overproduce.
Green city
Lappeenranta has been chosen as the Climate Capital of Finland by WWF in 2014 and 2016. Local and Regional Government Finland has awarded the city of Lappeenranta for its laudable climate actions in 2016 as well. In 2017, Lappeenranta proceeded, as the first city in the world, to utilize exclusively EKOenergy certified electricity and acquire only biogas and electric cars. Separate collection of plastic has been awarded by the Finnish Association of Municipal Engineering in 2018.
Finland’s first
inland wind farm,
21 MW
Lappeenranta has
the highest number of
solar panels per resident
of any city in Finland
7
constructed stormwater wetlands
for restoring the Pien-Saimaa lake region
0 %
of waste goes to landfill
Kaukaan Voima’s biopower plant
is one of Finland’s largest
users of biofuels
The world’s first city to switch to EKOenergy-certified electricity
Bioverno, the world’s first
second-generation biorefinery, began operations in
2015
National WWF's
Earth Hour Capital
2016
A pioneer
in the
hydrogen economy
The pink
Jouko brand
of public transport
reduces private car use
Sammonlahti School is the first school in Finland to have received the Eco-Schools Green Flag award and the environmental certificate granted by the Okka Foundation
LUT University is
the 9th best
in the world
in climate science
Among the
18
best cities in the
Earth Hour City Challenge by WWF
275 km
of bicycle paths
Carbon dioxide emissions down by
48%
Skinnarila has Finland’s
greenest campus
2013
Sustainable Campus
Excellence Award
Cycling City
of the Year
2015
Carbon neutral
city
2030
The world’s
most energy efficient
hybrid bus
CAMBUS
Plastic collection
is available
for every household
European Green Leaf Award finalist
2020
and
2021
85%
of Lappeenranta’s district heat is produced at
Kaukaan Voima’s biopower plant
8.2%
of all solar power plants
in Finland
is in Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta uses
100%
renewable electricity
80%
of district heating
is CO2-free
All the schoolchildren learn about sustainable development through the
Uniori (Junior University)
activities
