The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities awarded the city of Lappeenranta for its valuable climate protection work

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities presented awards to the cities of Helsinki and Lappeenranta for their valuable climate protection work at the National Climate Conference of the Municipalities held on 12 May 2016 in Tampere. The award for Lappeenranta was accepted by Director Ilkka Räsänen of the Lappeenranta Region Environmental Office.

With regards to the award criteria, Energy Engineer Kalevi Luoma of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities emphasised how Lappeenranta’s achievements are based on cooperation.

– The city of Lappeenranta and Lappeenranta University of Technology have worked together to develop renewable energy to benefit the region’s residents and companies. Finland’s largest solar power plant will be constructed in the university campus area. Lappeenrannan Energia Oy is encouraging private consumers to start energy microgeneration. Kalevi Luoma said that the most impressive and visible result has been achieved through the energy generation cooperation between the city and the forest industry – the city’s district heat production is now based on biofuels.

Luoma pointed out that Lappeenranta has been doing impressive climate protection work for many years: the City has been involved in the 'Cities for Climate Protection' campaign since 2000 and it joined the HINKU network of Finnish carbon neutral municipalities in 2014. Furthermore, the city of Lappeenranta has joined the Energy Efficiency Agreements of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The practical implementation of the agreements has already exceeded the objectives.

Director Ilkka Räsänen of the Lappeenranta Region Environmental Office says that the Lappeenranta City Group is currently constructing largish solar power plants in three locations: a day-care centre in Myllymäki, the western fire station in Lavola and on Lappeenrannan Energia Oy’s site.

– Lappeenranta has reduced its emissions by 38% from the 1990 level, and the targets of the climate programme, which extends to 2020, have been achieved ahead of schedule. The city of Lappeenranta will start using EKOenergy certified electricity in the beginning of 2017. Lappeenranta is the only Finnish city competing in the WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge 2016.

Räsänen emphasises the role of the Lappeenranta University of Technology’s Green Campus and the business-driven Green Energy Showroom network as key partners and supporters.

The City of Helsinki was awarded, in particular, for the long-term, versatile work that its various agencies and corporations have done with climate and energy issues.

– Helsinki was one of the first to join the Cities for Climate Protection campaign in 1997. The latest examples of Helsinki’s climate protection work are the climate protection road map for the city of Helsinki and the development of Iso Roobertinkatu to IsoRoba climate street. The City of Helsinki cooperates with businesses through the Climate Partners network. The network fosters cooperation that seeks to reduce emissions that affect the climate and to enhance the competitiveness of companies. Helsinki has also started instilling ecological thinking and creating a network of eco-supporters.

The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities also awarded a personal diploma to Counsellor Pirkko Heikinheimo of the Ministry of the Environment who, over the years, has participated as an expert in the municipalities’ climate-related campaign work and invarious projects related to the Association’s climate protection work and the planning of programmes for the National Climate Conference of the Municipalities, as well as developed emissioncalculations and communicated awareness of climate change.

For further information, please contact:
Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities
Environmental Manager, Mira Riipinen, tel. +358 40 824 4401
Energy Engineer, Kalevi Luoma, tel. +358 500 824 641

City of Lappeenranta
Ilkka Räsänen, Director, tel. +358 400 815 284
ilkka.rasanen@lappeenranta.fi