Espoo has taken an important step towards carbon neutrality. The city of Espoo has signed an agreement with Fortum Corporation, a clean energy company. The agreement contains common goals and development of solutions in Espoo. All district heating will be produced with no net emissions of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The parties also agreed on marketing of products and services, on promotion of electric vehicles and on circular economy solutions.

"According to an international survey, Espoo is the most sustainable city in Europe. I think this is a good start and we intend to hold on to first place. Sustainable solutions on a city level require cooperation between the city, corporations, universities, research institutions and residents. The city wants to be part of this cooperation as an actor and a platform,” says Mayor Jukka Mäkelä.

The agreement with Fortum is a big step towards carbon neutrality in Espoo.

“Nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions in Espoo stems from heat production. District heating and climate-friendly energy production has a big, immediate effect on citizens’ welfare”, Jukka Mäkelä continues. 

The goal of the cooperation between the City of Espoo and Fortum Corporation is a change in production and distribution of energy and of customer relationships. The city should be clean, sustainable and show resource wisdom and daily life should run smoothly. This goal can be reached with smart and emission-free solutions.

“We must cooperate closely to achieve carbon neutral district heating The partnership is a milestone on the road to a carbon neutral city by 2050. With the cooperation and the solutions on city level we also improve the residents’ daily lives and wellbeing, as well as the city’s success,” says Fortum’s CEO Pekka Lundmark.

In summer 2016, Fortum and the City of Espoo concluded a letter of intent to develop economically and ecologically sustainable solutions in the city. The letter of intent led, among other things, to three scenarios of carbon neutral district heating by 2030. The scenarios are a natural continuation of the current development. Reuse of waste heat and use of renewable energy have developed significantly over the past two years. They already account for a third of district heat production. 

The goal of the cooperation between the City of Espoo and Fortum Corporation is a change in production and distribution of energy and of customer relationships. The city should be clean, sustainable and show resource wisdom and daily life should run smoothly. This goal can be reached with smart and emission-free solutions.

“We must cooperate closely to achieve carbon neutral district heating The partnership is a milestone on the road to a carbon neutral city by 2050. With the cooperation and the solutions on city level we also improve the residents’ daily lives and wellbeing, as well as the city’s success,” says Fortum’s CEO Pekka Lundmark.

In summer 2016, Fortum and the City of Espoo concluded a letter of intent to develop economically and ecologically sustainable solutions in the city. The letter of intent led, among other things, to three scenarios of carbon neutral district heating by 2030. The scenarios are a natural continuation of the current development. Reuse of waste heat and use of renewable energy have developed significantly over the past two years. They already account for a third of district heat production. 

The parties aim at open development and introduction of internationally unique, smart energy solutions targeted at residents and communities. This work is part of the metropolitan region’s common goal to build a test platform of world class for new, smart solutions for sustainable development.

“We need and want to bring other partners into the development as well. We seek comprehensive solutions that increase business opportunities and attract companies to participate. The city agrees to contribute to making new products and solutions possible, and to use them. We promise to plan and build the city in the long term towards a sustainable future,” says the city’s director of sustainable development Pasi Laitala.

Espoo on the road of sustainable growth

The City of Espoo creates sustainable future together with residents and partners and the rest of the metropolitan area. The objective is welfare in a smart and safe city where daily life runs smoothly.

We are exploiting the opportunities for a good life that urbanization brings. Services, transport, housing, culture and economy must became sustainable. Objectives are that energy production in the city is carbon neutral, residents adopt a sustainable lifestyle, nature in the city is valued as a source of life and everybody can participate. Development is supported by the vitality that arises from the residents’ skills, based on innovation and circular economy.

According to an international survey in 2016 Espoo is the most sustainable city in Europe. Growth in the fast growing city is economically, socially and ecologically sustainable. The work continues and the goal is to make it even better and with greater effect.