Joining Forces to Boost Climate Work in the Metropolitan Area Layman s Report

What did the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority incorporate a carbon calculator into?
What was responsible for the Julia 2030 project?
What did the calculations of greenhouse gas emissions from waste management be incorporated into?

Transcription

1 Joining Forces to Boost Climate Work in the Metropolitan Area Layman s Report Mitigation of and Adaption to the Climate Change in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

2 Contents The Julia 2030 Project 3 Eco-support Activity Surprisingly Popular 5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced in Use of Public Premises 6 Environmental Aspects Considered in Procurement 9 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Waste Management 10 Information Affects Mobility Choices 13 The Carbon Calculators Developed by the Project 14 Campaigns Raised Awareness of Carbon Calculators 17 Julia s City in The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is Preparing for Climate Change 21 Further Details and Materials 23 Copyright photos: HSY, HSY/Jenni-Justiina Niemi, HSY/Karoliina Bärlund, HSY/Kai Widell, HSY/Hannu Bask Cover photo: HSY/Jenni-Justiina Niemi The Julia 2030 project was named after a baby girl born in 2007 as the one millionth resident of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Edita Prima Oy Helsinki

3 3 The Julia 2030 Project The Julia 2030 project provided a framework for Helsinki Region joint climate work in The project was co-funded by the European Union LIFE+ programme. The aim of the project was to boost local government efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to outline ways of preparing for climate change. More than one hundred specialists and representatives of municipality departments were involved in work on various Julia 2030 project initiatives and steering groups. The total budget for the project was EUR 2.1 million, half of which was met from European Union funds. Carbon emission calculation tools were created and taken into use in support of climate work. A total of 640 eco-supporters were trained in the municipalities to promote a general appreciation of the importance of environmental action at their workplaces. The project was co-ordinated by Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY, which was also responsible for developing calculation tools and forecasting models for waste management, and for co-ordinating a public premises project and general communications. HSY worked with the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen to prepare a climate change adaptation strategy for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The municipalities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi and Kerava made their own contributions to various project initiatives. The City of Helsinki was responsible for preparing guidelines and calculation tools for public procurement. Espoo and Vantaa launched their own eco-support activities during the first year, and each of these cities arranged training for about three hundred eco-supporters. Pilot sites were chosen in all municipalities for the public premises project seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by use of these buildings. The Finnish Environment Institute served as a partner in developing approaches for estimating the greenhouse gas emissions of waste management and creating carbon calculators for procurement. By incorporating a carbon calculator into its popular Journey Planner and providing a carbon calculator for weekday transport, Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) provided user-friendly information enabling local residents to see the carbon emissions generated through various forms of personal mobility. The Julia 2030 project reinforced collaboration between the Helsinki region municipalities and joint local authorities in tackling major climate challenges in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

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5 5 Eco-support Activity Surprisingly Popular Eco-support is an approach to promoting environmental responsibility, suitable for a wide range of workplaces. Eco-support activities begin by appointing and training one or more eco-supporters. The state of environmental affairs at the workplace is then reviewed to determine any improvements that could be made. Finally the eco-supporters guide and inspire their colleagues in implementing new ecological practices. The City of Helsinki has been developing eco-support activity since 2006, and 880 of its employees had already been trained as eco-supporters by the end of The Julia 2030 project aimed to spread this approach to other municipalities in the Helsinki Region, and to train a further 200 eco-supporters. This target was greatly exceeded, with a total of 640 new eco-supporters trained in Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi and Kerava during the project. Based on experiences gained in Helsinki, a common framework programme was created for training new eco-supporters with a strong emphasis on climate issues. Two joint networking conferences for eco-supporters in the Helsinki Region were also arranged during the project. Each of these events attracted well over one hundred eco-supporters, who were able to share their experiences and ideas. The Helsinki region municipalities have continued their eco-support activities and collaboration since the project ended. A special eco-support website reports on current affairs and best practices. The eco-support model can also be readily deployed by other cities and in other countries. Communication and Motivation Climate Change Eco-supporter Energy Saving The municipalities provided eco-support information on their own intranets used by their employees, and sent regular information and news bulletins to their eco-supporters. Events were arranged for ecosupporters in each municipality, focusing on topical themes such as energy conservation and waste management. Sustainable Transport Procurement Wastes

6 6 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced in Use of Public Premises The project tested the use of WWF Climate Calculator for monitoring the greenhouse gas emissions of 32 selected pilot premises in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, Kerava and Kirkkonummi. These sites comprised schools, day care centres, libraries, public swimming pools, community centres, offices, depots and a health centre. The aim was to cut the emissions generated in using the pilot properties by 10 per cent between 2009 and Most of the greenhouse gas emissions of the pilot premises came from heating and consumption of electricity. The emissions from work-related travelling by staff, paper consumption and waste were also calculated. Emissions due to air travel were significant at some sites. Some difficulties arose in obtaining consumption data of premises during the project. The Climate Calculator is best suited to sites for which consumption data are readily available. The combined greenhouse gas emissions of the pilot sites, adjusted by applying the annual heating requirement, fell by 4 per cent between 2009 and 2010, and were also expected to fall in The final results will be available in spring The emission reductions were achieved by changing consumption habits. Eco-supporters were trained with a view to guiding and encouraging their colleagues to work in more climate friendly ways. Effective methods of reducing emissions included monitoring consumption of heating, electricity and water ensuring that the temperature of workrooms did not exceed 21 C adjusting heating and cooling where necessary, with consideration also given to underused facilities turning off unused lights and electrical appliances optimising use of natural light and installing timers, motion sensors and photoelectric switches to lamps where possible. The Climate Calculator was made more user-friendly during the project, and facilities were also included for cost tracking and more extensive waste analysis. The Climate Calculator may be accessed freely online at > UK Flag.

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9 9 Environmental Aspects Considered in Procurement General guidelines were drawn up for municipalities on how to take into consideration greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental aspects in public procurement. These guidelines include a comprehensive study of public procurement regulations and practical instructions on how to arrange competitive tendering for various purchases of goods and services. A specific JUHILAS tool for calculating the carbon footprint of a product was developed for five product groups. These tools are used in competitive tendering for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of a product over its entire life cycle. The resulting emissions figure is used as a criterion for comparing tenders submitted in competitive tendering. The calculators are the first of their kind, and are based on a life cycle format complying with ISO standards and the PAS2050 standard. A JUHILAS tool was created for the following products: IT hardware paper products office chair incontinence products outdoor lighting Competitive tendering instructions were drawn up for the following procurements: copiers and multifunction printers refrigeration equipment copying paper and tissue paper office furnishings transport services accommodation services printing services Training events were arranged for city procurement staff on the use of carbon footprint and other environmental criteria as grounds for procurement. The Finnish government has formally recommended that environmental aspects should be considered in at least half of all local authority procurement by the year 2015, and several municipalities have set their own targets for implementing this recommendation. The guidelines and calculators developed by the project are freely available.

10 10 Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Waste Management The project specified life cycle-based greenhouse gas emission factors for 15 types of waste identified in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area waste management system. The waste management life cycle assessment studied the environmental load imposed by collecting, transporting, processing, utilizing and finally disposing of waste. It also takes into account the materials saved and energy generating emissions avoided by recycling these wastes and using them as a source of energy. On the other hand, the environmental impacts of manufacturing, distributing and using products that end up as waste were not studied in this context. The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions arising from waste management were incorporated into the Petra waste benchmarking service used by businesses and public administration, and into the Martti material flow accounting system used for monitoring waste flows in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. A new Konsta waste calculator was developed for use by households, enabling them to assess their own waste volumes and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. A survey of waste-related behaviour of residents in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area indicated that 3 per cent of the respondents were already using the Konsta waste calculator. 40 per cent of these respondents felt that the information provided by the calculator had encouraged them to reconsider their own waste volumes and consumption patterns. A new model called Emmi was developed for forecasting municipal waste volumes. This enables waste management professionals to predict trends in municipal waste volumes and to assess the factors that affect the amount of waste generated. The model enables assessment of the environmental impacts of waste management and more effective advice on waste prevention.

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13 13 Information Affects Mobility Choices Transport causes one quarter of all carbon emissions in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The Julia 2030 project provided carbon dioxide calculators to help residents choose the best modes of personal mobility from the point of view of climate change mitigation. The Journey Planner carbon dioxide calculator is very user-friendly, as carbon dioxide emissions are displayed automatically when searching for the optimal transport route. The Journey Planner is a popular online service that is consulted about 150,000 times on ordinary weekdays. About 450 users every day continue to a page providing further details of the carbon dioxide emissions of various modes of transport for the selected route. Most (about 85 per cent) of the respondents to a survey for users of the Journey Planner had noticed the carbon dioxide calculator, with 8 per cent reporting that it had affected their choice of transportation mode. A chocolate calculator was incorporated into the walking and cycling section of the Journey Planner. This explains how much energy an average person would use to make the selected journey in terms of calories or ten gram pieces of chocolate. This service is accessed about 5,000 times a day in summer. A follow-up survey suggests that the chocolate calculator has inspired 40 per cent of these users to make more journeys on foot or by bicycle. The Jälki carbon calculator for weekday transport paints a broader picture of climate emissions, and also provides tips on more climate friendly ways of getting around, encouraging users to prefer walking, cycling, public transport and car pooling. Motorists are given a detailed proposal on available public transport options for the intended journey, and users may submit a personal promise concerning the ways in which they intend to cut the climate emissions caused by their mobility. These promises are then published on the Jälki calculator website. Users may also share their findings by or on Facebook. More than 11,000 users accessed the Jälki calculator during the first six months. In a follow-up survey 15 per cent of users reported that the calculator had affected their own mobility choices. The Jälki calculator may also be used at various public information centres and schools to illustrate the climate impacts of various forms of mobility.

14 14 The Carbon Calculators Developed by the Project For residents: The Journey Planner carbon calculator The Helsinki region Journey Planner is a search engine that provides details of various transport alternatives for a selected journey, and includes a route-finding facility for walking and cycling. The Journey Planner carbon dioxide calculator also shows the user of the carbon emissions associated with the selected journey when made by various modes of public transport, and provides a comparison with the emissions arising when the same journey is made by car. A chocolate calculator illustrates the calories that the traveller would burn personally when completing the journey on foot or by bicycle, and interprets this in terms of ten gram pieces of chocolate. The Jälki calculator This facility informs users of the carbon dioxide emissions caused by travelling in an ordinary working week (Monday to Friday). Users can calculate the emissions caused by their own mobility by estimating the distance travelled using various means of transport, or by entering the associated points of departure and destinations in the search fields of the calculator. The Konsta waste calculator for households Konsta calculates the quantity of household waste generated annually and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, based on source data entered into the calculator. The quantity of waste is compared with waste volumes from other households. (in Finnish only)

15 15 For workplaces: For professional use: The Climate Calculator The Climate Calculator is a tool developed by WWF Finland for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions of offices. Precise data on energy and water consumption, procurements, personal mobility, goods transport, waste generated and emission compensations may be fed into this calculator, which is also suitable for assessing non-office operations and may be used in the Finnish and English languages. > UK Flag The Petra waste benchmarking service Petra is a service that enables businesses and public administration to analyse their waste volumes by comparing them with the average for the operating sector or type of building in question. The Petra carbon dioxide calculator estimates the greenhouse gas emissions of waste management, based on the volume of waste and details of waste processing. (In Finnish only) Carbon footprint calculators for public procurement (JUHILAS) The JUHILAS tools for public procurement are used in competitive tendering for assessing the greenhouse gas emissions of a product over its entire life cycle. This figure may then be used as a criterion for comparing bids. The tool has been created for five products: IT hardware, paper, office chairs, incontinence products and outdoor lighting. The calculators may be downloaded from the website of the Finnish environmental administration at Martti material flow accounting system The Martti system compiles annual details of waste generated in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and processing of this waste. An associated carbon dioxide calculator estimates the greenhouse gas emissions of waste management, based on the volume of waste and details of waste processing. This information is used in waste management planning and for assessing the associated environmental impacts of waste management. (In Finnish only) Emmi municipal waste forecasting model Emmi helps to predict growth in municipal waste volumes and to assess factors that affect the volume of waste generated. The forecasting model also incorporates a calculator for estimating the greenhouse gas emissions arising from waste volumes.

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17 17 Campaigns Raised Awareness of Carbon Calculators The carbon calculators for residents were covered by advertising campaigns on public transport in the Helsinki region, in the press and on the radio, and in the social media. Most users of the Journey Planner noticed the carbon dioxide emission information that appeared together with search results, and about 10,000 visits were recorded for both the Konsta and Jälki calculators during the campaigns. Several events in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area also called public attention to the carbon calculators, which have made residents of the region more aware of the impact of their personal choices on greenhouse gas emissions. A video presentation entitled Julia s choice was produced for the project website in order to inspire viewers to take action over climate change. The video was widely covered on public television and radio news broadcasts, and on the website of Finland s largest circulation daily newspaper Helsinki Sanomat. It was also used as teaching material at educational institutions and in eco-support staff trainings. The project and tools were presented at several national and international conferences. The project outcomes and eco-support activities have enjoyed news coverage in the commercial press, online publications, local authority newsletters, and various climate bulletins and reviews.

18 18 Julia s City in 2035 The Julia s city in 2035 study assessed the projected climate impacts of land-use in various parts of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, focusing on 12 selected districts of varying type. The greenhouse gas emissions caused by potential construction of housing and workplace accommodation in the targeted districts were assessed by forecasting the emissions arising from energy consumption in new buildings and personal mobility of new residents in This study indicated that about half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the new areas are due to buildings and half are due to transport. The areas of optimal climate impact will be centrally located in urban development districts, relying on efficient public transport and particularly on rail transportation. The main factors affecting the assessment of emissions from buildings are the choice of heating and the compactness of housing and workplace accommodation, which determines the need for heated floor space. The evaluation methods developed in the study may also be applied for generally assessing climate impacts in new districts of the Helsinki region. Description of group supplementary and new building construction, central location supplementary and new building construction, rail network branch line location new area, rail network branch line location new area sparsely populated areas Districts studied Kalasatama Myyrmäki-Malminkartano Kontula-Mellunmäki-Länsimäki Kirkkonummi Centre Leppävaara Tikkurila-Kerava main railway line zone Marja-Vantaa Östersundom Suurpelto North Espoo small-house district Kirkkonummi small-house district Riipilä-Seutula

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21 21 The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is Preparing for Climate Change It is wise to prepare for forthcoming climate change, as this is a way of preventing or mitigating its harmful impacts and benefiting from any favourable effects. Both mitigating and adapting to climate change will be essential to ensure that human societies and the natural environment survive future changes. For the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, climate change could mean warmer autumns and earlier springs, increased heatwaves and dry periods, and milder winters. The weather will nevertheless continue to vary from year to year with continued cold and snowy winters occurring, but less frequently as the years go by. Rainfall will increase, with more instances of heavy rain, and it will be necessary to prepare for a rise in sea level. The changing climate will affect the urban environment and its associated structures and buildings, with impacts on human amenity and activities. As one of the first urban regions in Europe, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is engaging in a wide range of measures to prepare for consequences of climate change. The cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen together with Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY have been jointly seeking ways of strengthening the region s ability to cope with the challenges of climate change and ensuring that it can continue to function also under changing conditions. These authorities are currently preparing a climate change adaptation strategy for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, which is due for completion in March The document and its background studies will bring together regional climate change and sea level rise scenarios, flood risk modelling, climate change impacts in the region, and existing programmes, studies and legislation related to preparation and adaptation, drawn from sources ranging from local agencies to the European Union. The work specifies regional and common strategic principles for adapting to climate change, together with sectoral and inter-sectoral preparation measures for the period from 2012 to Regional measures have been specified for the following sectors: land use transport and technical networks construction and the climate durability of the local environment water and waste management rescue services and public safety social and health services collaboration in research, development and dissemination of findings

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23 23 Further Details and Materials All publications and communication materials created by the project and links to all greenhouse gas emission calculation tools are available on the project website at > In English Project Manager: Susanna Kankaanpää Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY PO Box 100, FI HSY, Finland Telephone: (HSY switchboard) Reykjavik Oslo Helsinki Tallinn Stockholm Moscow London Paris Copenhagen Berlin Warsaw Vienna Espoo Kauniainen Vantaa Helsinki Kerava Kirkkonummi Madrid Rome Athens Statistics Finland 2011, HSY 2012

24 The Julia 2030 project was part-financed by the European Union LIFE+ programme. Reference: LIFE07 ENV/FIN/ Project partners: City of Helsinki City of Espoo City of Vantaa City of Kauniainen Kerava City Kirkkonummi Municipality Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY