Working towards carbon neutrality - Hinku network’s annual report 2022

Working towards carbon neutrality

Established in 2008, Hinku is a network of pioneers working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change. It brings together municipalities and regions committed to ambitious emissions reductions, companies providing climate-friendly products and services as well as experts in the energy and climate sectors.

www.carbonneutralfinland.fi/en-US/Hinku

Looking back

– and forwards

The Hinku network has been in operation for 15 years. We have come a long way from our start, pushing for climate change mitigation, to the current day Finland – well aware of the importance of climate work. And so the network has grown from five municipalities into a group of 96 municipalities, which are inhabited by 42% of Finland’s population.

Originally, the aim of Hinku was to make the impossible possible and create new and cost-effective emissions reduction measures for municipalities, residents and businesses. The pilot municipalities acted as Finland’s laboratories, whose examples and solutions inspired others to join in as well. Simultaneously, the domestic markets were activated and a regional-level showcase, displaying Finnish climate-friendly technology to the world, was born.

Nowadays, both large cities and small municipalities are part of the Hinku network. They have very different resources for carrying out climate work. Business structures differ from one another, and many municipalities have made large emissions reductions even before the start of monitoring. This is why municipalities should not be compared to each other based on emissions reductions. Everyone focuses on their own development and strives to do the best they can. Municipalities have methods for mitigating climate change at their disposal which the state does not have. They are in a special position for including residents and companies in the carbon-neutral transition. Both need the other in the climate-sustainable transition.

This annual report starts a new period in Hinku activities. It presents relevant information regarding the climate work of municipalities at the annual level. The annual report’s content develops over time, and as a result municipalities can better position their activities with respect to other municipalities and also find new ideas for the development of their own. The annual report compiles the information in such a way that the value of climate work of municipalities can be understood better than it is now in all of society.

The COVID-19 crisis has reminded us that the world can change in ways other than what we would like to believe. On the other hand, we must take control of problems in order to work together toward a shared goal. These experiences need to be redirected to fighting climate change. Post-pandemic recovery should help get the climate actions of municipalities up and running and bring in the municipalities that have not yet joined, in such a way that Finland’s 2035 carbon neutrality objective becomes a possibility for us. After all, we will need success factors going forward in order to pay back the debt we took on to manage the COVID-19 crisis.

Pioneer municipalities around Europe are progressing the carbon-neutral transition at a faster pace than states have committed to. Even compared to the Nordic countries, Finland is at the frontline in this matter. It is essential to prove that investing in public climate work will have a large leverage effect on the entire country’s climate work. Each Hinku municipality plays an important role in this transition. Hinku’s original purpose is more important today than ever before.

Professor Jyri Seppälä National Director of the Hinku network Finnish Environment Institute

Hinku municipalities and regions have committed to aiming for 80% emissions reductions* from the level of 2007 by the year 2030.

* Emissions reductions are calculated based on usage-based emissions in accordance with Hinku’s calculations without carbon offsets.

Finland’s Hinku municipalities and regions

96 Hinku municipalities are already included in the Hinku network.

The Hinku network also includes five regions: South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Pirkanmaa, North Karelia and Päijät-Häme.

The total population of the Hinku municipalities and regions is over 2.4 million!*

Municipalities in the Hinku network:

Akaa

Asikkala

Enontekiö

Eurajoki

Haapajärvi

Hamina

Hanko

Harjavalta

Hartola

Heinola

Hollola

Hyvinkää

Hämeenkyrö

Ii

Ilomantsi

Imatra

Inkoo

Joensuu

Jokioinen

Juuka

Kangasala

Kemi

Kemijärvi

Kirkkonummi

Kitee

Kokkola

Kontiolahti

Kotka

Kouvola

Kuhmoinen

Kärkölä

Lahti

Laitila

Lappeenranta

Lempäälä

Lieksa

Liperi

Lohja

Loimaa

Loviisa

Lumijoki

Maalahti

Masku

Muhos

Mynämäki

Mäntsälä

Naantali

Nokia

Nurmes

Orimattila

Orivesi

Oulainen

Outokumpu

Padasjoki

Paimio

Paltamo

Parikkala

Pelkosenniemi

Pieksämäki

Pirkkala

Pori

Porvoo

Posio

Punkalaidun

Puolanka

Pyhäjärvi

Pälkäne

Raahe

Raasepori

Rauma

Rautjärvi

Ristijärvi

Ruokolahti

Ruovesi

Rääkkylä

Sastamala

Seinäjoki

Simo

Siuntio

Sodankylä

Sulkava

Tampere

Tohmajärvi

Turku

Tyrnävä

Urjala

Utajärvi

Uusikaupunki

Vaala

Valkeakoski

Vantaa

Vesilahti

Viitasaari

Ylivieska

Ylöjärvi

Äänekoski

Hinku municipalities H inku regions

* Population in 2022.

Hinku municipalities 11/2023. Basemap: National land survey of Finland, Statistics Finland.

Preliminary estimates: Hinku

municipalities’ climate emissions decreased by 3,5 per cent in 2022

The Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) calculates the usage-based emissions of each Finnish municipality. The emissions are calculated for each municipality with a uniform calculation method which follows international guidelines.

According to Syke’s preliminary estimates, the total greenhouse gas emissions of Hinku municipalities in 2022 fell by 3.5 per cent from the previous year. The emissions were calculated in accordance with the Hinku calculation rules, with carbon offsets. Compared to 2007, emissions have decreased by 39.8 per cent. As in previous years, the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were road transport (31.9% of total emissions), agriculture (15.1%) and the production of district heating (12.8%).

Reviewed 21 November 2023. 96 Hinku municipalities participating.

Check your municipality’s emissions on the paastot.hiilineutraalisuomi.fi website

Hinku calculation

The default calculation model intended for monitoring the emission goals of municipalities is called the Hinku calculation. According to the Hinku calculation rules, municipal emissions do not include industrial fuel use, which is included in emissions trading, industrial electricity consumption, the emissions from industrial waste treatment, nor the emissions caused by the pass-through traffic of trucks, vans and buses. In monitoring the emissions target of Hinku municipalities, emissions from the Hinku calculation are examined with carbon offsets.

When a new municipality joins the Hinku network, the emissions for the municipality in question are included in the calculations of the total emissions of Hinku municipalities starting from 2007.

www.carbonneutralfinland.fi

► Emissions and indicators ► Municipalities’ and regions’ usage-based greenhouse gas emissions

► Usage-based calculating the greenhouse gas emissions of Finnish municipalities

Hinku municipalities’ greenhouse gas emissions during 2007–2022. The emissions have been calculated in November 2023 by using the Finnish Environment Institute’s Alas 1.5 model in accordance with the Hinku calculation rules, with carbon offsets. In 2022, Hinku municipalities’ emissions constituted 39 per cent of Finland’s emissions.

Distribution of total greenhouse gas emissions of all of Finland and Hinku municipalities in 2022. The emissions have been calculated by using the Finnish Environment Institute’s Alas 1.5 model in accordance with the Hinku calculation rules, without carbon offsets.

Monitoring climate work with indicators

The Finnish Environment Institute collects information about indicators relating to energy and transport for Finnish municipalities and regions. Alongside greenhouse gas emissions, the indicators support and complement the monitoring of the progress of climate work by municipalities and regions.

Climate work indicators help municipalities and regions in monitoring the impacts of climate work and selecting new solutions to support climate work. Indicators have been calculated for all Finnish municipalities and regions.

The indicators include key figures related to energy use, production and traffic. In our indicator service, you can select to view any municipality, region, the whole of Finland or, for example, all Hinku municipalities. The service is also published in English and Swedish. Indicator information has been collected from various statistical sources. Information on the capacity and production amounts of solar electricity connected to the grid was determined by collecting the information directly from the electricity grid companies.

Energy indicators

Final energy consumption

Oil consumption for energy production

Consumer electricity

Transport indicators

Passenger cars and their average emissions

Charging stations and gas filling stations

Numbers and shares of electric, hybrid and gas cars

Residential buildings’ heating energy consumption

Production of solar power

Production of wind power

Buildings using geothermal heating

Here are some examples of the energy and transport indicators. Learn more about all of the indicators at the www.carbonneutralfinland.fi website ► Emissions and indicators ► Climate indicators of municipalities and regions ►

Buildings using geothermal heating in Hinku municipalities 2017–2022

Since 2017, the number of buildings has increased by 53.8 per cent and floor areas have increased by 70.6 per cent. The geothermal heating renovations of older buildings are updated to the register with a delay, which is why there may be more buildings utilising geothermal heating than are shown. The indicator figures were last reviewed 11/2023.

Passenger cars and their emissions in Hinku municipalities 2017–2022

In 2022, there were a total of 1,157,001 passenger cars in Hinku municipalities. The average emissions were 158.4 gCO2 /km. Since 2017, the total number of passenger cars in the Hinku municipalities has increased by 1.07 per cent, but the average emissions have decreased by 7.5 per cent. The indicator figures were last reviewed 11/2023.

In 2022, there were a total of 41,115 rechargeable hybrids, 16,819 electric cars and 6,619 gas-operated cars in use in Hinku municipalities. Relatively, the number of rechargeable hybrids has increased the most since 2017. The indicator figures were last reviewed 11/2023.

Number

Visibility and demand for solutions supporting climate work

In addition to municipalities and regions, the Hinku network includes 30 companies and expert associations in the energy and climate sector. Currently, there are almost one hundred municipalities and five regions in the Hinku network. The total population is over 2.4 million. This means that there is significant demand potential for climate-friendly products and services. The Hinku network, which encourages extensive climate cooperation, has also received international attention.

Learn more about the Hinku companies

online! www.carbonneutralfinland.fi ► Hinku ► Hinku companies

AFRY Management Consulting Oy

–AF RY X Smart Forestry

► afry.com

Lassila & Tikanoja Oyj

►lt.fi/en

Calefa Oy

► calefa.fi/en/

Mobinet Oy

► mobinet.fi

Devoi Oy

Nanopar Oy

► nanopar.fi

Forus Oy

► forus.fi/en

O wnwell

► ownwell.fi/en

Green Carbon Finland Oy

► greencarbon.fi/en

Positive Impact Finland Oy

► positiveimpact.fi/en

Hiilinieluntuottajat HNT Oy

► hiilinieluntuottajat.fi

Ra aseporin Energia Oy

► re.fi

Hukka AI Oy

► hukka.ai/en

R apal Oy

► rapal.com

Ilmastoapu Oy

► ilmastoapu.fi

Reforest Oy

► reforest.fi

IM L-Aeroseal –

Ilmastointimittaus Lind Oy

► iml.fi/en

S itowise Oy

► sitowise.com

Innotek Oy

► innotek.fi

Sk arta Energy Oy

► skartagroup.fi

► nyabgroup.com/en/

Inrego Oy

► inrego.com

Tehomet Oy

► tehomet.com /en

JAMIX Oy

► jamix.com

Vat tenfall Oy

► vattenfall.se /en

Joulupukin Pajakylän osuuskunta

► santaclausvillage.info

Kiteen Mato ja Multa Oy

► matojamulta.com

Wassis vedensäästö Oy

► vedensäästö.fi

Knowit Insight Oy

► knowit.fi

Yar a

► yara.fi

Kuntarahoitus Oyj

► kuntarahoitus.fi

► munifin.fi

Climate actions in Hinku municipalities in 2022

We collected the best climate actions of 2022 from Hinku municipalities –a total of 270!

Examples of the climate actions of Hinku municipalities

Approx. 50 energy actions

Incl. greener district heating, solar power, biogas from wastewater, wind power, adjustment of street and outdoor lighting, smart lighting, Down a Degree energy savings, procurement of renewable electricity

48 building and property actions

Energy renovations, waste heat recovery, moving away from oil heating, water-air heat pumps, geothermal heating, improving ventilation, energy efficiency of exercise facilities, libraries and educational facilities

Approx. 20 transport actions

Promoting cycling and walking, remote work, development of public transport, electric and biogas car use

And much more!

Sustainable zoning, climate impact assessments, better food services and reducing waste

Read more about our climate action: www.carbonneutralfinland.fi ► Climate action

Read about the Hinku network’s climate action!

In the Sustainability Leap database, members of the Hinku network can share stories about their climate action.

Check out the Sustainability Leap database! kestavyysloikka.ymparisto.fi/en/

Would you like to hear more about what the Hinku network does? Contact us!

www.carbonneutralfinland.fi/en-US/Hinku

This publication has been carried out with the financial contribution of the LIFE Programme of the European Union. The publication reflects only the CANEMURE project’s view, and the CINEA/European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Hinku network’s annual report 2022

Working towards carbon neutrality

Emissions data: Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)

Editors: Saara Sivonen and Hanna Talikka, Syke

Layout & graphics: Satu Turtiainen, Syke

Cover and back cover photos: stock.adobe.com

ISBN 978-952-11-5669-4 (PDF)

Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)

Helsinki, Finland. 4/2024.