Environmentally active home
We have a big responsibility
Humankind consumes too many natural resources. We all need to change our actions so that future generations will enjoy the prerequisites for a good life. Tackling global warming and loss of biodiversity requires major changes, especially in sectors with an extensive environmental impact, such as construction.
Housing generates about one-fifth of every Finn's carbon footprint – it is one of the biggest sources of an individual’s emissions. Housing emissions are most affected by the building's energy efficiency, form of heating and building materials, all of which are decided by the builder and which cannot be influenced by the resident. We want to share the choices we have made as the builder to enable you to choose a home that has the least impact on the environment.
YIT is Finland's largest and oldest housing developer. Our size and experience oblige us to act as a trendsetter in sustainable construction that takes nature's carrying capacity and diversity into account. Our strict emission targets are well below the requirements set for the industry and we are constantly developing new ways to reduce emissions during construction and use.
Housing matters – choosing a home can be your most significant environmental action.
President and CEO, YIT Corporation
Heikki Vuorenmaa
In 2023, we were the first Finnish construction company to receive scientific approval for the emission reduction targets we have set, when independent Science Based Targets (SBTi) reviewed our calculations and means to reach the cutting targets.
Our stringent targets steer us towards more ecological construction
We are committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and our targets, to be achieved by 2030, are carbon neutrality in our own operations and emission reductions of over 30% in construction, using 2019 as the baseline. We have chosen measures that are the most effective in cutting emissions to achieve our targets.
Here's how we are making our apartments more sustainable:
We are constantly increasing the share of low-carbon building materials. We started with high-emission concrete and steel products to enable us reduce emissions as quickly as possible.
We build homes with wind power. We will gradually switch to electric machines, equipment and cars and phase out fossil fuels.
We draw up a circular economy plan for the entire building, one of the goals of which is to ensure that no building materials are left over. For potential surplus materials, we look for new uses.
We are constantly increasing the sorting and recycling of construction waste.
This is how we make living in a YIT Home more ecological:
All YIT homes designed after January 2023 will be in energy class A. In addition to energy efficiency, they usually have solar panels to produce energy.
We enable emission-free heating of homes and hot water by choosing geothermal heating for our houses in several housing companies.
For electric vehicles, a reservation for charging points will be made at YIT Homes' parking spaces. You can also manage without a car, because we build our properties within good public transportation connections, and in the future, more and more of our housing companies will offer a carsharing option.
An environmentally active home is created by the choices of the builder and the resident
We design and build homes where you can live an environmentally friendly everyday life.
Our environmental actions
In an environmentally active home we make choices for the benefit of nature at every stage of design and construction. We take into account the environment, for example, in the energy efficiency of the building, as well as in the selection of the heating system and building materials. That is, the things that can cut the most emissions during the entire life cycle of a house. We call our choices environmental actions.
Your environmental actions
The most important thing you can do for the environment is to choose a home with built-in attention to the environment. A home that burdens nature as little as possible during construction and living and is designed to make your more ecological lifestyle a success with minimal effort. YIT home makes it easier to make environmentally friendly choices, such as saving energy and water, sorting waste and using an electric car or public transportation. An environmentally active home supports habits that help reduce your carbon footprint.
Design and construction have the greatest impact on emissions
Decisions that most affect the carbon footprint of your home are made at the design and construction stage of your home. When you choose a YIT Home, you get a home with build-in emission-reducing choises and technology. You get a home that allows you to lead a more environmentally friendly life with little effort.
Sustainable construction starts with design
We calculate the carbon footprint of a residential building over its entire life cycle and decide on our means of reducing emissions per housing company. For example, we select building materials and ensure their efficient and long-lasting use, decide on the heating form and energy production of the house, and plan the functionality of the worksite, such as recycling.
Low-carbon materials effectively cut emissions
Emissions from materials account for about half of the carbon footprint of our residential building. We are constantly looking for alternatives, especially for concrete and steel products, which have the greatest environmental impact. We use wood as the frame material for small houses.
An example of a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional concrete products is the low-carbon hollow-core slab used in the intermediate floors of apartment buildings. In residential construction, the emission impact of hollow-core slabs is greater than that of any other individual building material. The use of low-carbon hollow-core slabs reduces the material emissions of the entire residential building by about 8%. In 2022, we switched to using low-carbon hollow-core slabs in most of our residential buildings.
These environmental actions are carried out in all our housing companies. Differences exist only in building materials.
EMISSION CALCULATION
Design is based on a carbon footprint calculation, which guides, for example, to choose construction materials that cause a smaller environmental burden.
RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY AT WORKSITES
Wind-generated electricity is the only source of energy used at worksites.
RECYCLING AT WORKSITES
At least 75% of the construction waste at the worksite is being sorted for recycling.
FRAMES OF OUR SMALLER BUILDINGS
are built from Finnish wood, which is the most ecological frame material.
BUILDING MATERIALS
We utilize low-carbon hollow-core slabs, which emit about half of the emissions of ordinary hollow-core slabs.
Energy-wise environmental actions vary by housing company. Check the details of each housing company on the website.
ENERGY CLASS A
High energy efficiency reduces the need for heating energy and reduces the carbon footprint.
GEOTHERMAL HEAT
Apartments and domestic water are heated with geothermal heat, which is a superior alternative in terms of emissions.
SOLAR PANELS
Emission-free energy helps to cover the electricity consumption of the building's common areas and technology, such as the ventilation system, and often also part of the residents’ electricity consumption.
MONITORING of TECHNICAL BUILDING SYSTEMS
YIT’s Valvomo (Control room) service takes care of, for example, the energyefficient use of ventilation and heating.
Energy class A building is more climate friendly
Not all environmental actions are equal. A building's energy needs and heating method have the greatest impact on the carbon footprint of housing. The A energy class is a guarantee of the building's low energy consumption and usually it also indicates that the building generates some of the energy it requires. Such a building almost always has solar panels, geothermal heating, or even both.
Energy class A saves climate and money
All YIT Homes designed after January 2023 belong to the best A energy class. Particular attention has been paid to the building’s insulation, air-tightness and windows as well as heating and ventilation systems. In an A energy class house, heating costs are saved and your carbon footprint of living is reduced. Energy efficient appliances are standard in the kitchen.
Clean heating and cooling from the ground and electricity from the roof
Increasing the use of geothermal heat is the most effective way to reduce residential emissions, because with geothermal heat, both the building and the domestic water are heated cleanly and inexpensively. If the electricity required by the geothermal system is green, the geothermal heat is completely emission-free. Nearly a fifth of YIT Homes designed after 2021 are heated by geothermal heat.
The geothermal heating system can also be used to cool the house. The installation of a geothermal cooling system is decided on a housing company basis.
Solar panels are becoming increasingly common in our buildings, and emissionfree solar energy helps to cover, for example, the electricity needs of common areas.
YIT Homes combine attention to the environment with a smooth everyday life
A significant source of emissions in a residential building is energy consumption during use, of which the resident's own consumption of electricity and hot water and the use of ventilation make up about half. The rest consists of heating of the housing company's premises, as well as lighting and other electricity consumption.
Thus, each of us can significantly influence the carbon footprint of living with our own everyday choices. Smart use of electricity and water also saves money.
Effortless water saving
Each new YIT Home has an apartment-specific water meter and you only pay for water according to your use. As a resident, you can monitor your water consumption in the YIT Plus service with 24-hour accuracy, which helps with sensible water consumption. Water-saving faucets, showers and toilets are standard.
Recycling made easy
Sorting the waste generated at home reduces emissions and maintenance fees – it's worth making part of your daily routine. The modern collection points at our housing companies make sorting waste neat and effortless. Kitchens are equipped with a waste sorting system to help with recycling.
You don't have to own everything!
As a resident of YIT Homes, you have access to common areas where you can, for example, dry and wash laundry, exercise, organize parties, or work remotely. Tool sharing and carsharing are also becoming increasingly common.
Environmental actions that support a more ecological everyday life are implemented in all of our housing companies.
WATER CONSUMPTION
Apartment-specific monitoring of water consumption in YIT’s own service channel (YIT Plus service) helps in water-saving.
WATER FIXTURES
Kitchen, bathroom, and toilets are equipped with water-saving fixtures such as faucets and showers.
Waste sorting system AT home
Kitchens are equipped with a waste sorting system to help with recycling.
RECYCLING AT A HOUSING COMPANY
The process of sorting waste for recycling is tidy and efficient thanks to modern recycling points in housing companies.
Supporting biodiversity is included in the list of environmental actions in the housing company's information.
BIODIVERSITY
We support biodiversity, for example, by taking pollinators, microorganisms and birds into account with plant choices in the yard area and a layered design.
A green and lush yard supports biodiversity
Diverse nature guarantees clean air and water, for example, and improves health and well-being. Human activity has caused a loss of biodiversity, which can be stopped by changing operating methods and supporting biodiversity.
How we support biodiversity in building new YIT Homes:
We will find out the nature values of the plot and take the necessary conservation measures.
We preserve the original nature of the plot as much as possible in order to safeguard carbon sinks and natural values.
We favor wild plants that occur in the area when choosing plants. We use Finnish seedlings.
In planting, we take into account coverage, layering and versatility, whereby plants provide nourishment, shelter and resting places for different animal species.
We create a meadow or flowerbed in the yard of every housing company featuring species favored by pollinators. In addition, we will build an insect hotel and a birdhouse.
Convenient car-free living and use of electric cars
We build houses with good public transportation connections, so you can usually live well without your own car.
In some housing companies, residents have a shared car that is convenient, safe and inexpensive to rent. If you want to use your own car, we encourage driving electric car by ensuring that every parking space has at least a reservation for a charging point, making it easy to install the charger as needed.
In housing companies with solar panels, some of the energy needed to charge the cars can be covered by electricity produced with their own solar panels.
Charging points for electric cars and shared cars are housing company-specific features, and you can check their implementation in the environmental actions of each housing company.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS
At least a reservation is made for a charging point at the parking spaces, which makes it easy to install the charging device as needed.
CARSHARING
Being able to rent the housing company’s leasing car easily and affordably reduces the need for your own car.
Help us do more
Would you like to do things for nature that require new features in your home? Tell us your wishes and help make the home of eco-conscious actions even better!
yit.fi/kerro-ideasi Read more about YIT Home's environmental actions: