The city of Äänekoski now has a new, comprehensive environmental and climate program
The new operating models are supposed to be a part of all the city's activities in the future
Within the framework of the Green Renewable Äänekoski project, a comprehensive environmental and climate program for the years 2022-2028 has now been drawn up for the city of Äänekoski. The city council approved the program at its meeting on June 13.6.2022, XNUMX.
Environmental and climate program of the city of Äänekoski 2022-2028

The city's environment and climate program is the city of Äänekoski's first guidelines covering the entire organization, which brings environmental and climate aspects to a strategic level.
- The program creates a unified basis for climate management and biodiversity protection in the city of Äänekoski, as well as for their control and development measures. The purpose of the program is to respond to the need for systematic environmental and climate work in Äänekoski and it defines the city's role as a sustainable developer and operator, describes the project manager of the Vihreä Uusiutuva Äänekoski project Sirpa Kortelainen.
The environment and climate program serves as guidelines for the entire city group with its goals, metrics and action plans. The program concerns the city organization and communities and foundations under the control of the city. In the future, the new operating models are intended to be a part of all the city's activities, such as decision-making, acquisitions, land use and construction, energy consumption and production, as well as movement and development of services.
In its new city strategy, the city of Äänekoski is committed to making and supporting sustainable development in all its activities. One of the most important policies guiding the environmental and climate program is Äänekoski's commitment to be carbon neutral by 2030. The environment and climate program includes the environmental and climate political goals until 2028 as well as sets of measures.
- By the council's decision, Äänekoski joined the Carbon neutral municipalities (Hinku) network in autumn 2019. The members of the Hinku network commit to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2030 from the 2007 level. The goal of carbon neutrality is also one of the central goals of the city strategy 2022-2028, says Kortelainen.
The program has been built with the cooperation of the entire city organization. The preparation of the program started with surveys in 2019-2020. Current practices, actions and attitudes as well as wishes were investigated with surveys aimed at residents and municipality personnel. Goals, measures and metrics have been thought about in workshops and smaller group meetings.
- The climate road map 2030 prepared together with the program contains a large-scale mapping of the current situation, concrete measures, a schedule and a responsible party that will see to the implementation of the measure. The measures of the roadmap take into account the goals of the program and the areas of influence of the measures, Kortelainen describes.
The program has been drawn up in the Vihreya Uusiutuva Äänekoski project, which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Federation of Central Finland. During the Green Renewable Äänekoski project, climate work has already been integrated into the activities of the Äänekoski city organization. The project ends on July 31.7.2022, 2022, and the new Life-sustaining Äänekoski project is a continuation of this started work. The climate coordinator of the city of Äänekoski will be partially responsible for the implementation of the environmental program, whose recruitment will start in July XNUMX.
For more information:
Environmental manager Hanna Ahonen, 0400 893 683, hanna.ahonen@aanekoski.fi (on vacation until 10.7.)
Sirpa Kortelainen, project manager of the Green Renewable Äänekoski project, 040 186 4792, sirpa.kortelainen@aanekoski.fi
Environmental and climate program of the city of Äänekoski 2022-2028 (pdf)
News published 20.6.2022, modified 25.7.2023/08/37 at XNUMX:XNUMX