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Imatra commits to climate talks.

Imatra makes South Karelia a Hinku province

Release
9.5.2019 17:24
The city aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The city of Imatra commits even more strongly to the goals aimed at carbon neutrality. City is joining the Finnish Environment Institute's Carbon Neutral Municipalities (Hinku) network. The goal is to develop the actions of municipalities in mitigating climate change.

Hinku municipalities already include Lappeenranta, Parikkala, Rautjärvi and Ruokolahti. South Karelia can now get Hinku county status when Imatra joins. Getting the status requires that 80 percent of the province's residents belong to the Hinku municipality.

─ We aim to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Imatra wants to be involved in bearing responsibility for the environment and its preservation for the next generations, versus the environmental manager Anna-Maija Wikström says.

 I aimed for 2030

The city of Imatra is preparing an action plan, based on which the city would achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

─ This means that the city thinks about sustainable development in all its activities. The work is done at the grassroots level and in broad outlines, deputy city manager Kaisa Heino promise.

From the point of view of the carbon neutrality goal, it is necessary for the city to evaluate, among other things, new ways of implementing public transport and other forms of movement in the city, construction, heating and, for example, implementing a new sewage plant.

The city of Imatra has been carrying out targeted climate work since 2007. Greenhouse emissions have decreased by almost a third since that time.

Now the work to update the climate program has been started and the program is to be confirmed for one year during 2019.

Joining the Hinku network will be discussed at the urban development board next week. The matter will also be discussed in the environmental committee of the Imatra region later.

Joining the Hinku network costs the city nothing.

Read the board closing presentation.

For more information:

Vs. environmental director Anna-Maija Wikström, anna-maija.wikstromatimatra.fi , tel. 020 617 4320 

 

What is Hinku?

  • Becoming a Hinku municipality requires the fulfillment of the Hinku criteria. The Hinku criteria have been prepared by the Finnish Environment Agency (SYKE).
  • The Hinku criteria refers to the municipalities' climate change mitigation measures and guidelines by which the municipality credibly commits to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of its own operations and to influence the actors in its area (residents, companies, agricultural and forestry entrepreneurs, and leisure residents) in such a way that carbon neutrality is aimed for in reducing the area's greenhouse gas emissions.
  • A municipality that meets the Hinku criteria may be called a Hinku municipality. Hinku municipalities belong to the Hinku forum and get the right to use the Hinku logo.

Imatra's environmental actions

The city of Imatra has taken significant measures to reduce climate capital into make it worse even earlier.

  • Imatran Lämpö Oy's three bio-heating centers, bio-based as fuel domestic fuel
  • charging points for electric cars in the town hall
  • biogas refueling point in Korvenkanta and another possibly coming in Pietarintie
  • street lights changed to led lights in new areas
  • The air conditioning (cooling) of the Imatra town hall is implemented in Vuoksi with water
  • Imatra uses EKO electricity