Helsinki-Uusimaa is aiming at climate neutrality by the year of 2030, in line with the forerunner municipalities of the region. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Climate Road Map is the guideline for the climate work supporting our municipalities and other actors in the implementation of their mitigation goals.
Helsinki-Uusimaa is aiming at climate neutrality by the year of 2030.
Our urgent goal of climate neutrality calls for cooperation on a wide scale in all sectors; public, private and RDI, and that is done by furthering shared projects. The climate actions of our region are based on local strengths and the sharing of best practices.
Six climate spearheads in Helsinki-Uusimaa
Our Regional Climate Road Map includes six focus areas for climate change mitigation. These six spearheads have been chosen as the most vital and urgent themes for climate neutrality.
Five of our spearheads strive to mitigate climate change and to support a green transition. They represent the most important emissions sources of the region. The focus of mitigation lies on climate smart land use and construction, smart and emission-free mobility, fast and fair energy transition, climate neutral circular economy, together with sustainable consumption and production.
It is practically impossible to reach climate neutrality without carbon sequestration and compensating residual emissions. Therefore, the sixth spearhead of the roadmap aims to strengthen regional carbon sinks and storages, and to compensate for any residual emissions.
Finnish cities and municipalities are very autonomous and thus in a key position when it comes to enabling a climate neutral region. All large cities in our metropolitan region, as well as many smaller member municipalities already have action programmes of their own. However, reaching the ambitious goal naturally calls for international cooperative actions on our behalf, too.
Emissions in Helsinki-Uusimaa fallen by almost a third
In our quest for carbon neutrality in 2030, we use 2005 as the reference year. In recent years, we are pleased to see the emissions in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region fallen by 28 %, and even by 39 % per capita. While our regional emissions account for 20 percent of the national ones, the emissions per capita are well below the national average and decrease more quickly.
Emissions from transport and heating dominate the emission profile of our region. In 2021, the total emissions of our region were 6,4 million tonnes CO2e, or 3,7 tonnes per capita.
The development of emissions in the region is followed up according to an annual national inventory by the Finnish Environment Institute.
Find out more
Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub – pioneering together for circular economy
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Circular Hub is a community with municipalities, various organisations, research institutions and experts – together we take Helsinki-Uusimaa and Finland to the international top of circular economy.
For more information, please contact:
Pia Tynys
Sustainability Manager
Climate work in Helsinki-Uusimaa, green transition, climate roadmap: Carbon Neutral Helsinki-Uusimaa by 2030
Current
News
23.10.2025
Time to rethink taxation and procurement – the EU needs clear rules for the circular economy
The European Commission is currently preparing new legislation on the circular economy (Circular Economy Act). The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council and the Uusimaa Circular Hub are taking part in the discussion and have drafted a position paper on the legislative proposal together with stakeholders.
News
1.7.2025
Helsinki Regional Council committing to green deal agreement: reducing the use of natural resources to the level of 2015
Circular economy is no longer a mere environmental accomplishment - it is also about competitiveness, security of supply and generally, savings. To promote a sustainable resource-wise future, the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council has joined a regional green deal for circular economy. The green deal is a voluntary commitment in which the participating municipalities are offered support for concrete actions and gives them new opportunities to find solutions and start pilot projects.
This page was last updated: 4.8.2025