European Sustainable Development Week
Commission on Sustainable Development to reward effective actions
Each year, the General Secretariat of the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development rewards commendable commitments to sustainable development measures. This year, the General Secretariat of the Commission on Sustainable Development has decided to reward commitments made by the Ministry of the Interior, the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY and the City of Kouvola. All three of these commitments highlight the organisations’ work on sustainable development from a new perspective.
The commitments made using the Sitoumus2050 web service contribute to the global goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Finnish national strategy, i.e. Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development, through concrete actions. Through their operational commitments, anyone—from individuals to ministries, cities and businesses—can commit to national and global sustainable development work through their own actions.
The Ministry of the Interior's extensive commitment covers reforms within the Ministry's administrative branch, such as improving services for offenders and victims and calculating the carbon footprint of the administrative sector, along with investments in sustainable procurement.
The City of Kouvola’s commitment through its environmental programme translates the city’s earlier HINKU commitment, in which it committed itself to reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2030, into concrete terms. The commitment has also been used to put the environmental programme into practice, and the city’s early childhood education and care sector has already joined in with a commitment of its own.
The Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY's commitment to social responsibility complements its previous commitment to ecological responsibility. The organisation, which focuses on environmental issues, wanted to highlight its wide-ranging work on sustainable development with a new commitment. HSY’s first commitments date back to 2016, which demonstrates the organisation’s dedication to long-term sustainable development work.
The winners will receive their awards at a live broadcast on Friday 25 September at 11.30 –12.00. At the same time, we will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The celebration is part of the events taking place in Finland during European Sustainable Development Week. The goal of European Sustainable Development week is to make sustainable development projects and initiatives visible across Europe.
Inquiries: Riina Pursiainen, Project Coordinator, tel. +358 50 470 9569, Prime Minister’s Office.