Six cities in Finland selected as European pioneers in climate neutrality

The European Commission has selected six Finnish cities, Tampere, Turku, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Espoo and Helsinki, as European pioneers that aim to achieve carbon neutrality already by 2030. In all, 100 cities were selected from among 362 applicants in the EU. Nine cities in Finland applied.

“The cities that have the desire, skills and resources to become carbon neutral at an accelerated pace are crucial drivers of change towards carbon neutrality in Finland by 2035. I would therefore like to congratulate the selected cities,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.

The leading cities were selected as part of the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, which is incorporated in the research and development programme Horizon Europe. The Mission aims to support a hundred European cities in concrete ways so that they can become carbon neutral by 2030. The goal is to develop cities into innovation centres that will lead their peers by example in the transition to carbon neutrality by 2050. At the same time, the Mission will advance the European Green Deal initiative that aims to make Europe the first carbon neutral continent by 2050.

As part of the Mission, climate agreements involving local, national and EU-level authorities will be drawn up for the selected hundred cities. In addition, a new kind of role is offered to urban residents to accelerate change. Measures to be taken in the agreements include new kind of urban planning, sustainable urban mobility solutions and climate-positive energy districts. The EU will provide a total of EUR 359 million in funding for the agreements, their measures and the entire Mission. 

Inquiries: 
Mari Kokko, Special Adviser to Minister of Economic Affairs, tel. +358 40 521 2124 
Olli Voutilainen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, tel. +358 29 506 4919