New climate and resource wisdom programme brings a new focus to the municipality of Siilinjärvi’s climate work
The Siilinjärvi Municipal Council approved the updated climate and resource wisdom programme on Monday. The programme aims to achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and to strengthen resource wisdom within the municipality.
The programme brings together the municipality’s climate and resource-wise objectives and measures, and sets a clear direction for Siilinjärvi’s climate work and its management in the coming years. A key objective of the programme is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the municipality’s area by 70 per cent by 2035 compared with 1990 levels. At the same time, the programme sets new targets for, amongst other things, reducing consumption-related emissions and the ecological footprint.
New themes included in the programme were adaptation to and preparedness for climate change, as well as the promotion of biodiversity. As climate change progresses, its impacts are intensifying and the role of adaptation is becoming increasingly important. The programme enables the local authority to better anticipate the effects of a changing climate on its operations and to ensure a safe and healthy living environment for residents, despite the changing climate. Biodiversity also plays a key role in people’s well-being.
Climate governance, communication and participation are also incorporated into the programme to a greater extent than before. Climate action will be managed more systematically in future, and local residents, businesses and organisations will be more actively involved in climate action. Climate governance will be strengthened, amongst other things, by setting up a climate working group to implement the programme and by introducing the ‘Environmental Watch’ system, which will enable residents to monitor the progress of the municipality’s climate work and targets.
During the preparation of the programme, local residents, decision-makers, businesses and other stakeholders have been consulted extensively, including through a survey and workshops.