Download Environmental policy guidelines

City of Vantaa´s Environmental
policy 2012-2020
Approved by the city council of Vantaa 18.6.2012 § 7
Published
Translation
Layout
Printing
Serie
ISBN
City of Vantaa, Environmental Centre
Johanna Suokas
Tarja Starast
Vantaan kaupungin paino
A 14
ISBN 978-952-443-411-9
Introduction . ......................................................... 2
Environmental management in Vantaa ........... 4
Environmental challenges in Vantaa ................ 6
City of Vantaa’s environmental policy .............. 7
Environmental policy guidelines . ..................... 8
Monitoring and responsibilities ......................11
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Introduction
During the past few years, the principles of sustainable development
have increasingly guided urban planning and the city’s operations. Cities
are well aware of their roles as significant environmental influencers and
operators increasing environmental load. That is why, the city, in its own
development, wants to emphasizes its possibilities of facing up to great
environmental challenges, in particular climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, and reduced biodiversity.
Work on sustainable development began in Vantaa in the mid-1990s
when the city council ratified the Aalborg document and the city’s environmental policy (Jan. 23, 1995). After this, the first department- and
result-division-specific environmental programs were compiled. New department-specific climate- and environmental programs were completed
in late 2009 and early 2010.
The city is committed to promoting sustainable development with the
help of numerous programs and commitments. In addition, global and
national strategies and policies indirectly steer the city’s operations.
Promoting sustainable development in a consistent manner requires a
revised environmental policy that includes the city’s long-term guidelines
for ecological sustainability and promotion of environmental protection.
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A jointly accepted environmental policy also commits the city’s departments
to shared development measures promoting environmental issues. In addition, a ratified environmental policy is a message showing that environmental issues play an important role in the city and that all the city’s functions
have their starting point in a preventive attitude.
The metropolitan area climate strategy, municipalities’ energy-efficiency agreement, the Covenant of Mayors, Climate Change Declaration,
program for air-protection measures, storm-water program, program
for the Baltic Sea measures, green-area program, noise-prevention
program, and competitiveness program all contribute to environmental sustainability.
The guidelines of the environmental policy specify the long-term goals
needed to implement sustainable development and address environmental challenges in Vantaa. Compiling the guidelines of the environmental policy is based on the State of the Environment in Vantaa review
and on the surveys of Vantaa residents’ environmental attitudes and behavior. Furthermore, a review of the realized environmental and climate
policy has been made.
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Environmental management in Vantaa
In essence, environmental management aims at maintaining and promoting ecological sustainability in the city. Promoting sustainable development has been entered in the city’s operating principle, vision and
values, and it constitutes a part of the city’s strategic planning. Objectives
of sustainable development are annually proposed to be included in Vantaa’s balanced strategy.
The city council ratifies the budget and financial plan objectives. In
addition to strategy, environmental management deploys individual
programs as tools, for example, air-protection program, storm-water program related to adaptation to climate change, and department-specific
climate/environmental programs.
City of Vantaa’s operating principle
The City of Vantaa promotes the residents’ well-being, creation of new
jobs, and sustainable urban development by offering a good operating
environment and sensibly sized services. Operations are based on the
residents’ social inclusion and open communications.
The City of Vantaa’s vision
For both residents and businesses, Vantaa is the most attractive and international city in Finland; a city that acts as a trailblazer in sustainable
development.
Sustainable development
Securing good living conditions for present and future generations. Solutions and decision-making account for ecological perspectives and fairness, and keep the economy balanced.
The guidelines of environmental policy dictate compilation of strategic
objectives and compilation of department-specific climate/environmental programs, and become concrete in their objectives and measures.
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City Council
City Executive Board
Environmental
policy
Metropolitan area
climate strategy
Environmental
issues in city
strategy
Departments
Environmental issues in
departments´and result
divisions´ balanced
scorecards
Environmental and
climate programs
Sector programs,
agreements and
obligations
Eco-support
Environmental
report
Reporting
Environmental management in Vantaa
Environmental management also includes monitoring and assessing the
realization of objectives, as well as the principle of continuous enhancement. Realization of binding city-level objectives is monitored three
times a year. The city council is given reports on the realization of the climate objectives of the Vantaa treaty (2010-2013) and of the departmentspecific climate programs four times a year.
In addition, department-specific climate/environmental programs are annually reported to the committees in question. The environmental report,
published annually, describes the state of ecological sustainability in Vantaa with the help of indicators and examples.
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Environmental challenges in Vantaa
The most important environmental challenges in Vantaa are related to
climate change. Land-use and traffic planning is the best way the city can
mitigate climate change, that is, by condensing the urban structure and
promoting mass transport and cycling. Greenhouse gas emissions also
arise due to energy-production methods, resident and businesses’ energy
consumption, and other consumption habits. To reduce these emissions,
the city must increase communication, education, counseling, and cooperation with its interest groups.
The city’s own operations act as an example, both directly and indirectly.
Goods and service acquisitions in particular can reduce greenhouse effects caused by other actors.
Biodiversity in Vantaa is threatened by fragmentation of habitats, interruptions in ecological connections, and reduced biodiversity in general.
Numerous flowing waters and creeks are especially valuable for Vantaa’s
cityscape, and renovating and rebuilding them is a priority in securing
biodiversity.
Traffic noise is significant in Vantaa. The general level of noise in residential areas can be affected by planning.
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City of Vantaa’s environmental policy
The City of Vantaa bears environmental liability and is committed to:
• accounting for the perspective of ecologically sustainable development in planning all its operations
• promoting development of best practices and expertise by training its personnel
• promoting environmental protection in its own operations and in
the operations of its interest groups
• reducing the city’s environmental impacts by constantly enhancing the level of environmental protection
• implementing this policy in compilation and monitoring the city
strategy and department-specific programs
• acting in an exemplary manner in environmental issues
• promoting the residents’, businesses’ and employees’ environmental awareness and environmental liability.
Operating principle
Vantaa grows in a sustainable manner with the objective of reaching carbon neutrality *. The city assumes environmental liability in
all its decision-making and activities.
* Carbon neutrality refers to an 80% emission reduction when the remaining 20% of the
emissions are compensated for by means other than reducing emissions.
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Environmental policy guidelines
Nature is an irreplaceable resource
We ensure sustainability of biodiversity in planning and implementation, and secure functional
ecosystem services and ecological
connections.
We recognize the value of small
inland water habitats and enhance
their ecological state.
We promote sustainable recreational use of green areas.
We ensure air and water purity by
preventing harmful subjects from
accessing the environment.
We use natural resources sparingly.
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Creation and retaining ecosystem services requires biodiversity and functional ecosystems.
Vantaa’s nature reserves and
green areas supplementing
them form an impressive network of biotypes. They ensure
the biodiversity, serve the residents’ recreational needs, and
act as important carbon sinks.
Sensible procurements and
utilization of waste helps conserve natural resources.
Sustainable urban development is an answer to environmental challenges.
By building an ecologically sustainable city, we help mitigate
climate change. We condense
the urban structure while maintaining important green areas
and connections between them
to guarantee a high-quality urban environment.
We create preconditions for
trouble-free mobility by increasing mass transport and cycling.
We account for adaptation to
climate change in all our planning and operations.
We increase the use of renewable energy. Material- and
energy-efficiency and life-cycle
costs guide our planning, activities, and procurements.
We minimize exposure to noise
and ensure that quiet areas are
retained.
Condensing the urban structure,
promoting mass transport and
cycling, and energy-efficient
building in new construction and
renovation help mitigate climate
change.
Extreme weather phenomena and
climate change affect both the
built environment and the natural
environment. Climate-change
impacts on people, on especially
risk groups, demand adaptation
measures.
Through its own choices and
through its interest groups, the city
can make the use of materials and
energy more efficient and increase
the use of renewable energy.
Developing noise prevention is important to health protection and
environmental pleasantness. Areas
more peaceful than the rest of the
environment – so-called quiet urban areas – are of particular importance to recreation.
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Joint responsibility for the environment
We steer to environmentally
responsible behavior by
enhancing environmental
awareness.
We promote environmental
issues in cooperation with the
residents, businesses, and other
interest groups.
We strengthen R&D supporting
environmental policy.
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Everybody is responsible for implementing the principles of sustainable development. Environmentally
responsible activities require recognition of one’s own influencing possibilities. Education and training in
sustainable development is offered
and implemented on all educational
levels and to people of all ages.
Effective environmental communication to both the residents and
interest groups increases environmental awareness and promotes environmentally responsible behavior.
Cooperation and social inclusion are
preconditions for establishing environmentally responsible operating
methods in everyday life.
Up-to-date and versatile research
data provide a reliable basis and
help guide planning and operations.
Monitoring and responsibilities
Climate-change management group, consisting of managers of different
departments, is responsible for monitoring and developing the environmental policy. Environment Centre – esponsible for coordinating and developing the monitoring of administrative sectors’ climate- and environmental programs – compiles the environmental report covering all the
city’s operations. Departments are responsible for providing information
and reporting to committees and management boards.
Realization of the environmental policy is monitored in the annual environmental report that is ratified by the city council. The report also includes environmental accounts of the city organization and corporations
that are annually attached to the city’s financial statement.
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Vantaa´s strategy
Vantaa´s environmental policy
Department´s environmental programs
Programs, strategies, ie.
- climate strategy
- climate-protection program
- energy-effiency agreement
- water-protection programs
- the Baltic Sea challenge
Indicators
Environmental
reporting
Structure of environmental management in Vantaa
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City of Vantaa
Land Use, Building and Environmental Department
Environmental Centre
Pakkalankuja 5, 01510 Vantaa