The carbon emission calculator tool in improvement of low carbon real estate sector

By project S3UNICA

Published on 28 July 2022

Finland

About this good practice

Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) has developed a greenhouse gas emission reduction planning tool (The carbon emission calculator tool in improvement of low carbon real estate sector) that supports the climate work of municipalities. The tool is useful when creating different emission scenarios based on the current emission situation of each municipality and on various factors and measures affecting emissions. It will help to assess the changes needed in different sectors in order to meet the emission reduction targets set. The use of the tool also supports the impact assessment of regional climate road maps.
Municipalities have a vital role in meeting the challenges of climate change and in decreasing the carbon emission. In South Karelia seven municipalities out of nine are quite small and they suffer scarcity of staff and other resources The Regional Council of South Karelia has taken the role of supporter in municipalities´ climate work and the SYKE´s planning tool is one part of this work. All small municipalities examine the tool together with a support team. The tool includes many parts and one of them is energy consumption of buildings. Municipal officers have to estimate e.g., the pending measures concerning energy consumption of buildings and the tool will reveal the amount of emission reduction of each measure. Municipalities are involved in S3UNICA stakeholder work. The network supports the development of the measures to reduce the emissions in buildings.

Resources needed

A planning tool is developed during seven months in SYKE. Three people has been working with it and a total labor input is about six months. Development of the tool has required lots of background data from different registers and databasis. The use of the planning tool is free of charge.

Evidence of success

Many regions and municipalities has used the tool when prepairing low carbon roadmaps. The tool has had an important role when searching the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Many operators are engaged to implementation of the roadmaps, which creates common goals for regions. Also all South Karelian municipalities are getting benefit of the tool and it supports the estimation of quality-price ratio of the different measures.

Potential for learning or transfer

The most important demand when developing the planning tool is that the region have calculations of greenhouse gas emissions. The Finnish Environment Institute SYKE calculates the annual greenhouse gas emissions of Finnish municipalities by using the ALas model (Alueellinen Laskenta, regional calculation). Results have been used when developing a planning tool.

A carbon-neutral Finland by 2035 was set as the target in the Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government. The Climate Change Act has been reformed to reach the target. The new Climate Act entered into force on 1 July 2022. The obligation concerning the climate plans of municipalities has been prepared as a separate proposal for amending the Climate Act and it will enter into force in 2023. The planning tool of SYKE is mentioned and will be a statutory instrument in 2023. In the long run this will effect to public authorities and will lead to the improvement of a public policy.