Turku, Vaasa, Espoo and Helsinki together with Sitra are showing the way towards carbon neutrality by sailing from Turku to a policymaker event in Almedalen. The cities want to show why the bar should be kept high at the Paris climate conference in December.

“Finnish companies have plenty of know-how in low-carbon solutions which are in high demand in the world stage. However, Finland needs reference areas that would serve the export of companies. Cities are engines of development,” says Senior Lead Tiina Kähö from Sitra.

New kind of co-operation between cities, companies and the state should create new business activity and vacancies.

“Renewable energy will dominate in the energy production of Turku already before the year 2020. By 2040 we will make Turku a carbon neutral city. At the same time we are developing smart systems and circular economy solutions with which we will create sustainable business activity and well-being,” says Mayor of Turku Aleksi Randell, who will participate on the voyage.

Week of politics

Almedalen’s week of politics is the most important political event in Sweden. It gathers 35 000 people in Visby, the capital of Gotland, for over 3000 seminars every summer. During the week politicians and representatives of NGOs and business life will discuss the best ways to advance economic and social objectives within the society.

In addition to Randell and Kähö, also Development Manager of Turku Risto Veivo, Mayor of Vaasa Tomas Häyry, Director for Economic and Business Development of Espoo Tuula Antola, and Executive Director of Climate Leadership Council Jouni Keronen will be participating in the discussions. In addition to the Nordic countries, participants from USA and India will be coming as well.

The representatives of Finland will set forth carbon-neutrally with sailing vessel Albanus from the harbor of Turku on Friday morning, 26 June.

The website and programme of the event: