Plans are already being made for a zero carbon city

The City of Helsinki aims for an 85 percent emission reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040. Net zero means that the city’s emissions and sinks are in balance: greenhouse gases can only be produced as much as natural sinks or other removals – such as technical and biological carbon removal solutions – can absorb.

Achieving the long-term emission reduction target is not only about emission optimisation, but other planetary boundary conditions and justice perspectives must also be taken into account, as well as the impacts of the selected actions on the preconditions of living in general.​

Achievement of the goals requires significant changes to existing planning methods and operating models. As the set targets are new and ambitious, not all solutions for achieving them are yet known. However, plans for the zero carbon city of the future are already in progress, containing solutions that are made far into the future.