Finnish program helps cities with carbon reduction

Finland has launched the "Decarbonized Cities" program earlier this year, aimed at helping cities expedite their energy transition efforts, reported Xinhua.

The program "contributes to international collaboration to bolster global decarbonization efforts," Outi Suomi, the program's director, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Regarding the program's approach to assisting cities in reducing emissions and transitioning to cleaner energy, Suomi highlighted the importance of cooperation among various sectors and authorities.

"Involving businesses is essential," she stressed, adding that the program drives innovation development through international cooperation and provides support for Finnish companies to test new solutions in global cities.

The program offers a range of cross-sectoral solutions for cities, including building information modeling, digital construction, smart electric vehicle charging, virtual power plants, among others.

According to Suomi, six Finnish cities are part of the EU Mission for climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 -- an initiative by the European Union aimed at transforming urban areas into environmentally sustainable and technologically advanced communities, setting ambitious decarbonization goals to drive the development of new solutions in partnership with companies.

Over the next decade, Finnish cities aim to lead the way in advancing the energy transition, with digitalization playing a pivotal role in this transformation, she said.