mySMARTLife Lighthouse City of Helsinki contributed to this year’s Smart Cities Marketplace Forum which took place in Brussels from 26-27 April 2022 and focused on how to achieve a just and clean urban transition.
Maria Uusitalo, Helsinki Lighthouse Lead, presented the Finnish capital’s experiences in facilitating energy renovations in housing companies. The so-called “Energy Renaissance Strategy” aims to contribute to climate-friendly housing by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting more socially equitable housing.
A large amount of buildings in Helsinki date from the 1960s and 1970s and therefore do not meet current energy efficiency standards. Apartment buildings are mostly privately owned in Finland and residents are not sufficiently informed about energy/climate business. Therefore, the city has organised workshops, first with experts on the need for energy renovations, then with residents to detect their needs. The city also worked as an intermediary platform to bring the clients (i.e. housing companies) and private companies together, also easing permits. Besides, the city offered objective advice and free support for housing companies. With 260 housing companies contacting the city within 13 months, this offer was very well received.
About the Smart Cities Marketplace Forum
The Smart Cities Marketplace Forum 2022 was organised in connection with the Covenant of Mayors Office, the European Innovation Council, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) & many more. A common interest is to build networks & capacity, exchange knowledge for the clean energy transition as well as on funding & financing and improve citizens’ quality of life by the integration of innovative and cleantech solutions in Europe.
Read more on the Smart Cities Marketplace website.
