‘Newcastle & Helsinki’s Plan to Cut Emissions: Bold Move’

Attention Net Zero News readers,

Newcastle and Helsinki have recently entered into an international agreement to join forces in the fight against climate change by working towards achieving net zero emissions. This partnership is part of the Net Zero Cities’ Twinning Learning Programme, which aims to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among cities to combat the global climate crisis.

Under this initiative, climate change leaders from Newcastle City Council will have the opportunity to learn from Helsinki’s innovative Systemic Heat Shift programme. This groundbreaking programme has been successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by optimising the city’s district heating systems, thereby enhancing energy efficiency in both energy production and building management in Helsinki.

Cllr Juna Sathian, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport, emphasised the importance of cities taking the lead in addressing greenhouse gas emissions and working towards a sustainable future. He highlighted the significance of initiatives such as the Net Zero Cities, Twinning Learning Programme in facilitating collaboration and knowledge exchange across Europe.

“We are thrilled to partner with Helsinki and look forward to learning from their expertise in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, optimising district heating systems, leveraging AI algorithms to manage heat demand, and enhancing public awareness of sustainable heating and energy practices,” Cllr Sathian said.

Furthermore, Newcastle will share its knowledge on heat network partnerships, low-carbon neighbourhoods, and the role of city-wide anchor institutions in achieving net zero emissions with Helsinki.

Newcastle stands to benefit from this partnership by collaborating with Finnish experts to enhance community engagement and explore the potential of artificial intelligence in their sustainability efforts.

Over the course of the 18-month programme, both cities will engage in the exchange and transfer of knowledge and best practices related to achieving net zero emissions within their respective local contexts.

By the conclusion of the project, Newcastle aims to implement the insights gained from Helsinki to enhance its own strategies in combating climate change.

The programme is financially supported by the European Union, which will cover the costs associated with site visits between the two cities.

Image credit: iStock

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