Newcastle and Helsinki join forces on net zero

Newcastle will join forces with Finnish capital Helsinki as part of a net zero arrangement.
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Helsinki, Finland

 

An international agreement has been signed that will see Newcastle and Helsinki enter into a knowledge-sharing partnership on net zero.

Newcastle and the Finnish capital will team up as part of the Net Zero Cities’ Twinning Learning Programme which promotes intercity knowledge sharing and collaboration to progress international efforts to address climate change.

Through the programme, climate change leaders at Newcastle City Council will gain experience of Helsinki’s ground-breaking Systemic Heat Shift programme, which is reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the city’s energy production and buildings portfolio by optimising district heating systems.

Cllr Juna Sathian, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport, said: “Cities, as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, are uniquely positioned to lead the way to a sustainable future. This is why initiatives such as the Net Zero Cities, Twinning Learning Programme are vital for providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing across Europe.

“We’re incredibly proud to be joining forces with Helsinki and hope to learn from them about reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, optimising and decarbonising district heating systems, exploring how AI algorithms can manage heat demand, and improving public awareness and participation in sustainable heating and energy practices.

“We will also share our learnings with them on heat network partnerships, low-carbon neighbourhoods, and how city-wide anchor institutions can deliver net zero together.”

It is also hoped that Newcastle will benefit from the link-up with Helsinki by exploring, alongside Finnish colleagues, enhancing community engagement and better understanding the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

The programme will last 18 months and will allow both Newcastle and Helsinki to exchange and transfer shared learning and practices around net zero in both cities’ local context.

By the end of the project, it is hoped Newcastle will have been able to apply the knowledge gained from its partnership with Helsinki to help the city better tackle climate change.

The programme is funded by the European Union, which includes covering costs of related site visits between the two cities.

Read more about Helsinki's Systemic Heat Shift activity.