Frequently asked questions

Climate Watch is an online service that gathers in one place the actions taken by the city of Espoo to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Through Climate Watch, it is possible for residents, decision-makers and officials to monitor Espoo’s climate actions and their progress.

The measures are based on  Espoo’s SECAP programme, but they have been further broken down and specified to make it easier to mobilise the goals and monitor progress. You can read more about Espoo’s SECAP programme and other climate goals on the Espoo's climate goal page.

City employees update their own actions in the Climate Watch as often as is practical, but at least once a year. Climate Watch also enables the city’s employees to monitor the progress of climate actions centrally.

Indicators will be added to Climate Watch to enable monitoring the progress of the measures and climate goals. Progress is measured directly based on the decrease of greenhouse gases and various measure-specific indicators, such are kilometres of cycling routes or the number of training sessions. The indicators are developed continuously.

A carbon-neutral city only produces as much greenhouse gas emissions as it can bind from the atmosphere. Espoo aims to reduce its emissions by an absolute 80 percent by 2030 compared to the level of 1990 and bind the remaining emissions to carbon sinks. Carbon neutrality and other concepts are explained and defined in the section Term bank.

Climate change caused by human activity causes changes in the weather and other environmental conditions that threaten the functioning of society, human well-being and biodiversity. To minimise these effects, climate change must be mitigated as much as possible. Climate change is mitigated by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sinks, and therefore Espoo strives for a situation where all the emissions it produces bind to its own carbon sinks and do not enter the atmosphere to warm the climate. Curbing climate change is a global goal that Espoo is committed in many international and national agreements and goals.

Despite mitigation measures taken, the climate has already changed and will continue to change. In Espoo, especially floods, heavy rains and extreme heat have already increased and intensified. They cause threats to society's functioning, people's well-being and biodiversity. In order to minimize disruptions and damages, it is necessary to adapt and prepare for changing conditions.