Leading the Green Revolution: An Interview with Lahti's Mayor

The change in sustainability starts in our cities. In cities that are constantly evolving. Cities that are leading the transition to a more sustainable Europe and a more sustainable world. Cities that build a greener and healthier living environment for their residents and act as role models. The European Green Capitals lead the way as such role models and inspiration to others. Lahti, with its 120 000 inhabitants, may be the smallest and most northern city to have ever won the European Green Capital Award, but it is by no means the least impactful. The majority of Europeans live in medium-sized cities such as Lahti, which makes Lahti perfectly placed to set an example for other European cities that wish to go green. Any city can be a green city.

We want to show that smart cities are also better cities.

Lahti has undergone a major transformation from an industrial city to a modern green city. It is an achievement of decades of environmental work done in cooperation with residents, businesses, associations, universities and other partners. More than 30 years ago, the Lahti community decided to restore Lake Vesijärvi. It was, due to industrial sewage, one of the most polluted lakes in Finland. Lahti and the Lahti citizens decided to seize the opportunity to change and head for a sustainable path. And that's the path we're still on. Today, the citizens of Lahti notice every day how environmental actions have made our city a better city. We are now Finland's leading environmental city and one of the world's leading green cities. Our ambitious climate programme was approved by the city council as early as 2009, and now we have cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 70%.

We said goodbye to coal in 2019 and have been the first city of the world to test the personal carbon trading for mobility. We reuse 99% of our household waste and will soon be able to give up our landfill sites completely. There will continue to be more investments in sustainable companies in the Lahti region. In 2021, Lahti was honoured to be an ambassador for sustainable urban development as the European Green Capital. However, this is only the beginning and will further accelerate our ambitious work on environmental issues and sustainable development. Our next goal is already in sight. Lahti will be a carbon-neutral city by 2025, the first major Finnish city to do so. We are currently strengthening carbon-neutral construction at a record pace. In Lahti, we promote the well-being of nature and people hand in hand, because planetary health is the future. We are also developing electric transport with several partners. Lahti is a wonderful sustainable tourist destination, which will be further strengthened by the upcoming UNESCO Global Geopark in Salpausselkä.

“Once a Green Capital, always a Green Capital – cities lead the way to a sustainable future” Pekka Timonen Mayor of Lahti (Finland), 2021 European Green Capital

Cities play a crucial role in the search for solutions to global climate and environmental challenges, which is why cooperation between cities is significant. European Green Capitals are already making the change that all cities need to make. Now we can show young Europeans that we are not just leaving the climate crisis in their hands. A sustainable future with better cities is possible if we choose so.