Environmental Strategy for Häme

BEST ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE

• Vision for the year 2020
• Strategy themes
• Adjusting process
• Environmental assessment of the strategy 
• Participants in preparation of the strategy

A new, adjusted environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions is a joint effort of the main regional actors to act against climate change. 

Vision for the year 2020

Häme and Päijät-Häme regions remain vital and the environment improves: clean waters, good quality of the air, good biodiversity, healthy living environment and rich cultural environment/heritage. Häme and Päijät-Häme regions and their inhabitants take part in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Strategy themes

1. Energy and environment

Objectives

Häme and Päijät-Häme regions take part into climate change mitigation so, that by the year 2020

• greenhouse gases are reduced 20 % from the level of the year 1990
• portion of renewable energy is at least 20 % of the production and consumption of the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions
• energy efficiency grows 20 % and material efficiency gets prominently better

Strain in the atmosphere, soil, groundwater and surface water decreases. 

New risks are avoided in advance.

Emphasis

1. To promote energy saving/efficiency, to promote shifting production and consumption from material into immaterial products and services andto promote material  and energy efficiency in all actions
2. Expertise is aimed and technology is developed so, that the renewable natural resources of  Häme and Päijät-Häme regions are used energy efficiently and securely avoiding harmful effects during the lifespan in advance. In Häme and Päijät-Häme regions we develop electricity and heating from the biomass and waste (unusable in any other way) and minimize especially harmful emissions.
3. In purchasing services and goods the most important criteria is low emission transportation. In that way services and goods produced nearby have a better competitivity and the remote work increases.
4. Soil, groundwater and surface water are protected, taken care of and restored actively.

Next programs for example are strategically important in implementation of environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions (responsible actor mentioned in brackets):

• Plans of waterhandling of waterhandling areas 2 and 3 and action plan of Häme regional environment centre
• Climate strategy of Häme and Päijät-Häme regions (Regional Councils of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme)
• Regional forestry program (Forestry centre Häme-Uusimaa)
• Development program of countryside in Häme (the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme)
• Aalborg commitment
• Regional wasteplan of Southern and Western Finland

Indicators

1. Has the plans mentioned in the strategy taken into account climate change mitigation and adaptation, estimation frequently
2. Energy-indicator:
   • Energy use
   • The amount of energy efficiency programs (Motiva)
   • Energy aid and energy abutment (the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme)
   • Part of domestic renewable energy in the use of electricity and production of district heating, electricity use per capita
   • Energy saving programs in communities of Häme and their realization (the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme)
3. Realization of water handling action plans (the Häme Regional Environment Centre)

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2. Community

Objectives

Social structure of Häme and Päijät-Häme regions supports energy efficiency, conserves environment and saves natural resources. Häme and Päijät-Häme regions have rich cultural heritage, nature is close and living environment is comfortable and functional.

Emphasis

1. Social structure is defragmented  economically, culturally, ecologically and socially sustainable way by directing construction into already existing populated areas and villages on the countryside.
2. Increase of traffic is prohibited by combining planning of traffic structures and using land and by creating functional travel chains between villages on the countryside, populated areas and cities.
3. The living environment is preserved good and comfortable and it is improved by assuring all services and natural refreshment areas for every one and by assuring adequate use, preservation and care for cultural environment (cultural heritage, cultural landscape and ancient monuments).
4. In the construction of  new networks and buildings the already existing infrastructure is utilized. Aim of  the solutions are climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Next programs for example are strategically important in implementation of environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions (responsible actor mentioned in brackets):    

• Regional plans and programs in Kanta and Päijät-Häme regions
• Province plans in Kanta and Päijät-Häme regions
• Traffic plan in Kanta-Häme region (Regional Council of Kanta-Häme)
• Traffic plan in Päijät-Häme region (Regional Council of Päijät-Häme)
• Models of city structure (Lahti, Hämeenlinna, Janakkala, Riihimäki, Forssa, Jokioinen, Tammela)
• Sustainable  regional structure in Metropol area (METKA)
• Aalborg commitment           

Indicators

1. Has the plans mentioned in the strategy taken into account climate change mitigation and adaptation, estimation frequently.
2. Part of the public transportation of all vehicle journeys, the amount of public aid to public transportation, coverage of the public transportation network (State provincial office of Southern Finland).
3. Plans, which are based on a law of land use and construction, and other plans:

• juridical general plans which are based on regional picture of development
• General plans in Häme landscape and cultural environment (the Häme Regional Environment Centre, Hertta system/YKR)
• city plans in cultural environment
• Refreshment and green areas in regional, general and city plans
• Village plans

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3. Biodiversity

Objectives

Nature in Häme and Päijät-Häme regions is a plural and stable wholeness of water, forests, arable land, groves, ridges and wetlands, where the human's connection to nature is everyday life.

Emphasis

1. Biodiversity and valuable landscapes such as ridges, rocks and moraines are taken into account in planning of using land, allowing licenses to use soil and in activities of agriculture and forestry.
2. Nature conservation program's, especially METSO's implementation and the conservation of  natural habitats of endangered and rare spicies, are promoted. Knowledge of endangered spicies is increased and the availability of knowledge concerning biodiversity monitoring is promoted.
3. Ecological connections and large unite areas of nature are preserved with reservations of areas and fragmentation of nature is avoided. 

Next programs for example are strategically important in implementation of environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions (responsible actor mentioned in brackets):

• Regional implementing of METSO program (Forestry Centre Häme-Uusimaa, the Häme Regional Environment Centre),
• Province plans in Kanta- and Päijät-Häme regions
• NATURA program

Indicators

1. Has the plans mentioned in the strategy taken into account climate change mitigation and adaptation, estimation frequently.
2. Ecological state of water (the Häme Regional Environment Centre).
3. Changes in spicies in Häme:

• Changes in birdlife in rural areas (Game and fisheries research, bird watchers)
• Changes in willow grouse (Europe, riekko) population (hunters' association)
• Häme cold flower, protected articles, hectares (the Häme Regional Environment Centre)
• Osprey (Osprey foundation)
• Large beasts (Game and fisheries research)

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Adjusting process

A new, adjusted environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions is a joint effort of the main regional actors to act against climate change. The old strategy from the year 2004 didn't recognize the seriousness of climate change.

In summer 2007 Häme regional environmental centre made an inquiry to the main regional actors concerning the old strategy and the probable changes needed. The main regional actors thought that the old strategy was quite good, but the commitment into it was weak. 

The meaning of the adjustment of the old strategy was to join the main regional actors to maintain the state of environment good and gather their activities against climate change. Strategy work was over sectoral, meaningful cooperation. The aim was to complete a coherent and brief strategy in 2008.  Groundwork of the strategy has been open through internet.

In autumn 2007 there was a seminar for the main regional actors and it was decided to adjust the old strategy by means of theme groups, interviews and using internet. Environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions gives ground rules to the other plans, for example to the regional planning work which began this autumn.

Reference groups named their advocates to three theme groups, which were 1) energy and environment, 2) community and 3) biodiversity. Theme groups assembled from three to four times. During the strategy work the sustainable development principles of the Häme regional environment centre were updated and the strategy was evaluated through them.

All members of the groups checked up the affinity of their own ready and oncoming strategies and plans towards the aims of the environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions. The strategy draft was sent to a large comment round in May 2008. The environmental impact assessment of the strategy was made by seven members of the reference groups. In August 2008 there was a seminar concerning the strategy draft. A new steering group of the Häme regional environment centre consisted of  the members of the interest groups has been examining the strategy draft three times.

In the steering group meeting 9.12.2008 the chair, director of Häme Regional Environment Centre, Mr Harri Kallio signed the new environmental strategy.

Environmental assessment of the strategy 

Environmental assessment of environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions was executed in Häme regional centre in May 2008 by next actors: Mr Lauri Arvola from University of Helsinki's biological station of Lammi, Mrs Mirja Lumiaho-Suomi from the Häme Environmental Centre (chairman and secretary), Mrs Silja Kostia from Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Mrs Sirpa Kurppa from Agrifood Research Finland  and Mrs Kirsi Liukkonen-Hämäläinen from city of Orimattila, Mrs Annukka Havas from Lahti Science and Business Park Ltd, Mrs Kirsi Sippola from Forssa Region Development Centre Ltd and Mr Osmo Väistö from Regional Council of Kanta-Häme.

Environmental strategy for the Häme and Päijät-Häme regions was assessed to have positive effects on environment in Häme and Päijät-Häme regions. Targets and main points of the strategy support sustainable development. Assessing actors thought that it is very important to have indicators to  monitor the implementation of strategy. Monitoring and the interpretation and distribution of knowledge of the state of the environment has to be improved.

Participants in preparation of the strategy

Steering group: Executive group of Häme regional environmental centre.

Theme groups:

1. Energy and environment

Chairman Mr Kari Sartamo,  the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme.

Other invited members were from Regional Councils of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme, the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme, University of Helsinki, Agrifood Research Finland, Häme Chamber of Commerce, Water company of Hämeenlinna region, Lahti Aqua Ltd, Metsähallitus, ProAgria Häme, The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), Lahti Region Environmental Services, Hämeenlinna Regional Environmental Authority, Environmental Authority of the cities of Forssa, Heinola and Riihimäki, Water protection societies of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme, Forestry societies of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme and the Häme Regional Environment Centre.

2. Community

Chairman Mr Matti Lipsanen, Regional Council of Kanta-Häme.

Other invited members were from Regional Council of Päijät-Häme, the Employment and Economic Development Centre of Häme,  The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK), ProAgria Häme, Hämeenlinna Regional Environmental Authority, Forestry societies of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme, city planning office of Hämeenlinna, The State Provincial Office of Southern Finland, office in Häme of Finnish Road Administration, Social Development Co Ltd and the Häme Regional Environmen Centre.

3: Biodiversity

Chairman Mr Jukka Ruuhijärvi, Game and fisheries research and Lammi Biological Station.

Other invited members were from Regional Council of Kanta-Häme, Lammi Biological Station (University of Helsinki), Forestry Centre Häme-Uusimaa, Metsähallitus, Lahti Region Environmental Services, Hämeenlinna Regional Environmental Authority, Forestry societies of Kanta-Häme and Päijät-Häme, ProAgria Häme, Nature protection district of Southern Häme and the Häme Regional Environment Centre.

Mrs Mirja Lumiaho-Suomi from the Häme Regional Environmen Centre has been in charge of the preparation of the strategy.

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