Lahti’s green-minded initiatives recognised by National Geographic

One of the factors that caught the attention of National Geographic was Lahti’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality in 2025, which would see it become the first city to do so in Finland. The city also introduced an app-based trading scheme for personal traffic emissions for its residents last year.

National Geographic also underlined the city’s commitment to a circular economy, including reusing, recycling and renewing to remove waste from the system, and water conservation efforts.

Lahti made headlines last year, when it was selected as the European Green Capital 2021 in recognition of its efforts “to inspire positive change and leadership in the transformation to a more sustainable future”.

The city was in the headlines recently for its role in the European Go Green Routes project. Together with LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lahti is seeking to improve the accessibility of its recreational areas and promote nature-based entrepreneurship. Set to commence in summer 2020, the first step in this process is the construction of an accessible nature trail to Likolampi as part of the Kintterö Health Forest.

“As the future green capital, Lahti will be looking for practical environmental solutions that can also be applied elsewhere in the world,” saidSaara Vauramo, programme director of the European Green Capital 2021 project. “Through the Go Green Routes project, LAB and the City of Lahti will strengthen international co-operation aimed at studying and measuring the welfare effects of nature.”