Hinku network
The Hinku network (Finnish: Hinku-verkosto) is a network for climate change mitigation for municipalities and regions operating in Finland. It brings together Finnish municipalities, cities and regions that are committed to emission reductions, as well as experts and companies working in the field of climate and energy. Member municipalities and regions are striving to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 2007 levels by 2030, some with an earlier deadline. The network, which is coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), was founded in 2008.
Municipalities report information for SYKE that includes energy usage, mobility, waste treatment, agriculture, fossil fuels in district heat production, special heating, machines, industries that aren’t included in emission trading and emission compensation. From this, SYKE calculates the municipality’s emissions. The fact that an unbiased party makes the calculations makes the information comparable. The municipality doesn’t need experience in emission calculation.
The network shares information about best practices in climate change mitigation, produces tools for climate actions, supports the municipalities in their climate actions and creates demand for climate-friendly products and services.
History
The Hinku network was founded in 2008 by the “Kohti hiilineutraalia kuntaa” (Towards carbon neutral municipalities) project, from an initiative by management and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE). In the beginning, there were five municipalities in the network: Kuhmoinen, Mynämäki, Padasjoki, Parikkala and Uusikaupunki. In 2011, Ii joined the network. From 2013, the Hinku network became an open network that companies could also join. Up until 2019, the Hinku network was called the Hinku forum. The network has grown throughout the years as many new municipalities have joined. In 2019, the network welcomed regions to join. At the beginning of 2020, there were over 70 municipalities and 4 regions in the Hinku network.
Membership criteria
To join the network, the municipality or region must fulfill the Hinku criteria. The criteria have been compiled by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).
Hinku criteria are the climate change mitigation actions and alignments that help municipalities credibly commit to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their actions and influence their area's actors (residents, companies, forestry, and agriculture entrepreneurs and seasonal residents) so that the area aims to become carbon neutral while reducing their emissions.
Objective
By the council’s decision, a Hinku municipality commits to reduce the area's greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2030 from the level of 2007. Greenhouse gas emissions are considered in all decision-making. A Hinku region commits, together with the region’s Hinku municipalities, to the same Hinku emission reduction. For the region to be eligible to become a Hinku region, the summed-up population of the committed Hinku municipalities must cover at least 80 percent of the region’s population.
Processes
Furthermore, a Hinku municipality should:
- assign a contact person
- set up a task force that includes the most important branches of administration (or incorporate it into an existing one)
- draw up and budget a yearly mitigation plan
- implement mitigation actions
- communicate about climate change mitigation to the municipality’s workforce and municipal council as well as the municipality’s residents, companies and forestry and agriculture entrepreneurs.
A Hinku region should:
- set up a regional cooperation task force (or incorporate it into an existing one)
- draw up a regional emission reduction roadmap up to 2030 together with the essential actors
References
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