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 quarter makes the calculations makes the information comparable. The municipality doesn’t need experience from emission calculation.
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[edit]
Hinku-network was founded in 2008 by “Kohti hiilineutraalia kuntaa” (Towards carbon neutral municipalities) -project from an initiative by management and 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, Hinku-network became an open network that also companies could join. Up until 2019, Hinku-network was called Hinku-forum. The network has grown throughout the years as many new municipalities have joined. In 2019 the network welcomed also regions to join. At the beginning of 2020, there were over 70 municipalities and 4 regions in Hinku-network.
Membership criteria[edit]
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 when reducing their emissions.
Objective[edit]
By the council’s decision, 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. Hinku-region commits, together with the regions 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[edit]
Furthermore, Hinku-municipality should:
- assign a contact person
- set up a task-force that includes the most important branches of administration (or incorporate it to an existing one)
- draw up and budget a yearly mitigation plan
- implement mitigation actions
- communicate about climate change mitigation to municipality’s workforce and municipal council as well as municipality’s residents, companies and forestry and agriculture entrepreneurs.
Hinku-region should:
- set up a regional cooperation task-force (or incorporate it to an existing one)
- draw up a regional emission reduction roadmap up to 2030 together with the essential actors
References[edit]
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