Newcastle and Helsinki have signed an international agreement to collaborate on achieving net zero emissions. This partnership is part of the Net Zero Cities’ Twinning Learning Programme, which encourages cities to share knowledge and work together to combat climate change.
As part of this initiative, climate change leaders from Newcastle City Council will learn from Helsinki’s innovative Systemic Heat Shift programme. This programme is successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing the city’s district heating systems, thereby improving energy efficiency in Helsinki’s energy production and building management.
Cllr Juna Sathian, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Climate and Transport, said: “Cities, as major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, are uniquely positioned to lead the way to a sustainable future. This is why initiatives such as the Net Zero Cities, Twinning Learning Programme are vital for providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing across Europe.
“We’re incredibly proud to be joining forces with Helsinki and hope to learn from them about reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy production, optimising and decarbonising district heating systems, exploring how AI algorithms can manage heat demand, and improving public awareness and participation in sustainable heating and energy practices.
“We will also share our learnings with them on heat network partnerships, low-carbon neighbourhoods, and how city-wide anchor institutions can deliver net zero together.”
Newcastle is set to benefit from its partnership with Helsinki by collaborating with Finnish experts to enhance community engagement and explore the potential of artificial intelligence.
The 18-month programme will facilitate the exchange and transfer of knowledge and practices related to achieving net zero emissions within the local contexts of both cities.
By the end of the project, Newcastle aims to apply the insights gained from Helsinki to improve its own efforts in tackling climate change.
The programme is funded by the European Union, which will cover the costs of site visits between the two cities.
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