The city of Tampere has calculated its own biodiversity footprint for the first time. The city and the University of Jyväskylä have developed a calculation method tailored to the city’s organization. The results demonstrate for the first time the impact of metropolitan organization procurement on global biodiversity.
Tampere, Finland, January 19, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are intertwined with climate change, posing major challenges on a global scale. Meeting this challenge requires changing consumption patterns and behaviors across all sectors of society.
Better choices reduce harm
The key to improving your footprint is managing and mitigating your impact. This can be achieved by understanding where our biodiversity footprint comes from.
– Tampere wants to take the lead in protecting both climate and biodiversity. We need to identify the most significant impacts on biodiversity throughout our supply chains and actively seek ways to reduce them. In 2021, the city purchased goods and services worth more than €1 billion. Cities therefore have many opportunities to reduce harmful impacts through better choices. Kali Kankarathe city’s environmental development director.
In 2021, the largest share of the city of Tampere’s biodiversity footprint came from food procurement (22%), followed by heat consumption (13%) and third from construction (12%). The largest share (22%) of Tampere city’s carbon dioxide emissions was due to heat consumption. Food accounted for 14% of carbon emissions and construction accounted for 13%.
Food has the biggest impact on biodiversity, but food procurement in euros only accounts for around 3% of all procurement.
open calculation method
The footprint is calculated using a methodology developed by JYU.Wisdom, the Resource Wisdom community at the University of Jyväskylä. This methodology uses scientific databases, organizational financial accounts, and other consumption data to calculate biodiversity footprint.
– states that the methodology for calculating the footprint will be published for use by all other pioneering organizations Janne CotiahoJYU Wisdom Director, Professor of Ecology.
View source version on businesswire.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240119694850/ja/
contact address
Tampere city
development specialist
Emi Nieminen
Phone: +358 44 423 5136
Email: emmi.nieminen@tampere.fi
University of Jyväskylä
Professor Janne Cotiaho
Phone: +358 50 594 6881
Email: janne.kotiaho@jyu.fi
University of Jyväskylä
doctor student
Sami El Genedi
Phone: +358 40 532 9892
Email: sami.s.elgeneidy@jyu.fi