Climate and resource wise Kuopio

The Viksu Kuopio program shows guidelines for carbon-neutral and climate-safe city and sustainable well-being. One of the main goals of the city strategy is to be a climate- and resource-wise city. This is what Viksu Kuopio aims for. The Kuopio of the future is a capital of good life that grows sustainably and is proud of its environment.

Viksu Kuopio’s main goals:

  • Carbon neutral by 2030.
  • Zero-waste by 2050 and a pioneer in the circular economy.
  • Sustainable consumption level by 2050.

By 2030:

  • Greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least 80% by 2030 from the 2007 level.
  • The amount of household waste will decrease and the recycling rate will increase, reaching a level of 65% by 2030.
  • The consumption-based carbon footprint will be halved by 2030 from the 2005 level.

“Climate and resource wise – sustainably growing, and proud of its environment.”

Kuopio city strategy 2030

Implementation and monitoring

The Viksu Kuopio program binds the service areas of the city and companies owned by the city. The program also has collaborators as Responsible Parties who, for their part, implement climate and resource-wise goals. The program includes almost 200 individual tasks.

The realization of the goals of Kuopio’s climate and resource wisdom program is monitored annually. The implementation of the measures and the good practices that have been started are reported to the steering group of the Viksu Kuopio program and the city government.

The progress of the goals is monitored, for example, by monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption-based carbon footprint, as well as the amount and recycling rate of household waste.

Climate change and city emissions
Learn about the facts

Effects of the Viksu Kuopio program

Other programs that advance climate and resource wisdom

The Viksu Kuopio program brings together the city’s other programs that implement the main goals of climate and resource wisdom. Viksu Kuopio functions as an umbrella for separate theme programs.

Local and national cooperation

The city is part of the Finnish Sustainable Communities (FISU), a national network of resource-wise pioneer municipalities , where municipalities spar with each other in resource-wise work. Kuopio is also involved in the climate work of Pohjois-Savo province as well as in the Climate Councils of the Municipal CouncilEco Support Activities and the international ICLEI network.

Climate work is also done in the SISU project

Implementing organized climate work in Pohjois-Savo region (SISU) -project brings the climate goals of the Viksu Kuopio program to a practical level.

Energy efficiency brings significant savings

The city of Kuopio concluded an energy efficiency agreement for the municipal sector for the years 2017–2025. The goal of the agreement was to decrease the city’s energy use by approximately 10 million kilowatt hours by 2025. By the end of 2023, Kuopio decreased its annual energy use by approximately 19 million kilowatt hours. The goal of the current period of the energy efficiency agreement was reached two years ahead of schedule. The annual savings that have already been realized are almost double the set goal. Good saving measures will remain permanent practices.

The previous resource wise program (2017-2023) and its monitoring reports can be found above. The program was replaced by the current Viksu Kuopio program in 2024.

For more information

Mari Turunen

Environmental Specialist, Energy Advisor

Piia Kukkaslahti

Environmental Specialist