The European Green Capital grants EUR 200,000 in funding to support local environmental projects - Lahti

The European Green Capital grants EUR 200,000 in funding to support local environmental projects

Lahti, the European Green Capital 2021, has granted funding for 16 environmental projects from the Lahti region. The city received funding applications from 53 projects in the first round of applications. The selected projects highlight the participation of children and young people.

“A good portion of the selected projects focus on children and young people, which is great. Some corporate projects were chosen as well, three of which are also aimed at children and young people. In addition to projects, funding was granted to events and activities, some of which will be organised as early as this summer. I believe that after the long and extraordinary spring, there is a demand for different opportunities for participation”, says Saara Vauramo, the programme director of Lahti – European Green Capital 2021.

The funding decisions were made on 26 June in the meeting of the Sustainable Lahti foundation, which manages the activities related to Lahti’s year as the European Green Capital. The proposal for the projects to be selected was prepared by a team of experts, who assessed the suitability of each project for Lahti’s European Green Capital programme. The funded projects implement the themes selected for the Green Capital year well. The themes are carbon-neutral everyday life, participation, the circular economy and water. The total amount of funding granted was EUR 194,063. The smallest amount granted was EUR 400 and the largest EUR 25,000.

Funded environmental projects

The projects that will receive funding in the first round and that are free to be published are:

  • Sustainability workshop for young people, Lahti Diaconia Foundation, EUR 25,000
  • Towards more sustainable communication, University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, EUR 8,237
  • Lahti Green Design Week 2021, LAB University of Applied Sciences, EUR 25,000
  • Sensus Communis – A new era of environmental appreciation, Lahti University Campus EUR 20,000
  • Building a communal wilderness hut on Aurinkovuori in Asikkala, the municipality of Asikkala, EUR 9,526
  • Construction waste of new buildings and its potential for recovery for use in final products, engineering agency Insinööritoimisto Lepistö Oy, EUR 6,500
  • Sustainable happiness, Susanna Pesonen, EUR 3,940
  • Waste watcher, catering service Päijät-Hämeen Ateriapalvelut Oy, EUR 2,160
  • Urban garden, Pilke Hyppyri daycare centre, EUR 500
  • Ahtiala children’s forest, City of Lahti/early childhood education, EUR 400
  • Monttu Kino pit cinema, Monttukino / Lahti Kaleva ry, EUR 15,000
  • Filming the movie Etsivätoimisto Henkka & Kivimutka, Fishcock Films Company Oy, EUR 25,000
  • Tuhatjalkaiset (centipedes) functional sculptures, Ebonia design, EUR 16,000
  • We reach the teens – Teaching material for sustainability education in confirmation schools, Lahti Parish Union, EUR 2,200

Continued support for local activities

The Sustainable Lahti foundation will provide support for environmental projects in the future as well. Funding for projects can be applied for until September of 2021. The aim of the project funding is to inspire operators from all over the region to participate in the shared theme year. The next project funding application round will end on 30 September 2020. Several dozen applications are already being prepared for the round.

“Right now, it looks like there will be more focus on corporate projects and sustainable innovation activities implemented by the public and private sectors. The first application round taught us to expect applications from a variety of operators for projects of all shapes and sizes, which was our goal all along. We will develop our assessment criteria as needed to ensure we are able to compare the projects in more detail”, says Vauramo.

Individual projects can be granted funding up to EUR 30,000 and up to 80 percent of the project’s overall costs. Funding is granted for environmental projects of associations, private traders, educational institutions, municipalities and companies that are implemented in cooperation by at least two operators.

More information:

Saara Vauramo, Programme Director, Lahti – European Green Capital 2021, saara.vauramo@lahti.fi, tel. +358 44 716 1585

More detailed information about the projects and their contents will be published in the near future at https://greenlahti.fi/en/program

Apply for project funding at www.greenlahti.fi/osallistu