Greenhouse gas emissions in Tampere continued to decline rapidly in 2024. Refined emissions calculations show that Tampere’s regional greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 totaled 590.2 kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), compared to 648.9 kilotons of CO2e in 2023. These figures include Tampere’s regional industrial emissions.
Excluding industrial emissions, regional emissions in 2024 were 9 percent lower than the previous year. The data is taken from the CO2 report produced by Sitowise Oy for the City of Tampere.
Emissions were reduced in particular by the electrification of district heating production. Tampereen Energia’s first electric boiler, built in Lielahti, was in operation throughout 2024. More were built in 2025. Electrification has also progressed in industry, resulting in higher industrial electricity consumption in 2024 compared to previously reported years.
Across Finland, greenhouse gas emissions from municipalities fell by approximately 4 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. This information is based on calculations conducted by the Finnish Environment Institute using the Hinku calculation rules for activity-based greenhouse gas emissions.
– Tampere’s emissions have decreased, particularly due to energy production. However, the work continues, and the remaining reductions will be more difficult to achieve. Emissions from transport pose a particular challenge. Climate work is now being integrated more closely into the city’s financial planning — with an emphasis on cost-effective solutions that simultaneously reduce emissions and generate other benefits. Achieving Tampere’s 80% emissions reduction target still requires determined additional measures, says Mikko Nurminen, director of the Urban environment and infrastructure services.
Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a measure in which the warming effect of various greenhouse gases has been converted into an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide.
According to calculations by the Finnish Environment Institute, road transport is the largest source of emissions among municipalities. Its share of total emissions has already risen to about 30 percent.
Road transport is also the largest source of emissions in Tampere in 2024, according to CO2 calculations. Of the emissions, 213 kilotons of CO2e, or 36 percent, are caused by transport.
The electrification of passenger cars in Tampere is steady but slower than anticipated. To achieve the carbon neutrality goal, the target is for 34 percent of passenger cars to be electric by 2030. In 2024, 8.5 percent of passenger cars were electric (6.5% in 2023 and 11.5% in 2025).
– Improvements in energy efficiency and the transition to electric power will also be needed in heavy-duty transport and logistics going forward. To reduce emissions and achieve the target, motor vehicle traffic volumes should not increase overall, despite the city’s growth, explains the city’s energy and climate expert Jaakko Sorri.
In the 2024 CO2 calculation figures, it should be noted that the method of calculating and reporting transportation emissions has changed. The figures are not fully comparable to previous years. According to the CO2 calculation, the second-largest source of emissions is building heating (178.4 kilotons of CO2e).
The CO2 report produced by Sitowise Oy primarily takes into account emissions from building heating, electricity consumption, road traffic, agriculture, and waste management generated within the Tampere region. Many indirect emissions generated by organizations and residents are excluded from the calculation.
Per capita climate emissions serve as a benchmark for comparison with other municipalities. Regional emissions per capita in Tampere are moderate.
According to CO2 calculations, Tampere’s regional emissions per capita in 2024 were 1.9 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, while the average for municipalities was 4.6 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. The corresponding per capita emissions in Tampere the previous year were 2.1 tons of CO2e.
Among large cities, the regional emissions per capita in Turku and Espoo are lower than in Tampere. Per capita emissions were equal to or higher, regardless of the calculation method, in cities such as Vaasa, Helsinki, Oulu, Lahti and Vantaa.
