We will celebrate the anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals on 25 September – SDG flags will fly in front of Raatihuone

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by UN member states in 2015, aims to eradicate extreme poverty and ensure well-being in an environmentally sustainable manner. Flag Day serves as a reminder of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and how they also guide the efforts of City of Tampere to promote sustainable daily life and well-being for its residents. 

Although the responsibility for advancing these goals lies with national governments, cities play a significant role as global influencers and local promoters of sustainable development.  Tampere has been promoting sustainable development on a long-term basis since the 1990s, and the Sustainable Development Goals are incorporated into the Tampere City Strategy 2035 – City of Action, which was updated in November 2025. 

– For us, sustainability work isn’t a separate project – it’s part of everything we do. It’s part of our projects and our day-to-day work. Development programs, such as Hiedanranta and Tampere for All, also work to strengthen residents’ well-being and inclusion. Our group companies also contribute to advancing the SDGs in their own ways, says Nina Mustikkamäki, Strategy Manager for the City of Tampere.

Working together makes a difference

Sustainability efforts in Tampere are carried out through extensive collaboration with residents, organizations, businesses, and other major cities. For example, Tampere is participating in the “Sustainable Leadership in Cities of the Future” network project led by the Kuntaliitto, together with Helsinki, Vantaa, Oulu, and Turku.

Tampere is also participating in the Urban Prosumers project, coordinated by the University of Tampere. The project aims to foster a new understanding of participatory climate action and how citizens can actively influence the development of sustainable solutions at the local level.

– We’re working together with residents, communities, and businesses to find sustainable and community-based solutions for everyday issues related to transportation, energy, and food. When people are able to participate in developing new ways of doing things, their commitment is also stronger, says Elina Pulliainen, project manager for the City of Tampere.

Pulliainen will tell about the project on Thursday, 24 September, at 6.00 pm at an event titled “How to Write and Read in the Age of the Climate Crisis?” at the Metso Main Library. Before the event, there will be a non-stop brainstorming session in the library lobby. The session is open to everyone for generating ideas for the project’s community grant application. 

Other participants in SDG Flag Day in Tampere include Tammerkosken lukio, the city’s subsidiary Tammenlehväkeskus, Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK).

– Inclusion and collaboration are at the heart of sustainable development work. By working together, we have the opportunity to influence what kind of life we will live in the future, both in Tampere and elsewhere, says Nina Mustikkamäki.