Eco-support staff now exceeds one thousand in Helsinki region

The municipalities of the Helsinki region have trained more than one thousand of their employees as eco-support staff members. In addition to their regular duties, the eco-staff guide and encourage their colleagues to change their work habits and make environmentally friendly choices.

Eco-support activities have been developed to heighten awareness of environmental issues at the region’s workplaces. The goals are reduced environmental loads, preservation of natural resources and mitigation of climate change. Means to the goals include cutting down on energy consumption and waste.

Eco-support staff members work in schools, daycare centres, swimming halls, libraries and many other municipal operations. They can be teachers, youth workers and public health nurses.

The eco-support programme has been developed by the City of Helsinki, which has trained more than 700 eco-support staff members since 2006. As part of the Julia 2030 climate change programme, the activity has been extended to cover other Helsinki region municipalities, and more than 350 new staff members were trained in 2009-2010.

Julia 2030 is a three-year programme aimed at reducing the Helsinki region’s greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting possibilities to mitigate climate change and to adapt to its consequences.

Julia 2030