Climate Change

After already shutting down the Hanasaari B power plant two years ago, Helsinki will now rely entirely on alternative energy sources to meet its ambitious climate goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 – two decades ahead of the EU’s own target. By retiring the Salmisaari plant, Helsinki is hoping to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 30% compared to the previous year. In 2022, coal still fuelled 64% of the municipal energy utility Helen Ltd’s district heat production. With both Hanasaari and Salmisaari closed in the space of just two years, the Finnish capital has already reduced its CO2 emissions by a total of 43%. Nationally, these closures will lower Finland’s overall emissions by around 5%. Helen Ltd’s new approach to energy production in Helsinki will be electrified and carbon-neutral, relying on heat pumps, electric boilers, energy storage and sustainably sourced bioenergy for heat, while power will come primarily from wind, nuclear, hydro and solar. This transition is already under way, with projects like Europe’s largest electric boiler plant and one of the world’s largest heat pumps. Hydrogen is also a high priority, including Helen’s 3H2 – Helsinki Hydrogen Hub, scheduled to start production in 2026. “The closing of the coal-fired energy plants is an important and historical change for Helsinki, Finland and, ultimately, the whole planet. Cities the world over have assumed a leading role in the fight against climate change. Helsinki wants to be a bold forerunner, on both a national and global level. The fact that we have been able to resolutely move forward with our plans to shut down coal-fired power plants in our city is a strong indicator of our determinedness in this area,” says Juhana Vartiainen, Mayor of Helsinki. “With regard to Helsinki’s direct climate emissions, we have made particularly good progress towards our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 in terms of heating and electricity consumption. Shutting down the operations of the Salmisaari coal power plant is a really important step and a much-needed major deed. However, our determined work towards emissions reductions will not stop here, as our objective is to be net zero by 2040, and from there on we will strive towards carbon negativity,” points out Deputy Mayor Anni Sinnemäki. UK is also coal-free as of September 2024 Helsinki now joins the UK in consigning coal to the history books, after Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station – the country’s last coal facility with a 2GW capacity – closed in September 2024. Having seen 25 of its coal plants either close or convert to alternative fuels since 2000, the UK became the first G7 nation to go fully coal-free, nearly a century and a half after opening the world’s first coal power plant in 1882. By agreeing to end reliance on coal power by 2035, the other G7 nations are also embracing the green transition. Ratcliffe-on-Soar’s decommissioning – taking around two years to complete – mirrors the changes in Helsinki, with both cities focusing on cleaner energy sources and innovative technologies/

Projects that would protect vulnerable New York City neighborhoods from flooding and intense storms are at risk after President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans to cut federal funding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) canceled more than $325 million in grants to New York State that would go toward critical infrastructure and community resilience projects, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. A majority of the projects impacted are designed to help New York City prepare for weather disasters like flooding and extreme rainfall. On Friday, FEMA announced the end of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and canceled all BRIC applications for 2020-2023. The program, which began during Trump’s first term and was expanded under President Joe Biden, allocated funding for “eligible activities that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from future disasters.” Under Biden, FEMA’s priorities for the program included incentivizing natural disaster risk reduction that mitigates threats to public infrastructure and disadvantaged communities, using designs to reduce carbon emissions, and enhancing climate resilience. According to the New York Times, BRIC has distributed more than $5 billion in grants to states since 2020. Nearly $1 billion in funding awarded but not distributed will be returned to the Treasury Department, according to the agency. “The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program,” a spokesperson for FEMA said in a statement. “It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need.” The Trump administration revoked $325.5 million in funding for projects that have not yet begun construction; according to the governor, there is an additional $56 million worth of projects where work has started that could also be at risk. In a press release, Hochul listed the projects impacted by the federal cuts, which include the following in New York City: Other projects that will lose funding include a stream restoration in Westchester and flood mitigation in Saratoga County. “In the last few years, New Yorkers have faced hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires and even an earthquake–and FEMA assistance has been critical to help us rebuild. Cutting funding for communities across New York is short-sighted and a massive risk to public safety,” Hochul said in a statement. “Without support for resilience projects now, our communities will be far more vulnerable when disaster strikes next. As I’ve said all along: no state in the nation can backfill the massive cuts being proposed in Washington, and it’s critical New Yorkers stand united to call out the damage this will cause.” On Tuesday, FEMA also ordered New York City to turn over $106 million in already awarded grants related to migrant care, adding to the $80 million the agency took back in February. According to the New York Times, Mayor Eric Adams said the city would take legal action to recover the funds. The mayor’s lawsuit to get the $80 million back remains ongoing. For months, Trump has said he’s thinking about getting rid of FEMA. Last month, he signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in preparing for disasters. A coalition of 23 attorneys general, including New York Attorney General Letitita James, sued the government for freezing funds to states from FEMA. An earlier injunction blocked the Trump administration from unlawfully freezing federal funds. Last week, a federal judge ruled that Trump violated the order to halt sweeping freezes to federal funding by withholding FEMA funds to at least 19 states, Courthouse News Service reported.