Uniarts Helsinki’s sustainability fund accumulated 16,000 euros in 2024
Uniarts Helsinki renewed its principles of sustainable travel at the start of 2024. It introduced an internal sustainability fund, which involves the charging of an extra fee for each flight taken and providing of financial support for land-based travel. In addition, the university committed to restricting domestic flights.
The goal with the carbon offsetting scheme for flights is to highlight the topic of ecological sustainability when planning trips and to enable travelling by land for those who choose it. With this scheme, Uniarts Helsinki is already preparing for a future where carbon offsets for air travel become mandatory. Depending on the distance travelled, the offset fee is €50–150 per one-way ticket. Correspondingly, trips by land are sponsored with 100 euros per one-way ticket. In a year, the university’s offsetting costs for flights amounted to appr. €16,000.
In tandem with its updated principles of sustainable travel, Uniarts Helsinki restricted its flight policy for short trips, which means that travelling to Oulu, southern parts of Finland and Tallinn must always happen by land or ferry.
Finance Director of Uniarts Helsinki Tiina Laino-Asikainen is happy with how well the community has adopted the new practices.
“It’s still early to say what the overall impact of these new policies is on reducing air travel, but I find that the biggest difference is the fact that carbon offsetting makes it possible to sponsor travelling by land,” Laino-Asikainen commented.
The principles of sustainable travel are part of Uniarts Helsinki’s environmental programme, which presents 19 measures that will help the university act more sustainably in its everyday activities. Uniarts Helsinki aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.