Annual report 2013
Annual report 2013
The most significant environmental impacts of VVO’s operations are caused by construction and property maintenance. Carbon dioxide emissions caused by the energy use of our housing stock constitutes the most crucial of these impacts.
Our energy choices have already reduced carbon dioxide emissions. District heating is used in most VVO properties, and CO2-free energy production methods are used to provide electricity for the properties.
VVO signed the Climate Partner agreement with the City of Helsinki in 2012 and continued the cooperation during this review period. VVO has previously committed itself to following the Rental Property Action Plan (VAETS), which sets a savings target of seven per cent in heating energy from the 2009 level. With this new commitment, the savings targets will be higher in Helsinki than elsewhere in Finland.
VVO has reached its VAETS savings target for 2016 and exceeded the target for property electricity consumption. Temperature-corrected heat consumption has decreased by 8.6 per cent from 2009 and electricity consumption by 8.1 per cent. Our improvement in energy efficiency has largely been achieved through operating and maintenance measures.
In 2013, VVO used 390 GWh (412) of heating energy; overall property electricity consumption was 50.7 (51.3) GWh, and overall water consumption 3.6 (3.6) million cu.m. Temperature-corrected consumption of heating energy decreased by 2.2 (2.2) per cent on the previous year. 2013 was clearly warmer than 2012. This largely explains the significant decrease in overall heating energy consumption.
CO2 emissions caused by heating energy production for VVO's properties were approx. 68,000 (79,000) tCO2. VVO seeks to alleviate the environmental impacts of energy consumption by using carbon-neutral energy for property electricity. District heating is used in 99 per cent of VVO’s properties.
Our residents are provided with the right setting for environmentally friendly living. Waste management has improved in residential buildings, and VVO has taken action to provide residents with a range of functional waste sorting facilities. In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, effective sorting facilities reduced the amount of mixed waste in 2013 by 6.3 per cent on the previous year.
Case
VVO is one of the first businesses in the world to have been awarded the Green Office certificate. VVO House's environmental programme continues to meet the criteria of WWF's Green Office label. WWF's Green Office is an environmental management system for offices. It helps workplaces reduce their environmental burden, make savings and mitigate climate change. Green Offices are monitored every three years.
WWF especially recognised VVO's active partnerships between specialists and property management in controlling VVO House's energy consumption, active efforts to steer outsourced services towards environmentally friendly practices, communication of the Green Office concept to employees, and the clear division of responsibilities and strong commitment of the Green Office team.