Press release 2012-06-14 at 12:00
Press release by SYKE, FMI & Aalto University
The website provides analysed information about the Finnish climate and climate change, including data for individual regions. The mitigation and adaptation measures taken in Finnish municipalities can be studied through the solutions collected for Climateguide.fi.
The Climateguide.fi site provides scientific background information on climate change, but also tangible means for mitigation and adaptation. The material has been prepared by Finland’s leading climate researchers and experts. The contents will be supplemented and developed gradually. The Swedish and English versions also contain a wide range of new information on climate change, produced from the Finnish perspective.
Information about the past and future climate at regional level, more clearly than ever
In addition to information for the whole of Finland, the “Maps, graphs and data” section of Climateguide.fi provides more specific data at regional and local levels. The use of map tools has been made increasingly easy and clear, for instance, by improving selections and by redesigning the colour scheme. The “Observed and projected climate” map tool allows users to explore the present and future monthly values for mean temperature and precipitation in each municipality, now also at annual level. In addition, the site contains modelled estimations demonstrating how climate change impacts on the conditions and the environment of a selected region. Users can themselves select the region, time period and emission scenario that interest them.
Sector-specific information and solutions for mitigation and adaptation in municipalities
Municipalities play an important role in the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. In the “Community Response Wizard” of the site, municipal decision-makers can see at a glance how climate change will affect various sectors in their municipalities. This enables them to evaluate measures and solutions meeting their local needs. Finnish municipalities have already devised many different solutions for mitigation and adaptation. Descriptions of these solutions for various sectors are being collected into Climateguide.fi. Municipalities themselves can also add their own solutions to the site.
Information from research institutions
The Climateguide.fi website was produced in cooperation by the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Finnish Environment Institute and the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies of the Aalto University. The undertaking was part of a three-year EU Life+ project (LIFE07 INF/FIN/000152 CCCRP), which came to a close at the end of 2011. The current content providers will maintain and develop the website but new ones are also welcome to join the project. Operations in 2012 are supported by the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
Additional information:
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Climateguide.fi Project Manager Juha A. Karhu, tel. +358 50 359 2183, juhaA.karhu(a)fmi.fi
Finnish Environment Institute
Maria Holmberg, tel. + 358 400 148 559, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
In English: Timothy R. Carter, tel. + 358 20 690 183, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
Aalto University
Researcher Simo Haanpää, tel. +358 50 512 4557, firstname.lastname@aalto.fi