Our impact
The fact is that our operations cause emissions and affect both the environment and human well-being. Calculating our carbon footprint makes it easy to identify our largest sources of emissions, but it’s important to note that building a sustainable future involves much more than just our carbon footprint.
So that you don’t need to dig through this page to find our most significant impacts, we’ve compiled them here for you to read. But first, it’s good to explain why Hoas exists in the first place. As a non-profit foundation, we guarantee affordable and high-quality rental housing for students in the Helsinki metropolitan area. However, affordability doesn’t mean that we do nothing – it means we need to take effective and impactful actions that make sense in the bigger picture.
Construction and renovationShowClose
Our most significant impacts are found in new and renovated construction. And we’re not alone; according to the Construction Industry Federation, buildings, and construction account for about one-third of Finland’s total emissions.
When we look beyond just our emissions, it’s important to recognize that in this sector, the impacts are diverse and managing the whole picture is challenging, especially due to long subcontracting chains.
- Significant carbon dioxide emissions are produced.
- Virgin natural resources are consumed.
- Low-carbon materials are expensive and there is little long-term experience with them.
- There are impacts on biodiversity both in supply chains and the built environment.
- Long supply chains make it difficult to manage or even fully recognize their impacts.
- Challenges in social responsibility, such as inclusivity and equality at construction sites, or knowing one’s rights.
- Governance challenges, such as preventing the gray economy.
Energy procurement and consumptionShowClose
We aren’t alone in facing energy-related emissions either. According to the Ministry of the Environment, about 40% of all energy used in Finland is consumed in buildings, and the energy used causes carbon emissions. It’s worth noting that even energy produced from renewable sources generates emissions during energy production and the required infrastructure.
- By improving energy efficiency, we not only reduce these emissions but also enhance the comfort of living in our apartments.
- All purchased energy is procured from renewable energy sources, but the production of that energy and the necessary infrastructure caused the third-largest carbon emissions in 2023.
- In practice, the only way to currently reduce emissions related to energy production is by reducing energy consumption, i.e., improving energy efficiency.
- Energy efficiency ensures that renewable energy is available for as many people as possible, as even renewable energy isn’t produced in unlimited quantities.
- Emission compensation is practically the only way to entirely offset emissions in this category.
Purchased products and servicesShowClose
The emissions from purchased products and services are often calculated based on the money spent, not the actual emissions caused. This means that if, for example, a service provider switching to biofuel or an electric car increases the price of the service, the calculated emissions will rise proportionally with the service price – even though the actual emissions decrease.
We are gradually moving toward material-based calculations with service providers, but it’s not easy. Many service providers calculate their overall emissions, but we need to access service-specific emission calculations.
- Purchased products and services cause a significant portion of our emissions (the fourth largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in 2023) – this category includes, for example, the driving related to our property maintenance by our partners.
- The goal is for all major partners to provide more detailed emissions calculations in the future, based on which we can develop partnerships toward more sustainable practices.