Agreement Sectors

Energy conservation agreements operating in eight sectors

At the close of 2006, eight energy conservation agreements signed by ministries and various associations were in force. Four of the agreements were signed in the autumn of 1997 between the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers TT (since 2005 Confederation of Finnish Industries, EK), the Finnish Energy Industries Federation Finergy, the Finnish District Heating Association and the Finnish Electricity Association Sener (since 2005 Finnish Energy Industries).

The new municipal sector energy and climate agreement signed in the autumn of 2002 follows on from the municipal energy conservation agreement. An agreement with the Finnish Association of Building Owners RAKLI was signed in 1999, and extended in the autumn of 2002 to cover also public sector real estate. The extended agreement replaced the co-operation programme for public property units signed in 1997 and expired at the end of 2002. The ministry responsible for these agreements has also been the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

In November 2002, the agreement to cover municipal and non-profit housing properties of the Federation of Housing Property Owners and Developers ASRA was signed. This sector is under the governance of the Ministry of the Environment.

Energy conservation programmes for the heavy goods transport sector and oil-heated properties

In addition to the energy conservation agreements, there are two energy conservation programmes ongoing, to which enterprises or other parties do not actually sign up. The first of these was the Höylä II co-operation programme on furthering energy conservation in oil-heated properties, signed in July 2002 between the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Finnish Oil and Gas Federation and the Finnish Oil and Gas Heating Association. The agreement is a follow-up on the previous Höylä co-operation programme launched in 1997.

The public transport sector and the truck and van transport sector have made voluntary energy conservation agreements with the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The first energy conservation agreement with the Finnish Trucking Association (SKAL) was signed in 1999. The agreement was evaluated in 2002 and a new agreement followed in 2003. This agreement has been extended until the end of 2007. A new agreement is being prepared and it is expected to enter into force in 2008.

The public transport sector agreement was signed first in 2001 by the Finnish Bus and Coach Association, but the new agreement signed in 2005 by the Finnish Public Transport Association encompasses also local services of the national railways, tram services and the metro, in addition to bus transport. At the end of 2006 the agreement covered 52 percent of the buses (subject to licence traffic).