We calculated our carbon footprint – what happens next?

We have completed Joo Group’s first carbon footprint calculation in collaboration with Granlund Oy. The calculation is based on our operations in 2021 and includes the emissions from our new developments, our properties’ energy consumption and maintenance, and pretty much everything else we did. You can read more about the principles and results of our calculation in this report.

In 2021 our total emissions were 5 095 tonnes CO₂-eq. As a comparison, according to Statistics Finland, the total carbon emissions of Finland were 48.9 million tonnes CO₂-eq. Based on various calculators, Joo Group’s emissions are comparable to the yearly carbon emissions of 495 Finns.

The large contribution of our new developments’ emissions stands out in the calculation. 2950 tonnes, 58% of all emissions, came from the six new developments completed over the course of the year. 1469 tonnes, accounting for 29%, came from the energy consumption of completed properties. Waste management, water usage, travel, and sourcing were behind the remaining 13%.

So, how should we look at these results? In the end, it’s rather hard to say whether our emissions are big or small. Calculations always rely on different assumptions and estimates, which can make comparisons difficult. To move forward, we won’t even attempt to assess whether the results are ”good” or “bad.” The worst case scenario would be if we were happy with the results, and we would just leave everything as it is. Instead, we must push for further reductions regardless of the results.

In fact, the most important role of this calculation has been to provide us with a starting level. In the future, we can use it as a point of comparison and measure the concrete effects of the actions we’ve taken.

LEED certifications for our new developments

In terms of energy, we are making continous improvements. You can read about some of these in our earlier article, and we’ll give you more news during the winter and spring.

This will be a year of many new developments. Around 15 new properties were completed in 2022, and this number will be matched this year. The challenges in reducing new developments’ emissions are no secret, and we too have much to learn.

Our aim is to get the LEED Platinum certification for our new developments, which are still in the planning stage. This will make us pay even more attention to various energy, environment and livability issues than before. What’s more, we’re also exploring the opportunities of low-carbon construction beyond the LEED criteria. In our LEED projects mentioned above, we use low carbon concrete where possible. In low carbon concrete, some of the carbon intensive cement is replaced with masonry grout, a by-product of steelmaking.

It feels like this article has just got going, yet it’s probably a good time to stop and get back to this topic later on. We have a lot to do, but I’m happy we’ve made such a great start. Our first carbon calculation is finished, and the next one for 2022 will begin soon!

Like every year so far, 2023 will be a busy year at Joo Group. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date about our environmental work and other interesting initiatives.