Join the group of responsible energy users
Efficient energy use is rational. It cuts unnecessary costs and adds to operational profitability. Those who join the agreements can apply for Government subsidy for their investments in energy efficiency.
The rational use of energy is a responsible way of action and one of the key means to prevent climate change. Join the Agreement and improve your energy efficiency – show your stakeholders that you care and build a positive public image.
Many reasons to take part
Money from energy efficiency
Efficient energy use is a sensible and responsible activity that produces substantial cost savings. Reducing energy costs improves operational profitability and is visible in the financial performance. For a company or a municipality, the rational and efficient use of energy is a useful tool that helps to reduce unnecessary costs.
Voluntariness beats coercive means
Voluntary Agreements are an alternative to new national legislation or other new coercive means. For a company or a municipality, it is a more flexible and sensible way to implement energy efficiency measures and investments, based on their own needs and at their own pace.
The voluntariness helps to avoid a national legislation deviant from international development and other coercive means that could weaken the competitive edge of Finnish companies.
Government support for participants
The Finnish Government subsidizes, case-dependently, energy efficiency investments in the implementation of new energy-efficient technology. Only the participants in Energy Efficiency Agreements will also continue to have a possibility to apply for the discretionary energy subsidies granted by the Government on conventional energy efficiency investments. The Ministry of Employment and the Economy also grants small and medium sized enterprises and municipalities subsidies on the implementation of the Motiva-model energy audits designed to map energy efficiency improvement measures.
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Reducing climate load
Energy use is causing a major part of greenhouse gas emissions.
Rational and efficient energy use is responsible. It reduces the energy-related carbon dioxide emissions that are causing climate change.
The agreement scheme integrates the industrial and municipal work on energy efficiency into a larger entity. It is a concrete part of the national and global work against climate change.
Strengthen the image of responsibility
When stakeholders build their impression of the company or municipality, they see rational and efficient energy use as a sign of responsibility. Target-oriented energy efficiency attracts the interest of many stakeholders of companies and municipalities, starting from the staff and clients all the way to owners and investors.
Already hundreds of Finnish companies and munipalities participating. Every energy saving measure makes a difference – Join us!
A profitable way of action
The efficient energy use boosted by the agreement will become integrated as part of the management systems and it’s goals. It guides the operations to become more energy-efficient on a continuous basis.
When given a window of opportunity and managed correctly, this useful way of action can not only provide cost savings, but also become a strategic asset or new business operations.
Concessions to obligations
The Energy Efficiency Agreement spurs onto continuous improvement in energy efficiency. Hence, companies participating in the agreement and subject to an environmental permit are not subject to any separate requirements relating to energy efficiency in their environmental permits.
A large company is considered to meet the requirements set in Article 6 of the Energy Efficiency Act (1429/2014) regarding the mandatory energy audit, if the company has joined an energy efficiency agreement and it has implemented an EES+ system, which does not have to be certified.
Covering more than 60% of Finland's total energy use
Nearly 800 companies with their thousands of sites and over 150 municipalities and joint municipalities have committed to the energy efficiency objectives set in these agreements.
Taking action towards responsible future
An efficient use of energy is a responsible way of action and one of the key actions to stop climate change. It is “the first fuel” to meet the targets set for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
Participants target and obligations
Energy savings target for the participant
When joining the agreement, the company/municipality sets a indicative target for quantitative energy savings (MWh) for the entire period 2017–2025 and an intermediate target for 2020. The target is calculated, based on the energy use of the current volume representing the normal annual use valid at the time of accession.
The target for 2025 equals 7.5% and the target for 2020 equals 4% of the participant’s current annual energy use.
If so desired, the savings achieved as a result of the energy efficiency measures implemented and reported for 2014–2016 can be taken into account by setting a 2025 target for quantitative energy improvement (MWh), which equals 10.5% and an intermediate target for 2020 equals 7% of the participant’s annual energy use.
In the target years, 2020 and 2025, the participant’s energy use is not expected to be lower than that at the time of accession.
Note: The target setting for the Action Plans of Energy-intensive Industry, Energy Production and Energy Services differs from the principles presented above.
More detailed instructions on setting the target are given in the Accession Data form attached to the Accession Document (available in Finnish).
Participant’s obligations
The participating company/municipality includes continuous improvement in energy efficiency as part of the existing or planned management systems or operating plans.
To meet their energy saving targets, when feasible, based on technical and financial provisions and considering the points of view concerning health, security and the environment, the participant is committed to the following:
- Organizing and planning the measures
- Clarifying the possibilities for improvement in energy efficiency
- Implementing cost-effective improvement measures of energy efficiency
- Taking energy efficiency into consideration in planning and purchasing
- Training the staff and communicating on energy efficiency matters
- Annual reporting
- The participant company/municipality shall strive to implement new energy-efficient technology and increase the use of renewable energy sources.
- The participant company/municipality shall use the Energy Efficiency Agreement monitoring system for annual reporting on their energy use of the previous year and the related
- improvement measures and on the implementation of other relevant actions.
Every participant company/municipality shall carry out their measures from their own premises and agree to do their best to achieve the targets. The company-specific measures and obligations are described in more detail in each Action Plan, and for municipalities, they are described in the Energy Efficiency Agreement for Municipalities. These documents are available in Finnish.
Joining procedures
A company, a municipality, a city, or a joint municipality can join the Energy Efficiency Agreement for the new period, when the Ministries and the industrial/municipal associations sign them in October 2016. By the same time, it is desirable that a significant number of companies and municipalities will join for the new agreement period.
1) The company familiarizes itself with the Energy Efficiency Agreement for Industry/Property and Building Sector, with the Action Plan of their own branch, with the Accession Document (includes Company Accession Document and the Accession Data form). A Municipality, city or joint municipality familiarizes itself with Accession Documents (includes the Energy Efficiency Agreement for the participant and its Accession Data form).
It is desirable that a significant number of companies and municipalities will join for the new agreement period. The Agreements will be valid from 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2025.
2) The participant collects the data required on the Accession Document and determines the indicative targets, as requested on the Accession Data form.
3) After the Company Accession Document is filled out and signed (2 copies), they are to be delivered to the industrial association in question to the address given on the document. A municipality, city or joint municipality delivers (2 copies) its Energy Efficiency Agreements enclosed with the Accession Data to the Energy Authority.
4) The company’s Accession Document and accession data are checked and approved at the industrial association. Energy Efficiency Agreements for municipality, city or joint municipality and their accession data are checked and approved at Energy Authority.
5) A company becomes a participant in the Energy Efficiency Agreement after the industrial association has approved the Company Accession Document and Accession Data form as valid and a copy of each has been delivered to Motiva for entry into the participant register. A municipality, city or joint municipality becomes a participant in the Energy Efficiency Agreement for Municipal Sector after validation by the Energy Authority in a corresponding manner.
Examples of Accession documents
Industries – Action Plans and Accession Documents
Municipal sector
Property and Building Sector
Long tradition of voluntariness
Over the years, Finnish voluntary Energy Efficiency Agreements have evolved into a unique success story that is not found elsewhere in the world. Finland is one of the few European countries where voluntary agreements on energy efficiency are shown to work and yield profits.