Ecological responsibility
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency as a significant contracting authority
As the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is a significant contracting authority, it strives to promote the achievement of climate, circular economy and sustainable development objectives through procurement.
In 2024, the FTIA continued to develop and use environmental criteria that support low-carbon solutions and circular economy in procurements.
Procurement procedures were developed to accelerate the circular economy. Preconditions for that were created in 2024 when a new guideline on the content and preparation of the circular economy plan was drawn up. The procurement criterion for circular economy competence was also introduced in planning projects. The requirement for emission calculation expanded as in late 2024 low-carbon assessment was required not only in planning but also in construction planning phase and the implementation phase.
Different procurement categories also prepare plans for the introduction of environmental criteria suitable for the category concerned. Suitable procurement criteria were also tested in individual procurements, and market dialogue was conducted with operators on setting environmental criteria.
In 2024, the preparation of equipment requirements for the maintenance sector for 2026–2030 was launched. The work will update the minimum requirements and incentive models for the equipment used in road maintenance, track maintenance, paving, repair and road marking contracts and – as a new addition – waterway maintenance for the next five-year period.
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency also participated in the development of sustainable public procurement through various networks and expert groups. For example, the FTIA participated in an expert group related to the preparation of ecological objectives for public procurement by the Ministry of the Environment and continued cooperation in low-carbon procurement sub-group between Infra ry, the FTIA and the City of Helsinki. At the end of 2024, the FTIA also made a decision to join the VAUHTI network for responsible and effective public procurement.
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is developing indicators to support environmental work and objectives.
In 2024, the monitoring of operations introduced a key figure for the share of machinery and vehicles running on alternative power on the green deal sites of investment projects. The objective is to reduce emissions from machinery and transport equipment in investment projects. In addition, the compilation of a knowledge base for the calculation of CO2 emissions during construction was launched. It provides the capability to determine the target level for the indicator applied to the ratio of the emissions impacts during construction to the total costs of the project.
Construction and repairs
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency makes efforts to reduce emissions from construction in its contracts, for example by including environmental criteria in the procurements as discussed above and through measures that support the circular economy.
One of the criteria is the green deal concept of zero-emission construction sites which, among other things, aims to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and harmful exhaust gases from construction sites. At the centre of the Green Deal Agreement are fleet requirements focusing on exhaust gas emissions from machinery and trucks.
In contracts performed in demanding operating environments, the emission requirements are at least Stage IV for machinery and Euro VI for trucks. This was achieved at each ‘green deal’ site, with a few exceptions. Based on fleet monitoring in the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency's contracts launched in 2024, 77% of machinery had an emission class of Stage IV or higher, while 83% of trucks had the emission class Euro VI.
The calculations include 49 investment projects launched in 2024, whose total contract price is approximately EUR 334 million. Of the other green deal targets for zero-emission construction sites, the heating of the site with fossil-free or renewable energy was achieved in 49% of all contracts and the requirement to prepare a contract-specific environmental plan in 94% of the contracts. Electric cars and vans intended for on-site transportation were required for 3.5% of all contracts. Based on the fleet monitoring at green deal sites, 1.3% of the fleet (machinery+vehicles) used alternative propulsion power.
Image: Photo: Share of machinery powered by electricity, biogas or hydrogen at construction sites (target for 2022–2030).
Circular economy
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency aims to strengthen the principles of the circular economy in its operations. The aim is to reduce the use of natural resources in transport infrastructure management and prevent waste generation in advance. The circular economy will be promoted, with measures such as the development of the life cycle sustainability of transport infrastructure management, utilising the masses generated in the project and developing mass coordination, the reuse of materials, recycling demolition materials and use of recycled materials in construction.
In 2024, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency conducted an overall review of the circular economy, and based on this, circular economy objectives and an array of measures were set. The array of measures contains a structured proposal for measures to promote the circular economy throughout the agency in 2025–2035. It first summarises the key measures under way or proposed to be launched to support the circular economy in 2025. After this, the array of measures has been divided by theme. The array of measures is a living document that is updated annually. The proposals included in the array of measures will be used as part of operational planning.
In addition to the array of measures, in 2024, the circular economy was also promoted by the following measures:
- The guideline The content and preparation of a circular economy plan was prepared for the planning of road and rail projects.
- The first procurement criterion supporting the circular economy, circular economy competence, was introduced.
- The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s own Green Deal for the Circular Economy commitment was prepared
Circular economy on gravel roads
In autumn 2024, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency reported on a pilot project launched in Southeast Finland to test the use of crushed aggregate produced as a by-product of the quarrying industry (gangue) as a construction material for gravel roads. Three road sections of approximately 250 metres each were constructed in the project to test the suitability of gangue for different road layers in a variety of ways. On one section, the base course and the surface course were completely rebuilt using gangue. On another section, some gangue was mixed with the original surface course, and on the third section, only the base course was improved using gangue.
Preliminary results are promising, especially for the base course, but long-term monitoring is needed. The use of gangue can reduce emissions and the consumption of non-renewable natural resources, but the costs and structural challenges caused by the material still need be resolved. The aim is to develop a process in which gangue can be used with minimal reprocessing and thus keep transport costs low.
During 2025, the work will continue with the ELY Centre for Southeast Finland piloting the use of different grain sizes and layer thicknesses for the surface course.
Preventing biodiversity loss
Preventing biodiversity loss has become an important objective both internationally and nationally. Transport routes fragment large integrated wildlife habitats and have a major impact on biodiversity. In 2024, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency commissioned a master’s thesis on the assessment of biodiversity loss impacts in an investment programme for the state-owned transport infrastructure network and carried out a regional pilot study on biodiversity in transport infrastructure management in Southwest Finland. These studies are part of the FTIA’s development work to assess biodiversity impacts and identify concrete measures.
Environmental principles were approved for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s environmental principles were approved in spring 2024. The environmental principles show how the FTIA has identified the key environmental impacts and made a commitment to taking them into account and developing its operations. These principles also create a direction for the operations and their continuous improvement, and provide a framework for preparing environmental objectives.
The following five environmental principles of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency provide the starting point for environmentally sustainable operations:
- We are aware of the environmental impacts of our operations
- We are responsible for the climate resilience of the transport network
- We promote low-carbon transport infrastructure management and the circular economy
- We maintain biodiversity
- We develop our operations and competence over the long term
In accordance with the principles, we identify the means of managing environmental impacts, mitigate the environmental damage caused by infrastructure maintenance and traffic, strive to create environmental benefits, and base our decision-making on knowledge.
We take climate change adaptation into account in our operations, know the risks and vulnerabilities caused by climate change to transport infrastructure management, and prepare for them.
We promote the achievement of the carbon neutrality target and strengthen the principles of the circular economy in our operations. We develop and introduce resource-wise and life-cycle sustainable transport infrastructure management materials and products, services and operating models.
We reduce the negative impacts of the transport network and infrastructure maintenance on biodiversity and prevent biodiversity loss through infrastructure management measures.
We are seeking more extensive impact on environmental issues through cooperation. We develop our own environmental competence and that within our field. We develop the management of environmental information and its utilisation in decision-making. As a client organisation, we take account of the perspectives of sustainable development and develop our operations together with service providers.
The environmental principles were worked on together with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s personnel and management. Their implementation in the FTIA’s operations means continuous development of the activities.
Premises and travel
The adequate premises and travel required for administrative work increase the footprint of the activities. In keeping with the central government’s facilities strategy, the premises have been developed towards a multi-location model, and shared work environments of central government. This has reduced and will continue to reduce the number of premises needed in the future.
In accordance with the Government’s travel strategy, remote connections are used, which achieves cost savings and reduces environmental loading. In addition to reducing travel, environmental responsibility is promoted by favouring environmentally friendly modes of travel and by reducing air travel over distances of less than 500 kilometres if it can be replaced by other connections with a reasonable delay.