Within the EU, Fortum’s long-term goal is to continuously keep its emissions levels among the best of European companies. Meanwhile, outside of the EU, Fortum is committed to increasing the energy efficiency of its power plants and therefore reducing emissions.
In electricity production, the new target is to decrease the carbon dioxide emissions to less than 80g per kWh by 2020, as a five-year average level. The previous corresponding target was 120g per kWh. In the EU25 area, the average emission from power plants has been around 400g per kWh during recent years, the company said.
In heat production, Fortum’s aim is to reduce the specific emissions in each district heating area by at least 10% from 2006 until 2020.
Fortum has a strong track record as a low-emitting power producer. The threat of global warming is real, however, and we want to be part of the solution, not only the problem. That is why we have to challenge ourselves to improve further, said Fortum’s president and CEO, Mikael Lilius.
I’m very pleased with our new stricter carbon dioxide targets, since they are needed to steer us in the near-term future. Further steps will obviously be needed and they will be taken as new climate benign technology becomes available, Mr Lilius continued.
