Sustainability and responsibility in the National Library
The principles of sustainable development are reflected in the National Library’s operations and service development. The Boldly sustainable change program, published in 2021, sets the background for the National Library's perspective on sustainable development and presents its goals and roadmap.
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The ethos of sustainability is at the core of the National Library's operations. In the future, we want to develop our operations and services in an increasingly sustainable direction, secure everyone's access to sources of knowledge, culture and civilization, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
Kimmo Tuominen, National Librarian
Sustainable development in the National Library
The UN's sustainable development goals serve as a basis for planning
"The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere." Read more
from the UN's webpage.
These goals served as a basis for the National Library's planning of its sustainable development programme.
National Library's basic operations support the principles of sustainable development excellently
Our operations support many sustainable development goals from the perspectives of cultural and social sustainability.
- The roots of our operations go all the way back to 1640; we have recorded published cultural heritage and made it available for use ever since. This reduces the need for other organisations to store and digitise materials or make materials available.
- Our operations support the best access to materials possible.
- We promote Open Science.
- Our digital services are available to everyone, e.g. https://kansalliskirjasto.finna.fi/, https://finna.fi/ and https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/
Read our sustainable development programme (pdf):
Carbon footprint of the National Library
First report on the National Library’s carbon footprint was released in May 2023. According to the calculations in the report, the total amount of emissions from the National Library in 2019 was 1,018 tonnes of CO2eq. Two thirds of the emissions were generated by energy consumption at National Library facilities. The second largest amount, approximately 21%, was attributed to procurements, which are mainly purchases of ICT services and library materials. This figure does not include emissions from the National Library’s own digital services and its digitisation efforts.
Read the report here: Carbon footprint of the National Library of Finland: A report on carbon footprint assessment for 2019
Sustainability and responsibility in the University of Helsinki
Administratively the National Library is part of the University of Helsinki. In its strategy the University of Helsinki aims at leadership in resposibility and sustainability.
- University's Sustanability and Responsibility Plan 2022–24 (pdf).
- Sustainability Highlights report 2017–2020 (pdf).
- More information about sustainability and responsibility at the University of Helsinki.
Read news about the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and sustainability transformation on the university's webpage.
Cooperation with other organisations in the cultural heritage field
The National Library is in a position to act as a support of the work for sustainability in the field of cultural heritage. We promote cooperation and dialogue in trying to find the best solutions.
Work for the sustainability in other cultural heritage organisations:
More information
2023
- Brainstorming Report of Voices of Culture: Culture and Creative Sectors and Industries driving Green Transition and facing the Energy Crisis.
One of the contributors: Service Designer Susanna Eklund, National Library of Finland
2022
- Kansalliskirjaston vuosi 2022 (in English: Year 2022 in the National Library). The environmental impacts of digitalization is one of the main themes of the magazine. English pages: 43–47.
- Environmental Sustainability in Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage; Advancing a sufficiency approach for Cultural Heritage Organisations. A case study of the Finnish Heritage Agency, Evangelia Paschalidoun Pro gradu -työ Lundin yliopisto, Ruotsi.