The state of Finland, its regions and around 300 municipalities have committed to reducing carbon emissions and have set up targets to do so in the near future (Digital and Population Data Services Agency 2026). The main challenges are well reported: the decarbonization of mobility, resilience of the mobility system as a whole and maintaining the welfare and vitality of cities and regions (Attard 2026). To reach these targets, mobility and logistics need to be reconsidered in innovative ways. Car use should be reduced, while the share of walking, cycling and public transport on our daily travel should increase.
Municipalities and local politicians have a key role in enabling change
In Finland decisions about transport and logistics are made on different levels – national, regional and local which means that municipalities and local decision-makers have an important role to play in creating an environment enabling sustainable transport (Ministry of Transport and Communications 2026.) Systemic change and many minor actions at various levels are needed, which means there is a role for everyone in this change. This provides a need for evidence-based data and proven measures at different levels of government to support systemic change towards sustainable mobility.
To provide up-to-date localized data, projects and other platforms of data gathering are needed also locally and regionally as needs and resources vary in different parts of Finland based on population and other factors. Open interaction between regions and other stakeholders is needed to build a complete picture as transport, be it of goods or people that know no boundaries.
The project produced and summarized information for decision making
Sustainable Mobility Pilots in the Region of Päijät-Häme (KELPO) project partners LAB University of Applied Sciences and the City of Lahti have been working on supporting sustainable mobility since 2024. During these two and a half years seven pilots within different fields of transport have been set up and implemented with partner organizations like schools, companies and municipalities.
Everyday acts of mobility such as commuting to school, studies and work as well as utilizing logistics also in the more rural parts of the region have been in focus of these pilot activities. The project co-operated with ClimateGO (2026) -project to disseminate the findings for decision-makers of the region. Together with ClimateGO, the project presented the aspects of both projects for municipal councils.
The project produced recommendations and proposals for action based on insights gathered from residents, leisure residents, companies and municipal officials in the region of Päijät-Häme and its ten municipalities.
Key findings
The key findings of the pilots are in keeping with prior research: A) Comfort, cost, time savings, workplace’s location, and transportation connections are key factors influencing sustainable commuting choices. B) The adoption of daily mobility habits often begins on the way to school. Adults’ choices and attitudes are clearly reflected in children’s mobility. As an example, adults can play an active role in driving changes. Therefore, the responsibility for shifting modes of mobility does not lie solely with the younger generation. C) In sparsely populated areas, access to services and distribution solutions is a key issue, and the municipality’s role is primarily to enable this. Logistics services mainly rely on commercial options, hence collaboration between logistics operators and municipalities is crucial. (Heinonen et al. 2026.)
The municipalities of the Päijät-Häme region have recently updated or set up their individual climate plans. It is a good time to make use of these findings and continue on the road to a more sustainable future also from the transport and logistics point of view. (The Regional Council of Päijät-Häme 2026.)
Authors
Annukka Heinonen works as an RDI Specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences and acts as Project Manager in the Sustainable Mobility Pilots in the Region of Päijät-Häme (KELPO) project.
Tiia Tuomisto works as an RDI Specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences and acts as Specialist in the Sustainable Mobility Pilots in the Region of Päijät-Häme (KELPO) project.
References
Attard, M. 2026. Keynote speech by Professor Maria Attard, L-Università ta’ Malta (UM), Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Where is transport research heading in the next 15 years? Verne seminar. 22nd May 2026. Tampere.
ClimateGO. 2026. ClimateGO ─ Pathways to Climate-Smart Governance. ClimateGO – Yhdessä kohti ilmastoviisasta päätöksentekoa. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at ClimateGO – Pathways to Climate-Smart Governance | LAB.fi
DC Studio. 2026. Image. Magnific.com. Cited 4 Jun 2026. Available at https://www.magnific.com/images#from_element=mainmenu
Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 2026. Municipalities and local government. Cited 4 Jun 2026. Available at Municipalities and local government – Rights and participation in society – Suomi.fi
Heinonen, A., Heikkilä, H., Tuomisto, T. Rahkonen, J., Nuuttila, K., Hjelt, A. & Kulonen, A. 2026. Executive Summary for Decision-Makers 2026. Sustainable Mobility Pilots in Päijät-Häme (KELPO) 2024-2026. Cited 10 Jun 2026. Available at executive-summary-62026-eng_0.pdf
LAB. 2026. Sustainable Mobility Pilots in the Region of Päijät-Häme (KELPO). Project. LAB University of Applied Sciences. Cited 5 Jun 2026. Available at Sustainable Mobility Pilots in the Region of Päijät-Häme (KELPO) | LAB.fi
Ministry of Transport and Communications. 2026. Networks and services.Cited 12 Jun 2026. Available at Networks and services – Ministry of Transport and Communications
The Regional Council of Päijät-Häme. 2026. Ilmastotyö. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at Ilmastotyö – Päijät-Hämeen liitto
