Appointed the European Green Capital for 2021, the City of Lahti has gained a new ambassador through Nastola native, Valtteri Bottas, proudly telling the story of his hometown.
Valtteri Bottas, who grew up in Nastola, is a hero to the whole of Finland. In F1 circles, he is known as an avid nature enthusiast, for whom cooperation with the Green Capital Project is a source of pride.
“When you spend a lot of time abroad, you learn to appreciate the everyday things in Finland that are a luxury elsewhere. We have clean nature, clean water, and clean air. Elsewhere, recycling and other everyday choices are not taken for granted. Lahti is a forerunner in environmental issues in many ways, and Finnish solutions are good enough for the word stage,” Bottas says.
As a Green Capital, Lahti wants to highlight the best environmental solutions, support Finland and Lahti’s climate goals, and celebrate Lahti’s long-term environmental work both in Finland and around the world. Lahti wants to spark conversation in different circles, as caring about the environment is a shared responsibility.
“Lahti has already been working on solving environmental issues for decades. We set an example for others and want everyone to know about our environmental solutions. We take an open minded and proactive approach to working with various actors and parties to reach new target groups, as the best changes are achieved together. And the people of Lahti have historically demonstrated this many times over through their own actions,” says Milla Bruneau, Project Manager of Lahti’s Green Capital project.
The diverse programme for the Green Capital year is being sustainably delivered
A diverse programme, with events, projects, and cooperation initiatives of various sizes, is being put together for the Green Capital year. Every effort is being taken in the planning of these activities to minimise their impact on the environment and to ensure that they are organised in as sustainable way as possible.
As part of the 2021 programme, the Valtteri Bottas Duathlon, a sporting event set to take place in the town of Nastola, will set an example of responsible events organisation for others to follow. In addition to aiming to be a carbon-neutral sporting event for the whole family, the Duathlon will highlight the role of year-round environmental actions, both large and small.
More information
Milla Bruneau
director
Lahti – European Green Capital 2021
milla.bruneau@lahti.fi
+ 358 400 408 951
Ville Ahtiainen
Agent for Valtteri Bottas
Ville@valtteribottas.com
+358 40 552 3046