At Vaasa Energy Week 2026, two students and project trainees from VAMK presented how Vaasa Climate Commitment project can support the companies to set their climate targets and explained the potential of getting VAMK students’ support for achieving the organizations’ carbon neutrality goals. Many companies and individuals stepped to Vaasa Climate Commitment booth (Figure 1.) for information and discussion. The discussions revealed the importance of continuing this kind of ecosystem projects involving students, companies, universities and city for setting a shared carbon-neutrality ecosystem among the stakeholders.
Vaasa has positioned itself as a leader in sustainable urban development and aims to become carbon neutral before 2030. As a result of this city-level leadership Vaasa Climate commitment initiative invites companies and organizations to set sustainable goals, reduce emissions, and adopt circular practices. The Vaasa Climate Commitment Carbon Neutrality Ecosystem project (2025-2026) aims to involve businesses and educational institutions in the region in achieving the carbon neutrality target and to create an ecosystem between the city, educational institutions, and businesses to promote the measures required by the carbon neutrality target. The project receives funding from the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia, Sustainable Urban Development Ecosystem Agreement (ERDF), and it is coordinated by the City of Vaasa in cooperation with its project partners: Vaasa Region Development Company (VASEK), Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK), and the University of Vaasa.
At the time of writing this blog, approximately 50 organizations have joined the Vaasa Climate Commitment initiative lead by the City of Vaasa. The Vaasa Climate Commitment project has so far involved at 8 VAMK students at external initiative communication via events and publications, 2 VAMK students at work practise and 8 VAMK students writing thesis on project related topics. Traditionally thesis projects and work practise have served as the main models for with working life integration in higher education. Students have integrated and progressed with these activities quite independently. In this project, the model development for student integration to ecosystem activities will focus ecosystem-based development challenges and ways of working, that are involving cooperation and cocreation over organizational boundaries.
This project will continue until the end of 2026 in developing and reporting of the findings for student ecosystem-based integration models. In August, 3 new project trainees will start their work practise, and they will join the Vaasa Climate Commitment initiative communication and other activities during autumn at least in events such as Wasa Future Festival and Green Skills Week. The group of new project trainees will also form a pilot group of higher education for ecosystem-based model development.
Sources for more information
- Energy Week 2026 Programme, From Trash to Treasure Event 2026
- Andersson, M., Costa, M., Phan, Y., Wijethunga, M., Parana Gamage, L., Range, R., Tamim, A., and Mollah, M. Vaasa Climate Challenge ecosystem project was launched at Energy Week 2025. Energiaa. Vaasa University of Applied Sciences online newspaper.
- Andersson, M., Wijethunga, M., Parana Gamage, L., Together for Carbon Neutrality: VAMK Participates in Building Climate Ecosystem with the City of Vaasa. Energiaa. Vaasa University of Applied Sciences online newspaper.
- Djoumbissie, D. L. and Andersson M. Student Club Initiative for Sustainability – from conversation to action. Energiaa. Vaasa University of Applied Sciences online newspaper.
- Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK). (n.d.). Vaasa Climate Commitment – hiilineutraaliustyön ekosysteemi.
- Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK). (2025, June 6). Korkeakoulut ja yritykset yhdessä hiilineutraalin tulevaisuuden puolesta.
- Wasa Future Festival.
- Green Skills.
