SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY MEANS (ECO) ACTIONS
There are excuses, and then there are eco-reasons. We support the latter in practice as well. In addition to ensuring equality and safety for our customers at Lippulaiva, we also take care of the environment. That is why we have been carbon-neutral in terms of energy use from day one. Our electricity comes from the yellow ball shining in the sky and the fresh northern wind, our heating and cooling come from deep underground, and plants have been given space to flourish on our green roof.
COOL GEOENERGY – LOCAL ENERGY PRODUCTION
Lippulaiva is an example of local energy production and a model of self-sufficiency. Beneath the building lies a large geothermal heating and cooling plant that produces all the heating and cooling energy required by the centre independently and without carbon emissions. In total, there are 170 geothermal wells underneath Lippulaiva, with a combined depth of as much as 51 kilometres!
In addition, no heat is wasted into the sky: all condensation energy and surplus heat from ventilation are recovered and reused. Thanks to the geothermal solution, there has also been no need to install condensers on the rooftops. Instead of condensers, the roof has 3,500 m² of green roofs and 2,400 m² of solar panels.
SUNNY ENERGY – SMART ELECTRICITY FROM THE ROOF
Lippulaiva’s smart and learning microgrid controls and optimises the building’s energy use and flows. The system is designed to detect when peaks in electricity demand can be avoided and when electricity can be stored. Lippulaiva’s energy storage, connected to the grid, participates in Fingrid’s balancing power market and helps balance the operation of the electricity grid. The solar panels located on Lippulaiva’s roof and wall surfaces generate solar electricity for the centre’s lifts, escalators and lighting in public areas.
- 51 km OF GEOTHERMAL WELLS
- 2400 m² OF SOLAR PANELS
- 1 ECO POINT
- 134 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS
EVERYDAY MOBILITY – POWER FOR THE JOURNEY THERE AND BACK
Lippulaiva’s numerous parking areas and charging points for electric cars and bicycles promote the development of electric mobility throughout the Greater Espoonlahti area. Lippulaiva and its immediate surroundings offer as many as 134 charging stations for electric and hybrid cars. Traditional cycling is even more ecological than electric mobility, and around 1,400 bicycle spaces are available. Lippulaiva also includes the Espoonlahti metro station and a bus terminal, so you can comfortably leave your own car at home if you wish.
LOCAL FOR LOCALS
Lippulaiva has also invested in social responsibility from the construction phase onward. During the planning and construction stages, ideas about Lippulaiva and the shopping centres of the future were developed together with lower secondary school students from Espoonlahti. At the same time, young people were taught about sustainable solutions in both energy and mobility. Lippulaiva also has its own youth security guards, known as Nojat. Noja’s approach to working with young people is approachable and dialogue-based, and Noja also cooperates with other professionals working in the shopping centre’s surrounding area to promote youth issues in a multidisciplinary way. This is a unique working model in which the shopping centre’s Noja security guards have received broader training than standard security sector training in working with young people and advancing youth-related matters.
THE EU SPARCS PROJECT – SPARKLING DEVELOPMENT
Thanks to its sustainable energy solutions, Lippulaiva became part of the EU’s SPARCS project (Sustainable energy Positive & zero cARbon CommunitieS), which promotes energy efficiency and electric mobility in cities. The five-year project (2019–2024) involved 31 partners from across Europe. Of these, the City of Espoo together with Leipzig in Germany were chosen as lighthouse cities where most of the sustainable solutions were implemented. The SPARCS project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 864242.
SMART BUILDING CERTIFICATE AND LEED ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATE
Lippulaiva is the world’s first centre to receive the Gold-level Smart Building certificate. The Smart Building certificate measures a building’s intelligence through performance, safety and user experience, among other things. In addition, Lippulaiva has been awarded a Gold-level LEED environmental certificate, which measures the environmental friendliness of planning and construction during the project phase.
SUSTAINABILITY AT CITYCON
Citycon’s shopping centres are urban meeting places located close to people’s homes and workplaces, with excellent public transport connections. At Citycon, we believe that responsible operations are the key to creating long-term added value. We are committed to sustainable development, Citycon’s ethical principles and supporting the surrounding community in all our operations. In 2025, Citycon updated its sustainability strategy, defining clear and well-founded sustainability priorities. Our two focus areas are responsible and sustainable shopping centres and sustainable communities and partnerships. Lippulaiva is a prime example of the practical implementation of our sustainability strategy. One goal of Citycon’s sustainability strategy is to be carbon-neutral by 2030. Lippulaiva and the lessons learned from it support this goal excellently. More information about Citycon’s sustainability strategy can be found on Citycon’s website at www.citycon.com/fi/vastuullisuus.