Top-level ecological handprint in the hands-on society
There is a lot of talk about ecological and carbon footprints these days. Companies measure the emission levels of their businesses, but what if they would measure their ecological handprint? It would show how much a company’s services and products improve earth’s ecosystem, and how much they reduce end consumers’ greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon handprint is the opposite to the carbon footprint – the larger the handprint, the better it is for the environment and the climate.
Without exact figures, I dare to argue that Ostrobothnia could have the largest ecological handprint per capita in the world.
Our small region holds the most important energy cluster in the Nordic countries: 150 energy technology companies that develop solutions for renewable energy and energy efficiency. 90% of the production is exported globally, and energy-saving products from Ostrobothnia are used in all countries on earth. To manage even better in fighting the climate change, I believe in all seriousness that we must start measuring ecological handprints. Only this way do we have the right indicator to spur change in the business world.
Speaking of handprints, we are good with our hands here on the Ostrobothnian coastline. Our kids learn in school how to work with their hands, so no wonder our ecological handprint is big. It is created by engineers and business executives, who themselves know how to work with their hands, whether they are building their own houses or their own boats.
The fact that many of our executives know how to create things in practice is perhaps a contributing factor to our unhierarchical working life, which builds upon trust. Trust between people and trust between enterprises
Welcome, get to know Ostrobothnia – a hands-on society built on trust with an enormous ecological handprint.
Juha Häkkinen
Editor-in-chief