Building a sustainable future while preserving history!
sustainability at tuulensuu palace
At Tuulensuu Palace, sustainability is part of both everyday life and celebrations. Our goal is to combine historical significance with sustainable development, so that we can offer our customers environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically sustainable services.
EcoCompass guides our sustainable operations
The EcoCompass certification serves as the guiding framework for Tuulensuu Palace’s environmentally responsible operations. The certification directs us to plan and implement concrete environmental actions that encompass both the maintenance of the property and our daily operational processes. Through the EcoCompass environmental program, we have defined our key objectives, such as improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing our recycling rate.
These measures help us reduce our carbon footprint while providing our customers with responsible and environmentally friendly services in a historic building. EcoCompass reminds us of the principle of continuous improvement – every action takes us closer to a more sustainable future.
EcoCompass is a practical environmental management system that supports organizations in developing environmental responsibility. It is based on the international ISO 14001 standard system but offers a lighter and more easily adaptable alternative, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. EcoCompass uses the same principles as ISO 14001, such as the continuous improvement model (Plan-Do-Check-Act), but focuses on concrete actions.
Achieving the certification requires the organization to create an environmental program with clear goals, such as reducing energy consumption, improving waste management, or increasing responsible procurement. The certification is granted once the organization has implemented the necessary actions and passed the audit. The EcoCompass certification is valid for three years, and its maintenance requires ongoing development and reporting.
Responsible Partners
In Tuulensuun Palatsi’s sustainability efforts, we utilize expert partners and programs that help us achieve our sustainability goals. Each partnership plays a unique role, and through them, we can join forces with other stakeholders who care about responsibility and sustainability.
Steps to Organic is a national program that guides restaurants and food services to gradually increase the use of organic products. The program supports the utilization of more ecologically and ethically sustainable ingredients.
Tuulensuun Palatsi is participating in the Steps to Organic program and has reached the first level. This means that we have taken the initial steps towards actively using organic products. The program helps us develop the sustainability of our restaurant and meet our customers’ demands for more ecological choices.
The Think Sustainably Network connects businesses and organizations that want to make their sustainability efforts visible and offer customers an easy way to identify sustainable services and products.
As a member of the Think Sustainably Network, we are able to clearly communicate to our customers the responsible choices they can make at Tuulensuun Palatsi.
Responsible solutions
At Tuulensuun Palatsi, sustainability is a continuous journey where we combine our valuable history with our desire to evolve into an even more sustainable actor. We focus on environmentally friendly solutions, local food, and accessibility, while responsibly preserving our historical environment. Our goal is to create even more sustainable experiences for all our customers and partners.
Tuulensuu Palace is a heritage building protected by the Finnish Heritage Agency. As a result, the building is not fully accessible, but we continuously work towards ensuring that all of our guests can enjoy our events and activities as accessibly and adaptively as possible.
For customers with mobility impairments:
At Tuulensuu Palace, we have taken great care to address the needs of customers with mobility impairments. A ramp can be placed at the main entrance to enable wheelchair or electric wheelchair access to the first floor. The ramp is designed to support high weights (up to 300 kg), ensuring that movement is both safe and smooth.
Accessible Movement on the First Floor:
The first floor is generally accessible. The restaurant and meeting rooms located on this floor are all accessible without barriers, and an accessible restroom can be found near the entrance lobby.
Sensory Accessibility:
At Tuulensuu Palace, we have also taken sensory impairments into account. On the ground floor, there is an induction loop that enhances the experience for our guests with hearing impairments, making it easier for them to enjoy events and hear performances, speakers, or other sounds more clearly and effortlessly.
Induction loop in the map’s yellow-highlighted area.
Customer service and assistance:
Our staff is trained to assist customers with mobility and sensory impairments. If you know in advance that you will need assistance upon arrival, please notify us beforehand, and we will do our best to make your visit as smooth as possible. You can contact us, for example, by email at ravintola@tuulensuunpalatsi.fi, and we will ensure that the service is tailored to your needs.
Our goal is to continuously improve accessibility and develop our facilities to serve all our customers equally. Accessibility is an important part of our social responsibility, and we are committed to ensuring that Tuulensuu Palace is as accessible as possible for everyone.
At Tuulensuu Palace, we implement a comprehensive waste management plan that prioritizes recycling and waste reduction. We have clear procedures in place for sorting and recycling different types of waste, which reduces the amount of mixed waste and directs materials towards reuse.
What does the waste management plan include?
- Sorting stations for customers and staff
- Collaboration with local waste management companies to ensure efficient recycling
- Continuous monitoring and reporting of waste volumes
Waste reduction and recycling save natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, optimizing waste management reduces landfill waste, which is critical in promoting the circular economy.
For every event held at Tuulensuu Palace, we plant two saplings in Tampere-talo’s own carbon sink in Lempäälä. The reforestation is carried out in an area that is naturally poorly suited for forestation. The area is protected for a hundred years, during which time it will sequester a total of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide – an amount equivalent to over five million kilometers of driving by car.
The number of planted saplings increases every year:
- In 2022: 76 saplings
- In 2023: 126 saplings
- In 2024: 240 saplings
The tree species to be planted, such as alder, pine, and silver birch, will enhance the biodiversity of the area and provide a long-term carbon sequestration solution. In this way, Tuulensuu Palace contributes to combating climate change and ensures that every event leaves a positive legacy.
We are committed to the principles of a safer space, ensuring respectful and equal treatment for all visitors and customers.
We promise – will you promise too?
- Give everyone the opportunity to speak and be heard
- Respect each person’s personal physical and mental space, as well as their privacy
- Avoid making assumptions based on a person’s appearance or behavior
- Listen and learn by openly embracing new topics, individuals, and perspectives
- Apologize for any intentional or unintentional offense caused to others
The energy use at Tuulensuu Palace is based on 100% renewable electricity, significantly reducing the climate impact of our operations. We are also exploring the possibility of transitioning to renewable heating energy in the building, which would be the next step toward completely fossil-free energy usage.
Why is renewable energy important?
The use of renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. This is especially important for historic buildings like Tuulensuu Palace, as combining energy efficiency with sustainability in the maintenance of heritage buildings is a crucial part of preserving cultural heritage in a sustainable way.
Tuulensuu Palace focuses on sustainability by using local and organic products that support environmental well-being without compromising the quality of the food. Our goal is to offer our customers delicious, healthy, and ecologically sustainable dining experiences that contribute to both environmental and personal well-being.
At Tuulensuu Palace, we offer our customers the opportunity to refill their own water bottles, reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles and minimizing environmental impact. This small but significant action helps conserve natural resources and decrease plastic usage. Additionally, Finnish water is the purest and best in the world – providing our customers with fresh, healthy water directly from the tap.
