Customer stories Carbon Neutral North Savo project
North Savo’s climate work gained new momentum with the launch of the “Carbon Neutral Region – North Savo” project (HIMA) in spring, coordinated by the North Savo ELY Centre. During the project, a climate roadmap will be created to define the region’s key climate goals. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the North Savo Regional Development Fund.
“Our goal was to build the best regional climate website in Finland. In the end, we got more — a site that ranks among the best in Europe.”
Tapio Kettunen, Climate Expert
The North Savo climate team needed an entirely new website to raise awareness of climate issues and showcase the region’s goals, actions, and people involved. The website would become the region’s most important communication channel for climate-related topics, so it had to be modern, user-friendly, and fully compliant with accessibility requirements. It also needed to function flawlessly across all devices, be secure, future-proof, and easy to develop further.
Several interactive features were required, such as online forms, podcast publishing tools, and an article section where visitors could comment on expert content.
We built the new North Savo climate website using the latest version of WordPress, customized specifically for the project using proven, reliable plugins.
The site was equipped with tailored features for accessibility, search engine optimization, analytics, and data security. We also implemented additional technological solutions to enhance privacy and safety throughout the project.
The visual design was created by Grafiant, and we implemented the layout as a custom WordPress theme. To ensure fast loading speeds on all devices, we selected modern WordPress development tools that prioritize performance.
Because the HIMA project is coordinated by the North Savo ELY Centre, it was essential that all technical and visual solutions fully met accessibility standards. Color contrasts, navigation structure, ease of use, and compatibility with assistive technologies were all implemented in accordance with the EU Web Accessibility Directive.
We also continue to ensure the site’s technical integrity through our custom WordPress maintenance package. With dedicated staging and production environments, future development and updates are both safe and smooth.
Additionally, we implemented an on-premise Matomo analytics environment to support the project’s long-term goals. With it, the team can access up-to-date visitor data and behavioral insights — all while respecting user privacy.
North Savo’s climate team now has a modern, visually appealing website that caters to a wide variety of users. The site is secure, accessible, and remains compliant with evolving digital regulations.
The platform makes it easy for the coordinating team to update content and keep citizens informed as the work progresses. The admin tools and design system guide content creators toward producing clear and accessible material. Because the site is also optimized for search engines, people interested in climate issues can easily find the right information from a trusted source.
Most importantly, the topics central to climate work in North Savo are now presented in a way that’s both clear and engaging. Thanks to a technically solid and content-rich platform, it’s easier for the target audience to get involved, take part in the conversation, and be inspired to act.
At Hurja, we build accessible websites with solid expertise — and we help existing services improve as well. Our accessibility audits assess your current state and show you how to develop your service in the right direction. Let’s talk — we’re here to help.