We were looking for cities that want to take the lead on climate change. And many do. 30 cities from across the country have applied to be part of the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative.
In February, we opened our largest call to date to enable more cities to join the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative. The call has now closed and 30 cities have submitted an application to the Swedish Energy Agency. Patrik Rydén has been responsible for contacts and consultation meetings with interested municipalities.
- "It has been a very intense, and fun, period with many conversations with cities with high ambitions for climate change. It feels good that there is so much commitment," he says.
A group of assessors appointed by the Swedish Energy Agency will now review all applications. The decision on which cities will be made in September and the project will start on October 1, 2021. It is not Viable Cities that decides which applications are granted.
- We are very pleased with the high level of interest, and very curious about which cities we will work with in the coming years," says Olga Kordas, Viable Cities Program Manager.
We are currently working with nine Swedish municipalities and their partners in the initiative. The municipalities are Enköping, Gothenburg, Järfälla, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala and Växjö. The call for proposals was also aimed at them, as the first phase of the initiative ends at the end of September this year.
The 20 cities, starting this fall, are committed to testing new approaches and solutions, learning from each other and working towards the mission: to create climate-neutral cities that work well for the people who live in them and are good for the economy of citizens, businesses and society.
A key instrument in the work ahead is Climate City Contract 2030 - a joint effort between municipalities, government agencies and Viable Cities to accelerate development to achieve the climate transition in a decade.
The Climate City Contract 2030 process is now continuing together with the 20 cities, including through three development projects that focus on climate investment plans, citizen engagement and digitalization as a tool to accelerate the climate transition. A fourth project is planned, which will focus on multi-level governance.
- We now look forward to working with more cities to further accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities by 2030 - with a good life for all within the limits of the planet," said Olga Kordas.
