In Malmö, emissions from citizens' consumption are to be halved by 2030. To achieve this, more people need to reduce their everyday emissions. To get the message across, the city is investing in a fun communication campaign with concrete tips for a climate-smart everyday life.
Viable Cities communication helps to understand, inspire and spread knowledge to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities by 2030 - with a good life for all, within the limits of the planet. Do you want to be part of that journey? Welcome to apply for an internship with us.
Transitioning to climate-neutral and sustainable cities can save billions and improve citizens' quality of life. The Climate Investment Plan is a five-step methodology and tool that facilitates the transition, from the current situation to actions and who pays.
Local Climate City Contract between business and municipalities are a tool to create a common arena for the climate transition in many 2030 cities. In a new report, we have taken a closer look at what the local variants look like, and how they can be developed.
How companies and municipalities work together to support business and contribute to the climate transition - 100 examples. A new report presents different types of good examples of climate competitiveness from across Sweden.
Resilient and sustainable food systems are an important part of achieving climate-neutral and climate-adapted cities and communities. How can we move from research to transition? How do we collaborate to build knowledge and understanding of the system together, and create a common vision? And how can cities contribute to food production?
To achieve the climate goals, the organization needs to be rigged to handle all perspectives in the climate transition. In its progress report, the City of Helsingborg describes, among other things, a new implementation organization that will ensure both action and follow-up.
In Borlänge, car traffic is to be reduced by a fifth by 2030. The municipality's purchases of organic food are to increase to at least 80 percent and at least 30 percent of the municipality's food purchases are to be locally produced by the same year. Already today, 54 actors have signed a local Climate City Contract in Borlänge and even more are on the way. Borlänge municipality tells us about this and much more in the State of 2030 cities on Linkedin.
How can society's laws and regulations better support the transition to climate-neutral cities? Within Viable Cities, municipalities and government agencies have identified some important areas to work on, including energy communities and waste heat recovery. The joint work is now presented in a report.
With a strong connection to the region's natural resources, local business and research, Östersund strives for long-term sustainable solutions. They want to create a society where efficient energy use, circular economy and sustainable transportation are obvious choices for residents and businesses. Choices that may initially be uncomfortable and unfamiliar, but which in the long run will generate a better and more beautiful Östersund.
Kalmar municipality's long-term goal is to become one of Sweden's best municipalities in ecological sustainability, climate transition and climate adaptation! How do we achieve this? Well, among other things, 60% of all journeys will be made by bicycle, walking and public transport by 2035 and a new purchasing and procurement policy will be developed with stricter requirements for fossil-free transport, construction and contracting projects and circular economy. In addition, an increased share of electricity will be both locally produced and renewable with the goal of becoming self-sufficient by 2035. Kalmar municipality is sharing this and much more as part of the State of 2030 Cities.
Eskilstuna is working on collaboration, recycling, logistics, citizen engagement and much more - they are doing Climate Revolution! Eskilstuna's goal is to be climate positive by 2045 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030. This also includes consumption-based emissions, which is a major challenge, but very important because they account for such a large proportion of emissions. The work is done in collaboration both internally and together with external actors in the five focus areas of the climate program: Transport and travel sustainably, Use and produce energy efficiently, Build, renovate and construct with low climate impact, Consume and produce sustainably, Store and absorb greenhouse gases.
Stockholm was one of the first cities to receive the EU's Mission Label for its climate work, and with this in mind, the city continues to work for the transition by connecting, strengthening and further developing existing cooperation structures. Together with the city's stakeholders and citizens, they are investing in increased electrification and more efficient transport, electrified construction, carbon capture and storage, reduced plastic use and increased sorting, and not least an environmental zone in the city - which is also part of the system demonstrator STOLT.
Stockholm was one of the first cities to receive the EU's Mission Label for its climate work, and with this in mind, the city continues to work for the transition by connecting, strengthening and further developing existing cooperation structures. Together with the city's stakeholders and citizens, they are investing in increased electrification and more efficient transport, electrified construction, carbon capture and storage, reduced plastic use and increased sorting, and not least an environmental zone in the city - which is also part of the system demonstrator STOLT.
In Gothenburg, there is a strong focus on developing the city's ability to create and utilize citizen engagement in the environmental and climate transition, and in the spring of 2024, the city conducted a so-called citizens' council, where 30 people were given the opportunity to contribute thoughts and suggestions on how the city can engage and involve residents in transforming society for the environment and climate. Gothenburg is also working with a broad toolbox to create a more sustainable and efficient mobility system that will benefit citizens, including efforts for walking and cycling, trams, electrified buses, micromobility and trains. Mobility is a major issue for the city, but it is also working on climate-neutral construction, circular economy, farming, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, and much more.
The Viable Cities Champions 2024 are Olha Yukhymchuk, Margot Wallström and Stanislav Kukhtyk. The three receive the award because, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, they are working for the green reconstruction of the country.
In Järfälla, the expansion of Barkarbystaden is underway - one of Sweden's largest urban development projects. To reduce emissions from construction transport, a logistics solution has been procured, with the aim of coordinating and optimizing resources for the thousands of construction transports that need to get in and out. The municipality is also working on an internal reuse system, where furniture and equipment within the municipal organization are reused. Not only that, Järfälla has several initiatives in a portfolio for the transition, including a strategy for sustainable urban development, circular construction, sustainable transport and positive energy districts (PED). In Järfälla, they build, furnish and plan for the future!
48 Swedish municipalities, representing more than half of Sweden's population, are now joining forces for the climate transition from local to global level. During the European Viable Cities Day, the highest political leadership from the municipalities, directors general from government agencies and other Swedish and international key actors gather to strengthen the mobilization for the climate across national borders.
New and ambitious climate and environmental goals are being developed in Nacka's new climate and environmental program. The municipality is working on initiatives in several areas, from mobility and urban planning to organization and procurement. Among other things, the municipality has invited to a land allocation competition focusing on innovative solutions for minimized climate impact throughout the life cycle, free lending at libraries of different types of meters for energy and climate advice, and offering a recycling market for private individuals. There are thus several initiatives underway in Nacka municipality for climate change adaptation, of varying scope and scale, and there is active follow-up to ensure that the right things are being done and done right.
48 of Sweden's 290 municipalities are joining forces to tackle the climate crisis. It is now clear which cities, together with Viable Cities and six government agencies , will join forces in the next phase for climate-neutral and sustainable cities. This is also part of a growing global mobilization for climate transition in cities, where the EU is taking the lead and Swedish cities are pioneers.
A central strategy in Umeå's work is to mobilize and strengthen partnerships and collaboration between partners, based on the Umeå Climate Roadmap's focus areas. Over 60 partners are part of Umeå's climate roadmap and collaborate and learn from each other to strengthen local climate work. With the municipality at the forefront, Umeå has developed a handbook on how to lead an effective climate transition, started an economic association to increase knowledge for circular construction and establish Byggåterbruket, and organized a construction recycling festival for students and staff.
Mariestad has been working on innovative green solutions for almost ten years, and the Climate Neutral Mariestad 2030 mission brings together everyone working for the climate in Mariestad - business, individuals and other actors - in Mariestad's transition arena. Together, they work for a climate-neutral association life, sustainable passenger transport to and from workplaces, sustainable construction, hydrogen as an energy source and board games as a tool.
By integrating sustainability issues into its core activities, Enköping Municipality is acting proactively in the climate transition, and the municipality is investing in creating a culture where sustainability permeates both the municipal organization and the city. With tools such as a carbon budget and in-depth climate knowledge, the municipality works, among other things, with the role and potential of small businesses, urban planning where sustainability goals are to be reflected, reduced energy consumption in public premises using the EnOff model and influencing attitudes, behaviors for sustainable travel, and much more.
Borås aims to be fossil-free by 2030, and with that goal in mind, the municipality is taking overall responsibility as a cog in the transition. Together with companies, organizations and citizens, the whole of Borås is mobilizing in the true spirit of "knalle". They are working with green frameworks for financing, sustainability roadmaps for events, hackathons, citizen involvement, open dialogues and much much more...
Viable Cities has been implementing the Climate Smart Cities Challenge with partners since 2020. The 2024 edition of the World Cities Report Cities and Climate Action highlights the initiative as an example to be inspired by.
The transition in Skellefteå focuses on sustainable mobility, sustainable construction and sustainable industry. By mobilizing the whole community, they are working to increase biodiversity by creating environments that benefit local species, redesign the city's traffic flows to promote sustainable transport, bring together actors from different sectors to explore how public procurement can serve as a tool to reduce climate emissions, reduce the need for new energy sources by heating streets and buildings with waste heat... and much much more!
Kristianstad - a city in Skåne with a strong focus on the transition of the food system, energy, mobility, the construction industry and, not least, the rewetting of peatlands in the Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve. Kristianstad is working with local actors to achieve a climate-neutral, sustainable and resilient food system in Kristianstad, has recently adopted a sustainable development strategy that is followed up annually through a progress report, is mobilizing, together with local actors, for increased energy production, reliable electricity distribution and efficient energy use, and is developing its methodology for business-oriented climate investment plans.
Resilient and sustainable food systems are an important part of achieving climate-neutral and climate-adapted cities and communities. How can we move from research to transition? How do we collaborate to build knowledge and understanding of the system together, and create a common vision? And how can cities contribute to food production?
In Uppsala, the focus in the coming years will be on improving energy and power efficiency and increasing the share of renewable electricity, setting high climate requirements in land allocation competitions and procurements, and investing in sustainable travel through tramways, traffic diversions, new cycle paths and charging infrastructure. The new football pitch at Fålhagens IP can also become a reservoir in the event of torrential rain, the municipality plants hundreds of new trees every year, and the municipality has produced documentation and reports on various risks that may arise due to climate change, as support for property owners and construction companies. The Uppsala Climate Protocol, which has existed since 2010, brings together companies, public sector organizations, universities and associations that want to make concrete progress towards a climate-adapted Uppsala.
Växjö municipality aims to be both fossil fuel free and climate neutral by 2030. Therefore, a special focus in the transition is on a sustainable transport system, but Växjö also works with energy-smart housing, engaging local companies, and recycling of building materials. And not least, they work with young people at upper secondary school level, who choose a challenge in the climate transition, develop proposals for initiatives that contribute to solving the challenge, and then exhibit their work at Linnaeus University.
National nodes for the urban climate transition are growing in number and strength in Europe. Today, the ten cities that will be part of the Viable Cities M100 sibling programme in Romania were announced. Olga Kordas, a member of the jury, was impressed by the applications.
How can the mission-driven approach work even better? That's the question as the OECD brings together 130 experts from 23 countries for a consultation in Austria. Olga Kordas is one of them.
A wide range of stakeholders can shape the future of climate-neutral cities by investing where it matters. This fall, Viable Cities has together with the Sweden-US Green Transition Initiative initiated and participated in a series of roundtables and events on aggregated purchasing power for climate-neutral and smart cities. This article presents early findings and suggests the next steps for how cities can leverage private and public stakeholders to drive demand for sustainable solutions.
Anders Wijkman, Club of Rome, will be the new Chairman for Viable Cities, it was announced at the program's annual general meeting today. Annika Jacobson, Climate General of the City of Stockholm, has been appointed Vice Chairman.
To accelerate learning among the cities that have chosen to immerse themselves in the development of climate investment plans, Viable Cities organized a study tour to Belgium. By visiting cities with different characteristics and challenges, the group gained insights, ideas and important contacts for the future. The trip brought together a mix of process managers, financial strategists, economic strategists, urban planners, environmental strategists, and researchers.
This fall's first Climate Breakfast will focus on procurement to accelerate the climate transition. Procurement can be a powerful tool to drive a faster transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities, but how? How can local authorities take a leading role? What are the key areas? What examples of new ways of working on this exist today?
Today, 20 more cities were awarded the EU Mission Label - a confirmation from the EU's 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 (Cities Mission) that the city's plans for the local transition journey are ambitious and on the right track - including three Swedish ones: Gävle, Gothenburg and Umeå.
Two Swedish system demonstrators for climate-neutral cities recently held their fall meeting. The initiatives, in Lund and Stockholm, are leading the way and exploring how to work to implement the radical systemic changes required for the climate transition. The initiative is part of the Viable Cities Climate Neutral Cities 2030 mobilization, which currently includes 23 Swedish cities.
The purpose of Current Sustainability's ranking is to show how far municipalities have come with the climate transition and highlight the challenges that exist. 14 of 16 cities that placed in the top are 2030 cities and mobilize for the mission of Climate Neutral Cities 2030 within Viable Cities.
The development of climate investment plans received a boost when a delegation of Swedish cities made a study visit to Belgium in mid-September.
Linköping tells us, among other things, about the climate investment plan for transport they developed together with Linköping University, how they developed a model for category management and worked on an environmental commuting analysis, that they allocated funds for test bed checks and launched a smart map where you can rent, share, exchange, borrow, repair and buy reused. Read also about the five priority areas Linköping is focusing on and the initiatives, networks and project groups that are bubbling with commitment!
DUT Call 2024 is now open, the third call of the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership. The aim of the call is to support transnational research and/or innovation projects that address urban challenges to help cities in their transition to a more sustainable society. In the context of the call, all stakeholders can sign up to the matchmaking platform, and information meetings are held both at Swedish and European level.
Malmö says it will become climate neutral by 2030 and is one of the European Commission's selected pioneer cities to lead the transition. At the heart of Malmö's approach is a new horizontal approach - Climate Transition Malmö - focusing on joint roadmaps in seven priority areas, where strong action can have a big impact for Malmö and the planet. Local work for a global mission!
In Örebro, the municipal council recently adopted the Örebro municipal climate strategy after revision during the year. The targets in each of the six focus areas in the strategy are aimed at the municipal group, but the efforts relate to both the municipal group and the geographical area. The municipality has also set specific goals that they are working on together with other actors and the focus going forward is to implement the climate strategy's new working methods and implement prioritized activities.
We face complex societal challenges with declining trust and participation in democracy. To strengthen deliberative democracy in the Nordic region, a network - Nordic Deliberation - has been created. The aim of the network is to build resilient democracies and close the gap between citizens and the representative political system by accelerating the wave of deliberative democracy in the Nordic region. So what is deliberative democracy and why do we need it?
The fourteen Swedish and Spanish cities among 112 European Cities Mission cities have created a joint declaration for the EU Cities Mission - Development Declaration for the Cities Mission: Upscaling the EU Cities Mission - European cities and platforms joining hands. The aim is to strengthen and develop the work of the Mission, accelerate the pace of the transition and support cities in their important work towards climate neutrality by 2030.
Karlstad is working on a broad front for the climate transition, from student councils and collaboration to climate investment plans and ambitious targets. Charlotte Wedberg and Henric Barkman, process managers for Climate Neutral Karlstad 2030, talk about the transition work in the city, which is both broad and ambitious.
In the midst of a burning climate crisis, the Swedish government is presenting a climate action plan that falls far short of what is needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees - the target agreed by world leaders in Paris in 2015. The Swedish government should do more to support the climate transition in the country's municipalities and support leading Swedish cities and municipalities.
The City of Stockholm and the Municipality of Lund are mobilizing actors in an innovative initiative to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities. The cities are placing particular focus on transport and mobility. They are each receiving SEK 20 million from the Swedish Energy Agency and Vinnova under the Viable Cities innovation program.
Already ten years ago, the journey towards the strategic innovation program Viable Cities began. To further accelerate the transition and strengthen Viable Cities' presence across Sweden, Viable Cities' new office and meeting place in Umeå was inaugurated this week.
