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Volvo, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, and the municipality are working toward a climate-neutral Arvika

The importance of mobilizing for climate change together with many actors is central to Arvika Municipality. "There is a strong interest in participating and contributing to the development of Arvika's climate arena. The actors involved all see the need for social development based on long-term sustainability," write the process leaders for Climate-Neutral Arvika 2030 in their status report.

Sandviken: Green loan provides climate-smart waterworks in Rökebo

Involving the local business community in the climate transition is an obvious part of the transition. In Sandviken Municipality, this is particularly important as the municipality's industries account for 50 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, companies have strong incentives to transition in order to retain customers and market share. Read more in the city's status report.

Skåne, Sweden, and the EU are new partners in Landskrona's climate transition

"Working to achieve Climate Neutral Cities 2030 is a commitment to the future. For Landskrona, this means that we are taking active responsibility for the transition together with a national and European network," says Torkild Strandberg, Chairman of the Municipal Council Chairman Landskrona. You can read more about how Landskrona is mobilizing for a climate-neutral and sustainable city in their status report.

Stockholm's goal – a climate-positive city by 2030

The City of Stockholm aims to be climate positive by 2030. How will this be achieved? One important initiative is the STOLT system demonstrator. "In just one year, STOLT has grown into a vibrant arena for collaboration and innovation. We are already seeing how new solutions are being tested in real life, how more players have joined, and how learning and scaling have become a natural part of the work," says Lars Strömgren, City Councilor for Transport, in the city's status report.

Broad commitment, expert support, and clarity for a climate-neutral Enköping

From data to participation – facts and analysis combined with broad internal participation. These are the keywords for climate transition work in Enköping municipality. Here, there is a transition arena with five transition teams (managers + relevant employees) and an expert team that reviews and delves deeper into the issues. Read more about this in the status report, written by process leader Maria Lindelöf.

Own energy company and interior design enthusiast Siv on the climate palette in Malmö

"The city of Malmö aims to be climate neutral by 2030 and is one of the European Commission's selected pilot cities to lead the way in the transition. By 2030, Malmö's municipal organization will also achieve net zero emissions, and Malmö residents will have collectively halved their consumption-based emissions." This is according to process manager Linnea Folkesson in the city's status report.

Climate-smart travel in focus for Gotland

The energy network on Gotland is an important piece of the puzzle in the island's climate transition. It is a meeting place for dialogue on energy and transition issues between industries and between business public organisations, with the aim of strengthening knowledge, collaboration, and local drive in the transition. You can read about this and much more in their status report.

Bygdsam and Arken Library contribute to climate-neutral Örnsköldsvik

We offer some weekend reading from the north: "Örnsköldsvik is transforming together, with the entire municipal group driving the change. We are doing this step by step, together with people, companies, and associations throughout the municipality. Because we know that everything we do counts." This is what process leader Linn Backman Hallberg, Örnsköldsvik Municipality, writes in her status report on the local transition journey.

15-minute city in the works in Lomma

A 15-minute city in Lomma? Yes, it's in the works. Lomma has already made and plans to make major investments to create one, through densification, the creation of squares, and the concentration of commerce, culture, and services in central locations and recreation in the surrounding area. Lomma Municipality is one of the municipalities that joined the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative in December 2024 and is a twin city, i.e., it has joined forces with Climate Neutral Lund 2030. What does the transition work look like in Lomma right now? Process leaders Ulrika Håkansson Ström and Per Blomberg have the floor.

Kristianstad right now: “Every effort reaches someone new—whether an individual or an organization—who wants to contribute”

What is happening right now in the local transition journey in Kristianstad municipality? Quite a lot, as it turns out. One exciting initiative is Gården i centrum (The Farm in the Center), where local actors—farmers, banks, public actors, food companies, and insurance companies—are working together to explore what measures can be taken on a farm to either reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon storage. Read more in the status report from Klimatneutrala Kristianstad 2030 (Climate-Neutral Kristianstad 2030).

Citizens' council and energy transition in Örebro

"The climate challenge is complex, and complex challenges require changes in working methods. And it is precisely these changes in working methods that we have focused on in the municipality's revised climate strategy," says Peter Larsson, municipal director of Örebro Municipality, in the status report from Climate Neutral Örebro 2030. You can read much more about Örebro's work with climate change on our blog.

Climate Breakfast 43: How do we future proof our cities in times of climate crisis and multiple threats?

A Climate Breakfast logo written in white text on a purple circle with a green background plate.

In October 2024, Valencia was hit by a flooding disaster of enormous proportions, resulting in the loss of more than 200 lives and extensive material damage - with knock-on effects throughout the community. This climate-related disaster has become a wake-up call, and important work is now underway in Spain to future-proof cities and regions by integrating both risk management and climate adaptation measures

Good mobility solutions from Sweden highlighted in Brazil

Green travel plans, fossil-free fleet procurement targets and harnessing synergies from national initiatives. Swedish cities and government agencies are inspiring. At the Sweden-Brazil Innovation Week in October, the work being done in Lund and Stockholm on system demonstrators was highlighted, as well as insights from the analysis of transport and mobility from all Climate City Contract 2030 from last year.

Public procurement as a lever for climate-neutral cities

Construction site in town

Can public procurement contribute to better public health, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, higher quality of life in cities, better working conditions - while supporting Swedish innovation? The answer is yes. By setting requirements for electrified construction projects, municipalities and public procurers can accelerate the transition to fossil-free cities.

Sweden joins CHAMP

Sweden is raising its climate ambitions internationally and joining CHAMP, a global platform to accelerate climate action in cities. Viable Cities will coordinate Sweden's participation in the initiative.

Climate Breakfast 42: Green travel plans

A Climate Breakfast logo written in white text on a purple circle with a green background plate.

Everyday travel to and from home, school, work and leisure activities accounts for a large share of transport emissions and is therefore an important part of cities' climate transition efforts. This climate breakfast addressed how Green Travel Plans can facilitate everyday travel that can reduce climate emissions and contribute to many added benefits of climate transition such as improved health, gender equality, inclusion, better accessibility and attractive workplaces.

Viable Cities Insight 2025:2 - how to organize local transition efforts

In Viable Cities Insight 2025:2, we have taken a closer look at how 2030 cities are organizing themselves at the local level to accelerate the transition, both within the municipal organization and together with other actors in the transition arena. The analysis is based on the texts in Climate City Contract 2030 and in the progress reports produced by the cities. 

Premiere of Viable Cities Insight - #1 Climate Smart Transport and Mobility

Today, we are publishing Viable Cities Insight 2025:1. Through them, we provide short analyses of actions taken under the programme, such as the Climate City Contract 2030 updated by 2030 cities every year. In the first insight, we take a closer look at how cities describe the local climate transition in terms of transport and mobility in Climate City Contract 2030 and in the 2030 cities' progress reports of the same year.

Transition Lab Forum 17 - Lund reports what happened

Mattias Goldman and Yasemin Arhan Modéer who run the podcast Climate for Dummies together with Jon Andersson and Markus Paulsson who visited the podcast from Lund Municipality.

On our blog, process leader Madeleine Wahlund and the team in Lund tell us about three packed days where finance experts, city process leaders and finance departments, academia and government agencies put their heads together to find new ways to collaborate, think and invest to integrate finance into the transition.

A joint European Declaration to scale up Cities Mission

Nearly 60 European cities and platforms have expressed their support for a joint declaration to further accelerate cities' climate transition. The document has now been handed over to the European Commission and will be used as a lever in further joint efforts towards climate-neutral cities. 

Borlänge creates commitment to the climate throughout Dalarna

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.

Östersund: Climate work synonymous with improved quality of life for all

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.  

With electric vehicles, million-dollar climate programs and a strong transition arena - this is how Kalmar works

In the picture: Kalmar in the sun

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 makes Climate Revolution and reuses materials

In the picture: Eskilstuna makes Climate Commitments 2024 (Climate Evolution*).

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.

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Viable Cities is a strategic innovation program with the mission of achieving climate-neutral cities by 2030, ensuring a good quality of life for all within the planet’s limits. The program is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Vinnova and Formas and coordinated by KTH.

Viable Cities is funded through a joint initiative by the Swedish Energy Agency, Vinnova, and Formas

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