Category News

Climate breakfast 18: Equal children play best - Nordic collaboration for accelerated climate action

For two years, Viable Cities has, through the Nordic Transition Partnership project, supported Nordic collaboration between small and medium-sized cities to accelerate climate work with a special focus on the circular economy. In this Climate Breakfast, we were welcomed by Ulrika Holmgren from Smart Innovation Norway who leads the project, as well as Pelle Hallberg from Gästrike återvinnare in Gävle and Elisabet Farner from Kristianstad municipality with long experience of Nordic collaboration who share challenges and success factors.

Read moreClimate breakfast 18: Equal children play best - Nordic collaboration for accelerated climate action

Climate Breakfast 17: Innovation leadership for climate-neutral cities

To find solutions to the enormous societal challenges posed by global warming, we must work in new ways, within municipal operations but also across the private and public sectors public organisations. Accelerera, a joint initiative by Vinnova and Viable Cities, will develop support to achieve this. Climate Breakfast 17 was attended by, among others, Anna Fjällström from Accelerera, who is working to develop this support, and by Jenny Ångman, Järfälla municipality, and Sophia Sundberg, Barkarby Science, who talked about their experiences of creating and working in innovation teams.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 17: Innovation leadership for climate-neutral cities

Climate breakfast 16: Investment plans for climate-neutral cities

Climate investment plans will mobilize transition capital, both from municipalities and other stakeholders, to make cities climate neutral by 2030. Viable Cities has initiated four development projects that will contribute to the development of Climate City Contract 2030 and the climate transition in cities. One of them is climate investment plans.

Read moreClimate breakfast 16: Investment plans for climate-neutral cities

Climate Breakfast 15: Digital tools to support the climate transition

In the work with Climate City Contract 2030, Viable Cities has identified four areas as strategically important for the climate transition in cities. Last spring, Ramboll was commissioned to work with us to develop a strategy for one of these areas, it is about how digitalization and digital tools can support the transition to climate neutral and sustainable cities.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 15: Digital tools to support the climate transition

Climate Breakfast 14: Citizens as co-creators of the climate transition

Last spring, Anthesis was commissioned by Viable Cities to develop a strategy for engaging citizens and civil society as co-creators of the city's future. Through workshops and interviews, Anthesis, together with its partners Actinate and Sustainable 3.0, has collected information that is analyzed and now results in recommendations on a possible way forward.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 14: Citizens as co-creators of the climate transition

Viable Cities Climate City Contract 2030 for export to the EU 

The Swedish Climate City Contract 2030 will inspire the design of the EU Climate City Contract, after Viable Cities became one of the partners in the EU's Net Zero Cities initiative.

- "Viable Cities has an important role in Net Zero Cities - connecting and sharing the lessons from the national climate contract process also in the European work," says Anders Wijkman, Vice Chairman Viable Cities.

Read moreViable Cities Climate City Contract 2030 for export to the EU 

Potluck in the architecture of the gaps

During the work on Climate City Contract 2030, several strategic development areas have been identified, areas that need to be strengthened to accelerate the climate transition. One of them is citizen engagement. This spring, Anthesis was commissioned to develop a strategy for how citizens and civil society can be engaged as co-creators of the city's future. On our blog, Agneta Persson, Anthesis, reflects on their findings.
It is also the theme of the Climate Breakfast on Oct. 6.

Read morePotluck in the architecture of the gaps

It's done - 23 cities in Sweden are leading the way on climate change

It is now clear which 23 cities are joining forces with Viable Cities and four government agencies for climate-neutral and sustainable cities.

- "The transition work that we are doing together in Viable Cities is incredibly important, and has ripple effects both here in Sweden and in the EU. It is therefore very gratifying to be able to welcome another 14 cities that, together with the previous nine, are paving the way for the sustainable cities of the future," says Robert Andrén, Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency.

Read moreIt's done - 23 cities in Sweden are leading the way on climate change

Government assignment to Viable Cities - to support sustainable development in Northern Sweden

Today it was announced that Viable Cities has been commissioned by the government to support innovation in sustainable urban and community development in Norrbotten and Västerbotten.

- "It is a great honor to receive this assignment, and it fits very well with the processes we are already working on in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative," says Olga Kordas, Program Manager Viable Cities.

Read moreGovernment assignment to Viable Cities - to support sustainable development in Northern Sweden

On the blog: Climate City Contract creates engagement and pride

Viable Cities' Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative is growing. From October 1, 2021, more than 20 cities will join the initiative to accelerate the climate transition. The nine cities that have been part of the initiative since the start in 2019 are now sharing their most important experiences in a series of blog posts. First up is Växjö municipality, which has worked for 25 years to become a fossil fuel-free municipality and sees that Climate City Contract 2030 strengthens the work for a sustainable climate-neutral society.

Read moreOn the blog: Climate City Contract creates engagement and pride

Swedish Climate City Contract 2030 inspires Spain

The Spanish cities of Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Valencia and representatives of the Spanish government signed a Memorandum of Understanding in September as a first step towards a Spanish Climate City Contract for cities. The inspiration for this comes from Viable Cities' work on Climate City Contract 2030.
- "It feels unreal and wonderful that we have contributed to the development of a Climate City Contract in Spain", says Olga Kordas, Program Manager Viable Cities.

Read moreSwedish Climate City Contract 2030 inspires Spain

On the blog: Together we are accelerating the pace of climate change in Gothenburg

At the premiere of the Frihamnsdagarna in Gothenburg, the city participated with a seminar series on the theme "Fair climate transition". Participants included civil servants and politicians from the City of Gothenburg as well as representatives from business, civil society and academia. They all agreed that we need to accelerate the pace of transitioning our society to climate neutrality.

Read moreOn the blog: Together we are accelerating the pace of climate change in Gothenburg

On the blog: Taking the pulse of the Gothenburg sharing economy

On the blog, Tove Lund from Sharing Cities Sweden writes about how the City of Gothenburg has coordinated the Sharing City Gothenburg test bed where they have tackled the sharing economy from a consumption perspective. Here we can read about the various services created to promote the sharing economy, ranging from the Toy Library to co-working concepts.

Read moreOn the blog: Taking the pulse of the Gothenburg sharing economy

On the blog: Sharing the future in Sege park and how to get there

"Wow, what a journey it has been!" On the blog, project manager Juliet Leonette and her team talk about the work on the sharing economy in Sharing Cities Sweden's test bed in Sege park, Malmö. The goal? In Sege Park, it should be possible to live a good and healthy life with a minimal negative environmental and climate impact - at a reasonable cost.

Read moreOn the blog: Sharing the future in Sege park and how to get there

Transition Lab Forum 6 - Climate Smart Mobility 2030

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions in cities come from transportation, of people and goods. Viable Cities and Drive Sweden are now joining forces to accelerate the transition to climate neutral mobility in our cities, we call the initiative Climate Smart Mobility 2030. Our first joint event, on June 4, offered international perspectives, panel discussions and inspiring examples.

Read moreTransition Lab Forum 6 - Climate Smart Mobility 2030

On the blog: Coordinator gives boost to circular economy

The transition to a circular economy is an important piece of the puzzle in the work for climate-neutral and sustainable cities. Umeå municipality was the only Swedish municipality to participate in the OECD circular economy program and has signed the European Circular Cities Declaration. On the blog, Liv Öberg, project manager for the circular economy in Umeå, shares her thoughts on her work.

Read moreOn the blog: Coordinator gives boost to circular economy

On the blog: Close the climate gap!

Fill the climate gap, writes Örjan Svane, one of the researchers in Sharing Cities Sweden's test bed in Stockholm, who has followed ElectriCITY's work and the establishment of the Hammarby sjöstad district from the beginning. The district aims to become climate neutral by 2030 through a citizen-driven process developed in collaboration with local stakeholders.

Read moreOn the blog: Close the climate gap!

Climate breakfast 12: Circular economy for climate-neutral cities

The last climate breakfast of the season was about circular economy. We were hosted by Liv Öberg, project manager in Umeå municipality. Umeå was the only Swedish municipality included in the OECD program for circular economy and has signed the European Circular Cities Declaration. She was joined by Stina Behrens, Barkarby Science, who drives innovation for sustainable urban development in Järfälla together with the municipality and other stakeholders.

Read moreClimate breakfast 12: Circular economy for climate-neutral cities

Climate smart mobility 2030 - a joint effort by Viable Cities and Drive Sweden

Viable Cities and Drive Sweden are now launching a collaboration to join forces to accelerate the climate transition in cities, with a focus on climate-neutral mobility. "Now, together with our partners, we want to develop a process that accelerates the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable transport in cities," says Olga Kordas, Program Manager Viable Cities.

Read moreClimate smart mobility 2030 - a joint effort by Viable Cities and Drive Sweden

Ramboll and Anthesis awarded Viable Cities contract

Our search for partners to develop two strategic projects was very successful - we received over 30 high quality bids. It is now clear who will be commissioned to develop two parallel strategies for the transition to climate-neutral cities. Ramboll will lead the work on the strategy for digitalization and digital tools and Anthesis will drive the strategy for citizen engagement.

Read moreRamboll and Anthesis awarded Viable Cities contract

Climate Breakfast 11: How internationalization can speed up the climate transition in cities

To achieve the radical societal changes that the climate transition requires, we need to cooperate and learn from each other, both within the country and internationally. Climate Breakfast 11 was hosted by Nina Rismalm, North Sweden Cleantech; Östen Ekengren, Smart City Sweden, and Philip Näslund, Umeå Municipality.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 11: How internationalization can speed up the climate transition in cities
Climate breakfast in general

Climate Breakfast 10: Allan Larsson on the journey to the climate transition

Allan Larsson has been Chairman on our board since Viable Cities started, and since then he has made invaluable contributions to our development. At the Annual General Meeting on April 15, he will hand over to a new Chairman. A lot has happened along the way and at Climate Breakfast 10 Allan Larsson developed his thoughts on the journey with Viable Cities and some of the stops along the way. Per Grankvist, our chief storyteller, led the conversation.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 10: Allan Larsson on the journey to the climate transition

Transition Lab Forum 5: Climate investment requires new ways of working together

New ways of collaborating, thinking and investing were widely discussed during the Viable Cities Transition Lab Forum 5 on March 24. The theme of the conference - investment plans for climate-neutral cities - was explored from different perspectives with representatives from finance, academia, government agencies and, of course, from the host cities of Lund and Malmö.

Read moreTransition Lab Forum 5: Climate investment requires new ways of working together

The Viable Cities project Xplorion was the Building of the Year 2021

The magazine Byggindustrin has named the Viable Cities project Xplorion "Building of the Year 2021" in the housing category. Xplorion is a house that is built to give the residents the conditions to live climate-smart. Collaboration with others has resulted in innovative solutions. For example, there are alternatives to the privately owned car, so only one parking space is needed.

Read moreThe Viable Cities project Xplorion was the Building of the Year 2021

Climate Breakfast 9: Citizen engagement in Hammarby sjöstad, Sweden

To speed up the climate transition, everyone in society needs to be involved. The Hammarby Sjöstad 2.0 project in Stockholm is a citizens' initiative to reduce the climate footprint of the district. In the project, 55 housing associations with 12,500 residents, companies, researchers and the City of Stockholm are working together to become climate neutral by 2030. Climate Breakfast 9 was hosted by Jörgen Lööf, ElectriCITY Innovation, and Charlie Gullström, Sweco/RISE.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 9: Citizen engagement in Hammarby sjöstad, Sweden

Climate Breakfast 8: Ecosystem services - One roof, five opportunities

The starting point for Climate Breakfast 8 was the project One roof, five possibilities. The project has investigated how roofs - with a focus on water, energy, cultivation, recreation and biodiversity - can affect a property's economy and what socio-economic benefits they can generate. Watch the Climate Breakfast afterwards and take part in the presentations.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 8: Ecosystem services - One roof, five opportunities

On the blog: Viable Business Hub - a collaboration for sustainable industry in Umeå and northern Sweden

Industry and business have a very important role in the transition to the climate-neutral and sustainable cities and communities of the future. In the Viable Business Hub, several major industries in Umeå and the surrounding area, together with various social actors, have been gathering for a year to develop the sustainable industrial environments of the future.

Read moreOn the blog: Viable Business Hub - a collaboration for sustainable industry in Umeå and northern Sweden

Climate Breakfast 7: How municipalities structure their climate work

On behalf of Viable Cities, our member Klimatkommunerna has made an overview of how municipalities structure their climate work. Among other things, they have identified some key factors for successful climate transition in cities. Listen to Filippa Borgström, Klimatkommunerna, Elin Sundqvist, Helsingborg City and Sara Olsson, Järfälla Municipality, at the first Climate Breakfast of the spring, which you can watch here.

Read moreClimate Breakfast 7: How municipalities structure their climate work

New call: ENUTC - European projects for sustainable urban development

The world's cities are facing major challenges. We need to act quickly, forcefully and together to contribute to more sustainable urban development. You can now apply for support within ENUTC to explore how research and innovation in urban transition processes can contribute to sustainable urban development. The Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Viable Cities together announce approximately SEK 28 million to Swedish actors in 7-9 projects.

Read moreNew call: ENUTC - European projects for sustainable urban development

On the blog: Four success factors for climate action in municipalities

On behalf of Viable Cities, our member Klimatkommunerna has made an overview of how a number of municipalities structure their climate work. They see that in recent years, more and more have adopted long-term goals or roadmaps for their climate work, and have also identified some key factors for successful climate transition in cities.

Read moreOn the blog: Four success factors for climate action in municipalities