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?
The issue of public procurement is a key part of the transition to climate neutrality. 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?
In today's cities, we travel in a way that is unsustainable, generating high emissions and using far more resources than the planet can sustain, while creating unequal conditions for citizens. To transform mobility and places for a climate-neutral future, we need radical implementation of existing and new solutions that can be scaled up and create the new normal. During Transition Lab Forum 16 in Gothenburg, we will delve into the future of places and mobility as a key issue in the transition to Climate Neutral Cities 2030.
The energy system needs to be transformed to phase out fossil fuels and achieve climate neutrality. To create a resilient, secure and just energy transition, new forms of energy production are needed that combine large-scale, centralized production with small-scale, decentralized production in new ways. This systemic shift presents challenges and opportunities. As we focus on putting new technological systems in place and making energy use more efficient, we also need to consider how it affects people's economic and social situations and living environments. During this Transition Lab Forum, we will explore how the municipality, together with other stakeholders, can ensure a fair and sustainable energy transition.
In Sweden, several researchers have worked closely together with cities and national innovation actors to support them in steering sustainability transitions by contributing to learning from practice, increased reflexivity and helping to identify evidence about system change. This role got the name of 'följeforskare' (literal translation from Swedish is 'following' or 'companion' researcher). Together we will explore what makes "följeforskning" special in terms of benefits and challenges, why it is especially relevant in accelerating the transition to climate neutral cities, and what role it can play for both cities and national support platforms.
Climate transition investments can create both business opportunities and a more sustainable city. Research shows that climate investments can generate significant benefits, both direct economic gains and added value such as jobs, cleaner air and better health. During this Climate Breakfast, we dive into what it means to make climate investments and how climate investment plans take shape.
On March 6, 2024, we opened a call that gives several Swedish cities the opportunity to increase the pace of transition and show the way for others in Climate Neutral Cities 2030 3.0. During this Climate Breakfast, we talked about the international aspect of Climate Neutral Cities 2030 and what role internationalization plays in the local transition work.
Film from Östersund, produced for European Viable Cities Day! In the film, Niklar Daoson (S), member of the municipal executive board Chairman, and Caroline Hildahl, process manager for Climate Neutral Östersund 2030, talk about what a good life within the limits of the planet means for Östersund and how the municipality worked during the year to achieve climate neutrality, with examples from the construction sector and solutions that exist there.
To describe the future, the Vision Journey methodology combines robust research on behavioral psychology with new findings on sustainable lifestyles and ancient knowledge on how to structure stories to engage audiences. The method consists of a number of processes that are based on cities' climate targets and result in a story about what it is like to live climate-neutrally for one day in that city. The aim is for politicians and officials to understand that it is entirely possible to combine a high quality of life with low emissions even today, and for them to realize that their role is to make it easier for more people to live sustainably in different ways. Kristianstad has developed a vision journey about what it is like to live in a climate-neutral Kristianstad in 2030.
During this breakfast, we will discuss just transition. How do we create an economy that is as fair and inclusive as possible, that creates decent job opportunities and leaves no one behind?
In Sweden and Europe, many actors are mobilizing for climate-neutral cities in 2030. During Transition Lab Forum 14 in Östersund, we will delve into how we can integrate places, visits and events in the development of climate-neutral cities and communities. Places that are inclusive, attractive and competitive and that contribute to a good life for everyone within the limits of the planet.
Around the world, many actors are mobilizing to create sustainable places, visits and events. Several of the cities in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative explore how events can be engines for the transition to climate neutrality. Welcome to Climate Breakfast #34.
Almost every city in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative has a higher education institution. How can they contribute to the climate transition, beyond research and education? During Climate Breakfast 33, we explore how higher education institutions can accelerate their contribution to the climate transition by collaborating in new ways.
Competitive companies in climate-neutral cities - how do we create good conditions for this? During this Climate Breakfast, we explore the collaboration between municipalities andbusiness and how synergies can be created.
During Transition Lab Forum 13 in Kristianstad, we will delve into how climate adaptation and climate change can be integrated into the development of a sustainable food system, which is more resilient, with increased competitiveness and which contributes to a good life for everyone within the planetary boundaries. What is being done today, and how can we further accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities while adapting society to a changing climate and creating competitiveness and a good life for all?
What nature-based opportunities exist for increasing carbon storage in cities? And how can we simultaneously create pleasant, comfortable cities to live and work in? Participants include Tora Råberg, researcher at RISE, Linnea Skoog, Kristianstad, and Mattis Vindelman, expert in the rewetting of peat soils.
How we transport ourselves and goods is one of the biggest challenges to achieving climate neutrality. At Transition Lab Forum 12, we take a deep dive into the future of mobility as a key issue for the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities by 2030. What methods and approaches are available for how actors can lead and work together to promote climate-smart mobility to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities?
Much of the emissions in cities come from the transportation of people and goods, making mobility a key issue in the transition to climate-neutral cities.
How can future mobility be designed for the transition to climate neutrality, and what can it look like in practice? That's what we talk about in this climate breakfast.
Building communities and growing cities requires large amounts of resources. How we use resources is therefore of great importance for the possibility to keep climate impact down. At Tranistion Lab Forum 11, we will focus on how we can use our resources in an efficient and sustainable way, for example, how recycling can be given more space in new construction and renovation. We will touch on topics such as innovation procurement and land allocation competitions, how it can be used to make the built environment more climate smart.
How can innovation support contribute to sustainable urban development? In interviews and focus groups with municipalities, collaboration platforms and business actors, Sweco has taken a closer look at the actors' experiences of success factors and system challenges. Some of the results are presented here.
In Climate Breakfast 28, we explore with our guests the different ways in which companies can engage in climate transition of cities and what are the success factors behind it. For example, in many 2030 cities, the municipality and companies are part of local Climate City Contract.
How can students accelerate the transition to Climate Neutral Cities 2030? At Climate Breakfast 27, STUNS in Uppsala participates, which has long worked to develop the collaboration concept Stories, a concept where students within the framework of their studies solve sustainability challenges.
Successful sustainable solutions from pilot projects need to fly further - so that sustainability becomes the standard throughout cities and municipalities. The Sustainability Becomes Standard project has developed a tool to ensure this happens.
How do we secure a climate-smart, sustainable energy supply in an increasingly electrified world? A lot is happening in the energy sector now that has major consequences for cities' efforts to become climate-neutral, in a troubled world. Coordinated and bold investments need to be made and climate investment plans are gaining importance. Energy saving, efficient electrification and faster introduction of renewable energy are some things we will delve into at Transition Lab Forum 10 in Uppsala on October 13.
The transition to become climate neutral 2030 requires that cities work in new ways. In this climate breakfast we explore how the cities of Valencia and Stockholm have handled this challenge in terms of leadership, organization and capacity building.
A regional Climate City Contract - what is it? In 2022, Viable Cities explored this together with the county administrative boards and regions in Västerbotten and Norrbotten.
During the Transition Lab Forum 9, a number of key actors working in different ways on the issue of climate-smart mobility met. Among other things, it was about mobile hubs and shared mobility; quite simply: How do we manage our everyday trips without a car? We also got an insight into the host city Helsingborg's work on climate change. The event was organized together with Drive Sweden during H22.
Gävle, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm and Umeå. These are the Swedish municipalities that are part of the EU's mission for climate-neutral cities by 2030. What does this mean for the cities that joined? And how can it contribute to the climate transition in all Swedish cities?
Events are a billion-dollar industry and a key component of the economy and profile of many cities. At the same time, they are an increasingly important tool for community development. How is the industry adapting? How can this transformation drive behavioral change and citizen engagement?
Nature is a good example of a circular system, nothing becomes trash that needs to be disposed of, everything is recreated into something new. To keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees, we need to find circular systems for the resources we use. During Climate Breakfast 21, we went from broad brushstrokes in the EU to local initiatives in Karlstad. How can the circular economy contribute more to the climate transition?
During Transition Lab Forum 8, we shared experiences from Skellefteå as part of the transition in northern Sweden, and we explored some key issues in the transition process and Climate City Contract 2030 - multi-level governance, sustainable construction, business strategies for sustainability and citizen engagement. The power of the transition in the north is a golden opportunity to use to accelerate the climate transition throughout Sweden and the world.
Many of the emissions we need to address come from construction, including the materials used, such as concrete. But it is possible to use other materials, the forest contributes a material that is both strong and sustainable. Sustainable construction in wood is the theme of Climate Breakfast 20, where we are hosted by Tomas Nord from RISE / Smart Housing Småland and Britt-Inger Brisádottir, development strategist, Gustaf Ulander, project manager, both from Skellefteå municipality.
This breakfast is hosted by our program manager Olga Kordas, who develops the thoughts about Climate City Contract 2030's innermost essence, and by Henrik Johansson from Växjö municipality and Charlotte Brynielsson from Kalmar municipality. Both municipalities are part of the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative and will talk about the value of Climate City Contract, the iterative process, what they have achieved and their plans for the future. Welcome to the Viable Cities Climate Breakfast 2022!
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.
To find solutions to the enormous societal challenges posed by global warming, we need to work in new ways, within municipal operations but also across private and public organisations. Climate Breakfast 17 was attended by Anna Fjällström from Accelera, Jenny Ångman, Järfälla Municipality, and Sophia Sundberg, Barkarby Science.
Climate transition investments can create both business opportunities and a more sustainable city. Research shows that climate investments can generate significant benefits, both direct economic gains and added value such as jobs, cleaner air and better health. During the fourth Climate Breakfast of the fall, we heard more about the Climate Investment Plans development project. Participants: Charlotta Möller from Viable Cities presented the essence of the work. Tommy Mikelsen from Svensk Exportkredit and Jonas Kamleh, environmental strategist Malmö city, reflected on this.
In the work with Climate City Contract 2030, Viable Cities has identified four areas as strategically important for the climate transition in cities. This spring, Ramboll was commissioned to work with us to develop a strategy for one of these areas. During Climate Breakfast #15, we will hear more about how digitization and digital tools can support the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities.
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.
The first climate breakfast of the fall was about the climate transition with a focus on schools. Fossil museum as a school exercise and climate hack were discussed. We were hosted by Roger Hildingsson at Lund University, Sara Vikström Olsson from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and Jonas Franzén at the Gothenburg Region.
Viable Cities' mission is climate-neutral and sustainable cities by 2030. Drive Sweden's vision is to create sustainable and safe mobility systems for people and goods that are accessible to everyone. We are now launching a collaboration to accelerate the climate transition: Climate Smart Mobility 2030. During our first joint event, we explored the transition to climate-neutral urban mobility through international perspectives, panel discussions and inspiring examples.
The last climate breakfast of the season was about the circular economy. We were hosted by Liv Öberg, project manager in Umeå municipality. Umeå was the only Swedish municipality included in the OECD circular economy program. She was joined by Stina Behrens, Barkarby Science, who runs innovation for sustainable urban development in Järfälla together with the municipality and other actors.
The last climate breakfast of the season was about the circular economy. We were hosted by Liv Öberg, project manager in Umeå municipality. Umeå was the only Swedish municipality included in the OECD circular economy program. She was joined by Stina Behrens, Barkarby Science, who runs innovation for sustainable urban development in Järfälla together with the municipality and other actors.
Allan Larsson has been Chairman on the board of Viable Cities since the program started, and 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 we now take the opportunity to let Allan Larsson develop his thoughts on the journey with Viable Cities and stops along the way. Per Grankvist, our chief storyteller, leads the conversation.
Within Viable Cities, nine cities are developing climate investment plans to mobilize transition capital, both from municipalities and other actors, to make cities climate-neutral by 2030. This work will help overcome thresholds for a faster and profitable climate transition.
Transition Lab Forum 5 explores how short- and long-term investments for climate transition can create both business opportunities and a more sustainable city. Research shows that climate investments can generate significant benefits, both direct economic gains and added value such as jobs, cleaner air and better health.
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 district's climate footprint. 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. Viable Cities' Sharing Cities Sweden project is also working in the district by investigating how citizen engagement and an active sharing culture can contribute to the climate transition in Swedish cities.
Ecosystem services can be defined as the direct and indirect contribution of ecosystems to human well-being, and this is the theme of Climate Breakfast 8. The starting point for today's discussion is the project One roof, five opportunities - Market-driven development of ecosystem services, funded by Viable Cities. The project has analyzed how five different types of roofs - focusing on water, energy, cultivation, recreation and biodiversity - can affect a property's economy and what socio-economic benefits they can generate.
How do Swedish municipalities structure their climate work? On behalf of Viable Cities, our member Klimatkommunerna has done an overview of this. They see that in recent years more and more have adopted long-term goals for their climate work, and have also identified some key factors for successful climate transition in cities.
To transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities, we need to communicate with citizens, business and many other stakeholders. Communicators are often located both centrally in the municipalities and out in administrations and municipal companies. To create more power in communication efforts, Lund Municipality has formulated a strategy to coordinate sustainability communication across all departments.
In 2019, Viable Cities and Vinnova made an inventory of 15 municipal projects regarding the need for support for innovation management, to work long-term and systematically with innovation. It showed that many are working actively on the issue but that more support is needed. In response to the need, a project is now starting to develop skills, methods, models and tools for innovation management so that cities can become climate neutral more quickly and efficiently.
During the afternoon of November 6, we further developed Climate City Contract 2030 as part of the ongoing process in the nine cities of the Climate Neutral Cities initiative. We explored how digital tools can help us to make better and more transparent decisions, and provide a shift in climate work. Using the City of Gothenburg as an example, we delved into how we organize development work in the city, focusing on the development of the climate contract, but also what is needed in the cities to be able to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral city.
