Climate City Contract 2030, which was signed by nine cities, four government agencies and Viable Cities last December, is a long-term commitment to accelerate the climate transition in cities.
Olga Kordas, Viable Cities Program Manager, talks about the way forward in 2021.
Photo: Tobias Axlund
What does Climate City Contract 2030 mean for the work of the mission Climate Neutral Cities 2030 - with a good life for all within the limits of the planet?
- The contract is a concretization of the actions that each city and national partners commit to in order to accelerate the climate and sustainability transition. At the same time, the contract is not only a document, but also a process by which we sharpen cities' ability to transition over time. Each year, a new version of the contract will be signed.
- Tackling climate change will require significant investment. The Climate Contract will help provide a clear direction for these climate investments that mobilize capital to transform cities and implement solutions that also provide viable, safe and pleasant cities for all who live, work and play in them.
What will the work on Climate City Contract 2030 look like during the year?
- It will be an exciting year, as no one has worked in this way before. From the Viable Cities side, we will focus on three development projects that, in short, are about climate investment plans, governance and digitalization as a tool to accelerate the climate transition. We are also working intensively on a new call for proposals so that more cities can join the work.
What is going on right now?
- We have already started the development project for climate investment plans led by our Chairman Allan Larsson. We will be able to tell you more about it in connection with an event in March that we are organizing in collaboration with the City of Malmö - Transition Lab Forum 5 - where we focus on financial transition for climate-neutral cities.
The Climate Contract includes commitments from cities and government agencies as well, what happens there?
- As for the cities, we will continue our co-creation work in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative, where an important part is to continue developing the climate contract. As for the authorities, we have initiated a dialogue on how they can best support climate transition of cities. There are many processes that need to be run in parallel.
On December 11, speakers from the European Commission and Eurocities, among others, were impressed by the development of Climate City Contract 2030. How does this affect the work ahead?
- Since Climate City Contract 2030 is the first of its kind in Europe, and the EU wishes to develop a European Climate City Contract, our ambition is to contribute our experience to the development work that is ongoing in Europe, but also globally. We already have collaborations at Nordic, European and global level.
These are ambitious commitments for Viable Cities, both with Climate City Contract 2030 and a call to invite more cities and international collaborations, how will you manage it?
- We are a broad network of stakeholders working together in Viable Cities. Many of our members and partners contribute here. In the case of Climate City Contract 2030, we focus on the three development projects, bringing together actors with different competences from different sectors of society and areas to drive the work together. We in the program management act as an engine and ensure that the work moves forward.
- We are also hoping for a decision on a larger budget for our program with the new three-year phase of the program starting in 2021.
Read more about Climate City Contract 2030 here and the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative here.
