Viable Cities, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the Climate Municipalities are collaborating in the Climate Competitiveness initiative to accelerate the collaboration between municipalitiesbusiness to both strengthen companies and achieve the mission and become climate neutral.
The role of companies in the climate transition has become increasingly high on the agenda in Sweden and internationally, both as major emitters but also as suppliers of solutions. Viable Cities is therefore investing in the Climate Competitiveness initiative in 2023, where we together explore what systemic changes can accelerate the collaboration between municipalitiesbusiness to achieve the mission of climate-neutral cities in 2030 with a good life for all within the boundaries of the planet.
The initiative is primarily aimed at the 23 cities included in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 program, with the aim of creating knowledge that can be used in all Swedish municipalities. It is a complement to the interest groups that have already been formed within Viable Cities on various issues related to collaboration with the business community and other initiatives where the business community is involved.
One purpose of Climate Competitiveness is also to jointly support each other to develop from relatively uncoordinated short-term projects to a coherent and long-term strategy based on the climate contract's analysis that identifies the most important areas of action and the joint roadmap with an associated climate investment plan in which companies are systematically involved.
The Swedish National Board of Housing,Building Communities as part of housing supplydescribes how municipalities can choose to provide support at different levels. These can be generalized and serve as a model for how municipalities can support companies' efforts in the city's development towards climate neutrality:
To this can be added a fourth level: Develop. At this level, the municipality participates in initiatives aimed at developing the area systemically, for example through policy changes at regional, national and international level.
The efforts right now focus on working with SKR and the Climate Municipalities to compile a collection of good examples of collaboration between the municipality and business in terms of climate change and, based on this, identify challenges and obstacles to be raised with the relevant actors at regional and national level. Examples of areas are innovation procurement, skills supply, business development, events, tourism, centre development, exploitation, energy, transport and collaboration with science parks and incubators. Feel free to contribute with material or input by contacting us.
Within the Climate Competitiveness initiative, Viable Cities, together with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the Climate Municipalities, has created a collection of good examples of collaboration between municipalities and municipalities. business To achieve the mission of climate-neutral cities by 2030 with a good life for all within planetary boundaries. Here we have collected the examples we have so far, and we will develop in both form and content going forward.
Within the Climate Leader municipalities for public procurement initiative, Fossil Free Sweden has worked together with Helsingborg, Umeå, Uppsala, Växjö, Örebro and Östersund to identify the challenges of introducing climate requirements in public procurement.
CoAction Lund is a project that brings together stakeholders in northeast Lund to undergo a large-scale change process to make Lund climate neutral by 2030. It focuses on energy and transport, as passenger transport accounts for the majority of emissions in Lund and...
Twice a year, Karlstad holds its Second Hand round, when several shops selling second hand and antiques are open for visitors to discover the city's wide and exciting range.
Östersund developed competence in circular economy through actions organized by the Swedish-Norwegian interreg project SMICE (Co-creating Mid-Nordic Innovation Arena for Circular Economy).
Gothenburg is actively working on skills supply linked to climate change, including in the battery and automotive industries. Together with regional actors, they have also created the MoveToGothenburg platform to attract labor.
Karlstad, Klimatkommunerna and the Swedish Taxi Association are collaborating on Tjänsteskjuts, an alternative to the number of official vehicles owned or leased by the municipality. The new solution can both save money and have environmental benefits, reducing traffic, pollution, noise and parking in the city, as well as...
Do you as a company or association want to make a contribution to the climate in Helsingborg? The goal is to make commitments that suit your business, are feasible and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. A signature shows that your company wants to be an active part of...
Actors from Eskilstuna, Borås, Gothenburg and Östersund have participated in Greentopia, which aims to make events engines for the climate transition with a focus on both organizers, suppliers and visitors. The focus is on Food & Beverage, Transport and Textile where many businesses...
Kalmar wants to see how the Old Industrial Area can be developed into a part of the inner city in a sustainable way and be robust in the face of future climate change. All within the framework of an EU-funded New European Bauhaus project.
In Helsingborg, the new climate and energy plan for the period 2025-2030 will cover the entire geographical area and will therefore be the entire municipality's plan. In the spring of 2023, a basis for the plan was prepared and companies and associations were invited to participate in the process....
Helsingborg wants to challenge traditional management of municipal goods distribution and test new ways of managing deliveries using digitized delivery data and smarter ordering processes. Therefore, they developed a digital platform for transparent transportation.
Växjö cooperates with other municipalities, companies and science parks within the framework of Sustainable Småland.
STUNS - The Foundation for Collaboration between Universities in Uppsala, business and Society is a collaboration platform based on Uppsala County's regional development strategy and the Agenda 2030 strategy.
The Domsjö industrial area in Örnsköldsvik has a long history of industrial production with wood as the main raw material. The actors have a well-developed cooperation and exchanges take place in the form of energy, materials and knowledge.
Collaboration with business and civil society is one of Växjö municipality's strategies for accelerating the transition to a sustainable municipality. Several companies have therefore signed the Växjö Declaration to drive the work forward in their respective industries.
Örebro supports and finances initiatives within the Real Estate Network that are aimed at people in the region who work with energy and environmental issues in the real estate industry. It offers study visits, experience meetings and training courses for our members and works actively to achieve our climate goals.
Helsingborg Innovation District (HEIDI) is the name of the city's new innovation district that is now taking shape in Oceanhamnen. The purpose is to create a common arena that promotes innovation collaborations for new smart solutions and business ideas, not least linked to the climate challenges that the city...
Eighteen companies in Landskrona have partnered with the City of Landskrona and signed joint energy and climate agreements to reduce their local impact on the climate.
The transport cluster in Eskilstuna was awarded the municipal environmental prize 2023 for its efforts in climate change. The cluster consists of five haulage companies and Eskilstuna Strängnäs Energi & Miljö. The purpose is to work together as a local industry on issues related to local growth and the transition.
The Rosendal area in Uppsala has been recognized for its innovative methods with a focus on sustainability. The development of the fourth phase is now underway, raising the bar even higher and making the district climate-positive. The land allocation competition begins in April, when companies can submit their...
Kristianstad has a large agricultural sector and food industry. Therefore, the initiative More carbon in the soil - local collaboration on carbon storage in agricultural land has been launched to increase carbon storage in the soil and at the same time strengthen a long-term and competitive food system.
In the industrial and social symbiosis network in Sotenäs, materials, energy and knowledge are exchanged between several different actors based on the sea. The work is an important part of the municipality's work and brand.
In Umeå, efforts are being made to attract workers through Gateway Umeå based on lifestyle aspects and sustainability, among other things.
The Swedish Energy Agency provides support to municipalities that want to provide energy and climate advice to companies and other stakeholders. Some examples are Eskilstuna, which uses the Energitrappan concept, and Helsingborg.
Boverket's guide to the circular economy in the construction sector is aimed at various stakeholders such as municipalities, developers, architects and property owners, etc.
Myran is Enköping's largest urban development project and a catalyst for Enköping's climate transition. The area, which is close to communications, will be developed into a modern meeting place for trade, business and housing.
There is great interest and a desire to be part of Malmö's climate transition and many companies have the climate issue high on the agenda. Signing Climate City Contract Malmö means that we are joining forces and making efforts for a climate-neutral Malmö...
Sharing Cities Sweden is a national program for the sharing economy in cities. The program aims to put Sweden on the map as a country that actively and critically works with the sharing economy in cities. In sharing economy test beds in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and...
Reuse and other circular solutions will increase in new and renovated buildings in Gothenburg. This is the aim of a handshake between nearly 40 of the city's private and public property owners. They now want to create a market for reused materials.
In the report The need for green competences, Stockholm describes the city's interests towards education and training providers but also shows the responsibility it takes itself.
Organisation and multi-level governance are about cooperation between several levels and actors. These can be regions and municipalities, business and organisations. These include, among other things, examples of several cities that have developed local Climate City Contract to engage the business community in the transition work, and in Västra Götaland, the County Administrative Board and the region have joined forces on the Klimat2030 initiative, in which all municipalities have adopted climate pledges.
Several cities are working with companies, government agencies and other actors in energy matters. Among other things, the Swedish Energy Agency provides support to municipalities that want to provide energy and climate advice for companies and other actors, and in Lund focuses on energy and transport, since passenger transport accounts for the majority of emissions and a robust energy system is an absolute necessity for climate neutrality to be achieved.
Circular economy means that materials and products are reused, reused and recycled, in order to save new products from being produced. Several cities collaborate and work with the circular economy together with associations and companies, there are several examples from the construction industry, and cities work both nationally and internationally.
For example, in Helsingborg, the industrial symbiosis began as early as the mid-70s, and in the industrial and social symbiosis network in Sotenäs, materials, energy and knowledge are exchanged between several different actors with the sea as a starting point.
Through business development, cities and companies work together to develop methods to drive climate change adaptation work and push it forward within the municipality. For example, Mariestad uses games and nudging in its citizen dialogue, where companies can participate in the games and describe how they work with climate adaptation, which also gives them exposure to potential customers, partners and employees. And in Kristianstad, which has a large agricultural sector and food industry, the 'More carbon in the soil' initiative has been launched to increase carbon storage while strengthening a long-term and competitive food system.
Within establishment, there are examples where the municipality's business unit together with companies drive development jointly. Establishment is also an important part of the work with development and urban transformation (see below).
Here are examples where Kalmar has developed a checklist for sustainable events that includes both ecological and social aspects, Eskilstuna's recycling mall, Sweden's first, has become international news and has been visited by documentary filmmakers, journalists and curious tourists from all corners of the world, and actors from several cities have participated in Greentopia, which aims to make events engines for the climate transition with a focus on both organizers, suppliers and visitors.
The transport sector has high emissions in cities, and several cities are working hard together with business, academia, research and government agencies to find sustainable and sustainable solutions. They are working, for example, to make the entire logistics chain fast-moving and sustainable, zones where the transport system of the future is developed and tested, innovation procurement to solve the climate challenge of commuting, and services for bike rental systems, micromobility and business transport.
In procurement, there are examples where Fossil Free Sweden has worked together with several cities to identify the challenges that exist in introducing climate requirements in public procurement, and where all of a city's construction administrations and companies have joined forces to develop joint procurement requirements to accelerate the construction and civil engineering sector's transition to emission-free construction sites.
Here we find, among other things, Gothenburg's platform for climate-neutral construction, where the entire value chain gathers around ten concrete commitments based on the five key factors in the roadmap for a fossil-free construction sector, and the EU's first emission-free construction site in Östersund.
Examples of how cities and business We work together on development and urban transformation, among other things; Myran – Enköping's largest urban development project and a catalyst for Enköping's climate transition; Brunnshög in Lund, which aims to be at the forefront of development in everything from large technical systems, such as tramways and district heating, to smaller initiatives, such as rain barrels and car pool memberships; and Örebro's new residential area Tamarinden, which is planned to become a sustainable and smart district where conditions for people to meet are created, and where the houses share energy.
Nacka, Växjö, Enköping, Lund and Uppsala are some of the cities that work with climate requirements in their land allocation competitions, and RISE is leading a project in the area.
Most cities are working hard to adapt to climate change and to adapt and secure the city against climate change. A couple of them are Kristianstad, which is located in a low and water-surrounded place with a great exposure to climate change and extreme weather, which has produced the Skyfall map, and Järfälla, which has a long tradition of planning for good park and nature structure with green areas that strengthen the municipality's ecosystem services, contribute to reduced flood risk, and preserve water quality and biodiversity.
Several cities are working to accelerate the climate transition by developing their work with open and shared data. Some examples are Nacka, Linköping, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Karlskrona and Stockholm.
Collaboration between cities and science parks, science centers and incubators means that they, with joint effort, can, for example, formulate and implement joint commitments, develop innovations in specific areas and give a boost to the work on sustainable social development and promote innovation collaborations for new smart solutions and business ideas.
Collaborative research is based on the following: public organisations to develop new solutions for sustainable cities. Here are examples from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Lund, among others.
Skills supply includes continuous learning to meet the need for skills in climate change adaptation and to attract talent. This is being worked on in, among others, Stockholm, Nacka, Trollhättan, Gothenburg and Umeå.
Several cities have been working with green bonds for a long time, and Helsingborg has launched a framework for sustainable bonds that includes both green and social categories.
