In Umeå, the business community has long worked together to reduce climate emissions and achieve climate goals. It started with cooperation on food and agriculture issues, and now 56 organizations from all possible sectors are involved in the Umeå Climate Roadmap.
By joining the climate roadmap, they support the goals of a climate-neutral Umeå and significantly reduced climate emissions from consumption by 2040. At the same time, they also sign up to contribute to reducing Umeå's emissions at the rate required by the Paris Agreement.
Local versions of Climate City Contract now exist in many of the 2030 cities. At the time of writing, around 400 companies and organizations are involved in a local climate agreement, but the number is growing rapidly. Links to more local climate agreements below.
At the forefront of a pioneering sustainability movement in Umeå is Märta Streijffert, project coordinator of the Food and Climate in the North restaurant network. Since 2017, Märta and her team have brought together 12 restaurants and school kitchens with a common goal - to promote a sustainable transition in the city and offer a greener and more conscious dining experience for guests.
- We have seen restaurateurs working together in an unprecedented way. Through our work, the concept of 'climate restaurants' has become known not only in our city, but also internationally. For example, together with the network we have created the cookbook Food and Climate with tips on vegetarian food waste recipes, which has won prestigious prizes in the international cookbook competition Gourmand Awards and Hallbar Awards. The competition has also been organized two years in a row in Umeå," says Märta Streijffert.
The restaurant network has not only raised awareness of sustainability in Umeå, but has also achieved concrete actions to reduce emissions, reduce plastic use, promote vegetarian options and support local food producers.
Participation in the restaurant network is completely free, thanks to funding from EU project funds. Cooperation between the different actors has been key to the success of the network. Märta Streijffert stresses the importance of sharing experiences and developing ideas together.
- Of course, the project has not been without its challenges. Restaurants and school kitchens have limited resources in terms of time and money, and Covid-19 had a negative impact on the restaurant industry. It has also been a challenge to get restaurant managers to participate actively, as it has been difficult to allocate chefs to the network, among other things.
The future looks promising. A new thematic group on food and agriculture has been included in Umeå's climate roadmap, and cooperation between the network, wholesalers and the municipality will continue to drive climate change in food and agriculture.
Märta Streijffert's advice to others who want to start similar initiatives is to understand the target group and maintain a continuous dialog with a variety of participants, whether they are small or large actors in the network.
The Food and Climate in the North restaurant network, led by Märta Streijffert, has paved the way for a greener future and a more conscious food culture. An important effort to create a climate-neutral Umeå together.
Ingela Hjulfors Berg, Climate Neutral Umeå 2030.
Each year, the cities in the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative, six government agencies and Viable Cities sign the national climate contract. To accelerate the local transition journey, several of the cities have created local climate agreements with local actors who commit to contributing to the climate goals.
The Umeå Climate Roadmap was inspired by the Uppsala Climate Protocol, which started in 2010, and more and more local climate agreements are being signed around the country, including in Umeå:
Annika Myrén, Process Manager Climate Neutral Umeå 2030., annika.myren@umea.se
