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.
The climate transition requires profound changes in society. Climate City Contract 2030 brings together commitments from cities, from the national level and from Viable Cities, which will ensure that we gradually strengthen our ambition and ability to accelerate the transition. From the Viable Cities side, we have identified four development projects that will contribute to the further development of Climate City Contract 2030 and thus support the major systemic changes we are facing.
- There is a lot of work to be done, and we are so happy that we can now bring in expertise to give even more momentum to the development of Climate City Contract 2030," says Olga Kordas, Viable Cities Program Manager.
One of the development projects is about clarifying how digitalization and digital tools can accelerate the climate transition. Ramboll is now commissioned to develop a strategy for the work ahead together with Viable Cities.
- We look forward to gathering knowledge and creating learning about how digitalization can support cities' climate transition and as part of this contribute to sustainable development in society at large, says Hector Catasús, Business Area Manager at Ramboll.
- Viable Cities is undoubtedly Sweden's most exciting forum for sustainable urban development and exactly the platform needed for academia, business, the public sector and civil society to work together to achieve climate-neutral cities.
Another development project focuses on how cities can engage citizens and civil society as co-creators of the city's future. Anthesis Sweden was assigned this task.
- We at Anthesis are really looking forward to working with our partners Actinate and Sustainable 3.0 on Viable Cities and developing citizen engagement in the climate transition, says Agneta Persson, CEO Anthesis Sweden.
- We will combine our own experience with that of our wide national and international network.
Through workshops and interviews, the two projects will gather information that will be analyzed and result in recommendations on a possible way forward.
Both projects will start their work at the end of April and are expected to deliver their recommendations in early autumn.
- We hope that the strategies will give us a clear picture of how actors in cities can actively work with citizen engagement and digitalization as keys to the transition," says Olle Armstrand Dierks, Portfolio Strategist in the Viable Cities Programme Management.
- The plan is also to promote the implementation of key recommendations from the strategies at national level.
Albert Edman, Viable Cities internationalization strategist, is the contact person for the civic engagement strategy.
- The ambition is that these strategies together will provide new knowledge for the revision of the climate contracts at the end of the year and also lift the work at an international level, for example based on the proposals on citizen engagement raised in the EU Mission Board report "100 climate-neutral cities 2030 - by and for citizens".
The other two development projects are the ongoing work on climate investment plans and a future development project on multi-level governance.
