48 Swedish municipalities unite for the climate
Forty-eight of Sweden's 290 municipalities are joining forces to tackle the climate crisis. Today, the cities that will collaborate with Viable Cities and six government agencies in the next phase of creating climate-neutral and sustainable cities were announced. This initiative is also part of a growing global mobilization for urban climate transition, with the EU leading the way and Swedish cities as pioneers.
Sweden’s largest initiative for climate-neutral cities, Viable Cities, is scaling up. Starting today, half of the country's population lives in a city participating in the Climate-Neutral Cities 2030 initiative. The participating cities, municipalities and their partners, are working together and learning from one another to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities with a high quality of life for citizens.
“It’s truly encouraging that so many Swedish municipalities are leading the way in addressing the societal challenges posed by global warming. By working together, we can create a sustainable future with a high quality of life for all while strengthening Sweden’s competitiveness by fostering new business opportunities and innovations—all within planetary boundaries,” says Olga Kordas, Program Director of Viable Cities.
One of the new municipalities in the initiative is Luleå, along with its partners.
“The green transition is already underway in Luleå, and we need to accelerate the pace to meet our climate goals. With the support of Viable Cities as a platform, we can speed up our climate transition efforts at local, regional, and national levels. Collaboration is essential for the climate transition—it’s a necessity, as no single actor has all the solutions or the resources to accomplish this alone,” says Carina Sammeli (S), Mayor of Luleå.
To scale up, a new form of engagement is being introduced: twin cities. This means that 13 pioneer cities will partner with one or two municipalities to collaborate in transition efforts and progress more quickly.
“Joining Viable Cities enables accelerated learning that speeds up the climate transition. As a twin city to Gothenburg, we will contribute with the perspective of a smaller rural municipality and work together to find smart solutions. We aim to share experiences and improve methods so that more cities and places can become climate-neutral by 2030,” says Adam Johansson (M), Mayor of Falköping.
“Emissions don’t stop at municipal borders. Uppsala engages in international, national, local, and regional collaborations. Partnering with nearby municipalities is essential for sharing experiences and finding solutions to common challenges. We look forward to intensifying climate collaboration with Håbo Municipality,” says Erik Pelling (S), Mayor of Uppsala.
A core component of Climate-Neutral Cities 2030 is the collective contribution of stakeholders to scaling solutions, methods, and learning more rapidly, both within Sweden and internationally. The initiative aligns with the EU’s mission for climate-neutral cities, the EU Cities Mission.
“Helsingborg is targeting climate neutrality by 2030 and is working with the city’s business community, academia, and civil society to accelerate the transition. By collaborating with other cities nationally and across Europe, we can share and discover more solutions and foster the innovations and efforts needed to achieve this goal,” says Christian Orsing (M), Mayor of Helsingborg.
Six government agencies are participating within Viable Cities in exploring how they can better support local transitions from the national level. One of these agencies is the Swedish Energy Agency.
“The transition work we are undertaking together within Viable Cities is incredibly important. Through the 23 municipalities that have mobilized so far, the initiative has had an impact not only nationally but also within the EU. Welcoming 10 more pioneer cities and 15 twin cities to the initiative demonstrates this mobilization, which drives us toward the mission of climate neutrality by 2030,” says Caroline Asserup, Acting Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency.
The Climate-Neutral Cities 2030 initiative began in 2019 with nine Swedish municipalities and their local partners. In 2021, the initiative expanded to 23 municipalities. Since 2020, the Climate Contract 2030 has been a central tool in the initiative. Through this contract, cities and government agencies continually refine their commitments and implementation to accelerate the climate transition. This year’s version of the Climate Contract 2030 will be signed on December 6 during the European Viable Cities Day.
För mer information, kontakta:
Viable Cities, Anna-Lena Ekenryd, anna-lena.ekenryd@viablecities.se, +46733-468 436
Energimyndigheten, press@energimyndigheten.se, +4616-544 24 95
Luleå kommun, Sophie Forsberg Johansson, Klimat- och miljöstrateg, sophie.forsberg.johansson@lulea.se, +46920-45 30 00 / 073-43 52 473. Malin Taavola, pressansvarig, malin.taavola@lulea.se, +46920-45 31 78
Falköpings kommun, Linda Levin, kommunikatör, linda.levin@falkoping.se, +46515-88 50 71
Helsingborgs stad, press@helsingborg.se, +4642-10 55 55
Uppsala kommun, Fredrik Hardt, Pressansvarig, fredrik.hardt@uppsala.se, +46766958237
Viable Cities is a Swedish strategic innovation programme for climate neutral and sustainable cities. 48 Swedish municipalities and six government agencies operate within the programme to accelerate the climate transition through the initiative Climate Neutral Cities 2030 – and with the tool Climate City Contract 2030. It is jointly funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas.
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