Enköping, Järfälla, Gothenburg, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala and Växjö were the first to participate in the Viable Cities innovation program for climate transition in the initiative "Climate-Neutral Cities 2030." In a press release from the Swedish Energy Agency, which is one of the authorities involved in the project, the project is called "Sweden's largest (investment) in climate transition in cities to date."
On October 1, it was announced that another 14 cities are joining the program, and thus the 23 cities, which comprise approximately 40 percent of Sweden's population, will work intensively to create sustainable cities. The budget for the initiative is over SEK 200 million.
– This is a giant leap forward for the climate transition in Sweden, says Olga Kordas, program manager at Viable Cities, in the press release.
All cities will be invited to a number of workshops during the autumn and will then be introduced to Viable Cities' Climate Contract, which is "a unique tool that specifies what cities and authorities commit to and implement to accelerate the climate transition."
– Many of these cities have already come a long way in the climate transition, which is fantastic. Now we need to find new ways of working so that the solutions that exist can be implemented quickly and by more people. We don't have time to talk anymore – now we have to do, do, do, says Olga Kordas.
The latest 14 cities involved in the project are Borlänge, Borås, Eskilstuna, Gävle, Helsingborg, Kalmar, Karlstad, Kristianstad, Linköping, Mariestad, Nacka, Skellefteå, Örebro and Östersund.
