Contracts for the climate transition of cities

Photographer: Teodor Axlund

Through Klimatkontraktet 2030, signed during European Viable Cities Day, commits cities to speeding up the transition to climate neutrality and increased sustainability. Viable Cities and the authorities - Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth - undertake to support and facilitate the cities' work. The goal is for cities to achieve the sustainability goals in Agenda 2030, with economic, social and environmental sustainability as a result. The climate contract is a new tool for achieving this.

The nine cities are - Enköping, Järfälla, Gothenburg, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala and Växjö.

- Cities play a crucial role in climate change and in engaging citizens, business, academia and civil society. We see that Klimatkontrakt 2030 contributes to a level of collaboration that can make a big difference, and now Sweden is taking the lead in urban climate change in Europe, says Darja Isaksson, director general Vinnova. Vinnova together with the three other signing authorities undertakes, among other things:

• to review laws and regulations to make it easier for municipalities to take the lead in climate change
• to create a national platform that makes it easier for municipalities to finance initiatives and invest in climate change
• to support the municipalities applying for support in the EU's forthcoming call for proposals on climate-neutral cities 2030.