Newsletter #9 Room for more pioneer cities

I just have to tell you, I recently became a grandmother! What a heartwarming joy, I am so totally in love! In this new exciting phase in life, I have immediately become more (if possible) anxious to contribute to mobilising for a better society for our future generations. During 2024, many things will happen with great significance for how the paths to the future may look, such as elections in the EU and the USA, and political choices regarding climate and innovation here in Sweden.

One thing is absolutely clear. To succeed in building a sustainable future, we need to involve more people in driving the transition we need. Thankfully, in recent years the transition to climate neutral and sustainable cities has gained momentum. And this year Viable Cities has a big contribution to this movement. This week we are launching our third call within our flagship initiative Climate Neutral Cities 2030. We started out with nine cities in 2019, and from 2021 we expanded to 23. Before the end of this year, we hope to welcome around 50 cities in the initiative, all with raised ambitions for societal transformation. We are looking forward to this long-awaited addition to the Viable Cities family.

At the European level, we are raising our ambitions in different initiatives supporting the mission of climate-neutral cities by 2030. We are actively contributing to the work within NetZeroCities, the implementation platform for the EU Cities mission, and CapaCities, aiming at building national nodes like VIable Cities in many EU countries. Very recently, additional Swedish cities have been granted funding within the NetZeroCities pilot cities initiative. Big congratulations to Gävle, Helsingborg, Lund and Stockholm.

Olga Kordas, Programme Director

Room for more pioneer cities within Viable Cities

SoNow we have opened the door for more Swedish cities to mobilise for the mission of climate-neutral cities by 2030. By the end of the year we hope around 50 Swedish cities will work together to further accelerate and scale up the local transition journey.

➡️ Read the article

Olga Kordas awarded prize for inspiring Spain

An inspiration, partner and best ally. Last week, CitiES2030, a Spanish sibling to Viable Cities, awarded Olga Kordas a formal prize for the work of Viable Cities as a pioneer and inspiration for building the national platform for Spanish cities to become climate neutral.

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MOOC on climate transition of cities

To speed up the climate transition, many people need to understand, be engaged and be able to contribute. Lund University, in collaboration with Viable Cities, has launched a Massive Online Open Course, MOOC: Cities, Climate and Change: Pathways and Opportunities.

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Glo och sno – good examples from Swedish Climate Neutral Cities 2030

23 municipalities are mobilising within Viable Cities to transform into sustainable, climate-neutral cities by 2030. To succeed in this, we need to help each other. Here, Uppsala, Linköping, Umeå and Östersund offer good examples that contribute to the local transition journey for other cities to be inspired and do themselves.

➡️ Explore all good examples

New cousin to Viable Cities in Romania – M100

Viable Cities was the first national node for climate transition in cities in the EU. For some time now, we have cousins in Spain, CitiES2030, and in Ukraine, UniCities. Now Romania gathers power with the M100 node with initially three cities, which aim quickly to become 13.

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Four Swedish cities receive additional EU support on the road to climate neutrality

In the EU's Cities Mission, 112 cities are selected to be pioneers and become climate-neutral by 2030, seven of these are Swedish and mobilize at the same time within Viable Cities. To accelerate the work in European cities, the Cities Mission is supplemented with pilot funds that can also benefit cities beyond the 112.

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European Viable Cities Day

With seven years left to reach the mission of climate-neutral cities by 2030, radical implementation was the theme of European Viable Cities Day 2023. During the event, successes were celebrated and future efforts for the climate were sharpened – and of course, the Swedish Climate City Contract 2030 was signed.

➡️ Read more and watch

Linköping receives the EU's iCapital Award as Europe's most innovative city

Linköping Municipality won the EU's iCapital Awards at the end of November last year. It is the first time a Swedish city has been given the award. The award is given to EU cities that solve societal and sustainability challenges through innovation in an exemplary way.

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CALENDAR

🗓️ March 18-19 | 10th European Summit of Regions and Cities
The European Summit of Regions and Cities is the largest gathering to meet, share and have your say on what is happening in the EU and the future.

🗓️ March 20-21 | Sweden Innovation Days 2024
Sweden is shown as a country of innovation, this year focusing on innovation with a significant impact on the society, environment and economy.

🗓️ April 10-12 | DUT Conference 2024
The 2024 DUT Conference brings together stakeholders for collaborative learning and fosters discussions on the next steps at all levels, from local to global.

AROUND THE WORLD

🔎 IRP’s flagship report – The Global Resources Outlook 2024
The pathway towards sustainability is increasingly steep and narrow, and the window of opportunity is closing. The science is clear: The key question is no longer whether a transformation towards global sustainable resource consumption and production is necessary, but how to make it happen now.
➡️ Read the report here

VIABLE CITIES is a strategic innovation programme focusing on the transition to climate-neutral and sustainable cities. The programme's mission is climate neutral cities 2030 with a good life for all within planetary boundaries. Viable Cities is a catalyst for new forms of cooperation between cities, industry, academia, research institutes and civil society. This is to mobilise to change the way our cities operate in line with our national, environmental, and climate goals as well as our international commitments linked to the Global Sustainability Goals – Agenda 2030 – and the Paris Agreement. Viable Cities' work is closely linked to the European mobilization around "Mission Climate Neutral and Smart Cities 2030".

The programme's timeframe is 2017-2030 and is implemented with support in a concerted effort by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency and Formas, where the Swedish Energy Agency is the responsible authority. KTH is the host organization for Viable Cities.

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