Environmental and climate changes affect all life on Earth. Continuing to do things as we always have is no longer an option. Therefore, a comprehensive and important effort is underway to both reduce environmental and climate impact and manage the consequences of global climate change.
Together with Stockholmers, businesses, and academia, the City of Stockholm wants to continue developing the city for a sustainable future and sustainable growth. When we combine our capabilities, competencies, and resources, we can achieve more and go further.
Together, we create new solutions, services, and initiatives that reduce climate impact, strengthen biodiversity, and make it even easier to live sustainably and contribute to Stockholm transforms.
In Stockholm, we have been working strategically for decades to reduce the city’s impact on climate and environment, and a testament to this was when Stockholm became the first European Green Capital in 2010.
EU Green Capital and EU Green Leaf awards on the European Commissions website
Since then, the ambitions have been raised further and a just transition is now in focus. The City shall contribute to a climate in balance and a viable natural environment with strong resilience as the climate changes. The air in Stockholm shall be fresh, the land and water clean and the auditory environment healthy. We shall protect and enhance urban nature and biodiversity. Buildings and nature shall interact in smart solutions that promote the well-being of Stockholmers and enable a sustainable lifestyle.
The City shall meet the commitments made in international contexts based on the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework. The 2030 Agenda provides support for the development of the City’s work on social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Ambitious environmental and climate goals
On the 23rd of September 2024, the City Council adopted an environment programme for 2030. The City’s environment programme formulates the highest priority goals for Stockholm:
- A just, inclusive transition
- A Stockholm with no global carbon footprint
- A Stockholm with viable ecosystems
- A resilient Stockholm
- A resource-efficient, circular Stockholm
- A non-toxic Stockholm
- A Stockholm with fresh air and a good auditory environment.
Through reduced emissions and increased carbon sequestration, Stockholm aims to be climate-positive by 2030. The City of Stockholm as an organization should be completely fossil-free by 2030 and Stockholm should be completely fossil-free by 2040. There is also a goal on reducing emissions from consumption with 50 percent.
The priority goals individually include a number of milestones for the programme period. Overall, the Environment Programme sets out seven priority goals for Stockholm’s living environment, 18 milestones and examples of measures to strengthen the work.
Connected to the Environment Programme, there are a number of action plans that specifies how the City aims to achieve the ambitious goals.
Climate Contracts and Mission Label
In 2020, the City of Stockholm, along with eight other cities, signed the very first climate contracts at national level. Stockholm’s climate contract has been renewed every year since then. Through the contract, the city undertakes to invest in and accelerate climate and sustainability work.
The Swedish climate contract is in line with the EU’s work on climate-neutral cities. In the spring of 2023, Stockholm was adopted as one of 100 selected climate cities in the EU. These cities will strengthen the work and contribute to faster transition throughout the union. This is done, among other things, by the city clarifying activities, investments, and collaborations needed to achieve climate neutrality in an EU-level climate contract. This also creates good opportunities for developed European cooperation.
EU Mission: Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities on the European Commission website
In the fall of 2023, Stockholm city received a so-called Mission Label as one of ten cities, indicating that the city's plan for climate positivity has been approved by the EU Commission.
Environmentally smart Stockholmers
Stockholmers play an important role in climate and environmental work. The choices made by Stockholmers play a major role in how the City can continue to be prominent in terms of climate and the environment.
The Environment and Health Department conducts annual questionnaires on the environment and environmental habits in Stockholm. These surveys provide answers about how attitudes, knowledge and habits of Stockholmers look and change over time.
The City also communicates with Stockholmers to increase knowledge of the residents’ own climate impact and to provide tools to reduce it.
Innovation and sustainable development
In a climate-smart Stockholm, we reduce our climate impact by not using fossil fuels. We use renewable and recycled energy from district heating and in our electricity consumption, and travel climate-smart by public transport, bicycle or clean vehicles.
With 800 years of history, Stockholm has always been a city on the move with an ambition to use new knowledge and new ideas to change and improve. There are always projects and initiatives underway.
Collaboration for sustainable development
The City of Stockholm works together with business, academia and other partners both in Sweden and internationally to develop Stockholm. Through collaborations, we can gather capabilities, competencies and resources and reach further to create new solutions and services. Together within the international networks and with academia, other actors in the public sector, business and civil society, the city has a number of strategically important collaborations.
Collaboration is important not only to development and to share experiences with others, but also to influence decisions made at EU level in order to safeguard the interests of Stockholmers. The City of Stockholm is an active international partner who collaborates with other cities and in international networks and partnerships within a wide range of initiatives.
International relations and EU policy
C40’s Global Green New Deal
The City of Stockholm stands behind the Global Green New Deal initiative, which provides a framework describing how cities need to work to respond to the global climate crisis. The initiative has been developed by the global network C40, which brings together the largest cities in the world to combat climate change. The City of Stockholm has been a member since 2007.
The initiative was presented on October 9th 2019. It is about recognising that the world is facing a climate emergency. The initiative aims to bring together those who are willing to deliver emission reductions in line with the 1.5-degree goal, protect the environment and build a fairer future, while still strengthening the economy.
The Environment Barometer
The Environment Barometer (Miljöbarometern) presents facts about the environment in Stockholm. It also provides information about climate change and climate adaptation, as well as answers to a variety of environmental questions about the City. How high are greenhouse gas emissions? Which lake has the best water quality? Is the air getting cleaner? How many people use public transport?
The Environment Barometer also contains information about Stockholm’s downpour model. It is used to plan new buildings with consideration of the risks that might be posed by different weather and ground conditions.
Organisation
All city district departments, specialist departments and municipal companies are responsible for environmental work and for reducing climate impact within their respective areas of operation.
The City Executive Office is responsible for directing, leading and coordinating the City’s work in environment and climate, and is responsible for the Environment Programme.
City Executive Office
Among the specialist departments, the Environment and Health Department has a special mission to support other departments and municipal companies in the work of achieving the goals of the city’s climate and environmental work. The Environment and Health Department is also responsible for providing information about the environment in Stockholm and the effects of the city's work.
Environment and Health Department
Policy documents
Environment Programme
The City’s environment programme formulates the highest priority goals for Stockholm within environment and climate.
Environment Programme 2030 (pdf)
The connected action plans are available in Swedish.