Congratulations to Olga Kordas – Associate professor KTH and Program director of Viable Cities
Second on the list of Sweden’s most influential sustainability leaders
Every year, the Swedish magazine Aktuell Hållbarhet compiles a list – Sweden’s 101 Most Influential Sustainability Leaders – featuring people who have done more than could be expected to help create a more sustainable planet. This year, Olga Kordas, the KTH researcher and Program Director of Viable Cities, takes second place.
The translation of the motivation reads as follows: “Despite setbacks in climate policy, cities continue to transform, and one of the leading figures is Olga Kordas. Since its launch in 2017, she has led the Viable Cities innovation program, which focuses on the transition to climate-neutral, sustainable cities. In 2025, 48 municipalities joined, and more than 50 percent of Sweden’s population now lives in a municipality that has adopted Viable Cities’ goal of climate neutrality by 2030. Cities account for 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and are a key factor in how we can live within planetary boundaries. Thanks to Viable Cities, Swedish municipalities have taken a leading position in Europe. While national policy is increasing Sweden’s emissions, municipalities are showing what is possible. With a background in Ukraine, Olga Kordas also contributes strongly to linking climate action with preparedness and resilient development.”
“Despite living in a time characterized by war, crises, disinformation, and growing populism, climate work is accelerating at the local level. This not only concerns municipalities, but also more than 500 companies participating in local transition arenas, as well as virtually all universities, higher education institutions, and research institutes in Sweden that are involved in Viable Cities’ initiative Climate-Neutral Cities 2030,” says Olga Kordas, and continues:
“The climate transition needs to accelerate, while work on resilience and all the Sustainable Development Goals is strengthened. If I may dream, I would like to see a real leap forward in which research and innovation results are translated more quickly and systematically into practical implementation and tangible benefits. And I sincerely hope that the terrible war in Ukraine will soon come to an end, so that together we can support a large-scale, green reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.”
Number one on the list is Johan Rockström, Professor at Stockholm University and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Number three is Jacob Wallenberg, Chair of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and Investor.
How the list was created:
The list of Sweden’s 101 Most Influential Sustainability Leaders ranks those who, over the past year, have achieved the greatest sustainability impact relative to their actual position of power.
The list is compiled through nominations from Aktuell Hållbarhet’s readers. A jury then adds additional candidates and ranks all nominees through a voting process.
The full list (Swedish, behind a paywall):
