Stockholm first to get the EU Mission Label

A Climate City Contract describes the city's commitment to accelerating the transition to a climate-neutral and sustainable city. It includes an action- and investment plan to move this work forward. The EU's Climate City Contract has been inspired and developed from the national Climate Contract 2030, designed by KTH's strategic innovation programme Viable Cities. The EU has now reviewed the City of Stockholm's climate contract, and the positive outcome awarded Stockholm with the EU Mission Label.

KTH contributes to the EU's sustainability efforts

Karin Larsdotter, Deputy Director of KTH Climate Action Centre and Vice President of the soon-to-be set-up Scientific Climate Council, says it is incredibly positive for KTH to have signed the contract. And that KTH should be more involved in this work.

“Stockholm wants to be a leading city in terms of climate change and sustainable development. The city has set ambitious but necessary goals, and those of us who operate in Stockholm need to join hands in those ambitions. KTH:s research results and graduated students must of course help Stockholm reach its goals. This also gives KTH a golden opportunity to use Stockholm as a case to make both research and education relevant, and to test results and speed up implementation."

Pernilla Hagbert, Researcher at the Division of Urban and Regional Studies, is a member of the Council. She sees great opportunities for KTH to be involved and contribute to the transition.

"From the research side, we see that despite high ambitions, the municipalities need to do more to contribute to reaching the climate goals. The transition capacity must increase, and here research from KTH (together with our partners) can monitor the work, challenge current lock-in effects as well as contribute to a better decision-making basis for Stockholm to take on the transformation that is required ” she says.

The EU Mission Label is an essential confirmation from the EU that Stockholm's plan for the local transitional journey to a climate-neutral and sustainable city is ambitious and on track. Demonstrating the EU's confidence in the city's sustainability ambitions can pay off in increased funding for key initiatives in this area.

Environmental research at KTH can contribute to achieving Stockholm’s climate targets

“There is already mutual interest in collaboration between KTH and the City of Stockholm, and this formalizes our joint ambitions further. Our cutting edge research at KTH will help the City of Stockholm to take meaningful and efficient steps in the fight against human-driven climate change”, says Zahra Kalantari, Associate Professor in Environmental and Engineering Geosciences for Sustainability in the Anthropocene and Director of WaterCentre at KTH.

The Climate City Contract has been developed and signed by KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Region Stockholm, Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet and the City of Stockholm in cooperation with eleven city companies.

The City of Stockholm is one of 23 cities in Sweden and 112 cities in Europe to mobilise around the mission to become climate-neutral by 2030.