Gothenburg Wants to Become ‘Green’

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The city of Gothenburg, a recent signatory of the Green Digital Charter initative, has set the goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to six tons per person by 2035 –from eight tons per person today to a maximum of two tons-. The achievement would make this already international city into ‘Green Gothenburg’. Green system solutions within constructions, energy, transport, water and waste management have been implemented for the transition to a fossil free city.

Today, houses are heated by waste heat from refineries and waste management, buses are run on electricity or biogas and homes are cooled by cold water from the river. Since May 2015 the entire waste collection fleet is fossil free. There are also innovative solutions for energy-efficient homes, both new-builds and refurbishment of the existing building stock. Furthermore, investments are being made in renewable energy such as solar, wind and wave power.

In March 2015 this development was recognized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) appointing Gothenburg to National Earth Hour Capital 2015.

Local actors such as the energy company Gothenburg Energy, Johanneberg Science Park and Lindholmen Science Park, the Technical University of Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg contribute jointly with innovation and research to reach the goals. They are, as well, supported by projects such as ElectriCity, Drive Me, Celsius, Step-Up and EU-GUGLE.

The article originally appeared on the EIP-SCC website.

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