Mariestad municipality has signed a “climate contract” through the project Viable Cities, committing Mariestad to take and report the necessary climate action every year to reach the goal of a climate neutral municipality by 2030. The purpose of the contract is to outline and cement Mariestad’s Agenda 2030 strategy, while the other parties commit to supporting Mariestad with research, financing, and access to networks that make the transition possible.
On December 8th of 2022, the chairman of the local government board of Mariestad, Johan Abrahamsson, went to Stockholm to sign the climate contract along with 22 other Swedish cities. An important aspect of the contract is sharing knowledge and experiences between the 23 cities. Mariestad will use this opportunity to share our work in producing fossil-free hydrogen as fuel.
In the climate contract, 23 Swedish cities commited to working together to go climate neutral by 2030.
The contract also details some key areas in which Mariestad will work to become climate neutral by 2030. The key areas are integrated into the Mariestad Agenda 2030 strategy and include:
- Youth participation and education
- Developing municipality-owned land to support and maintain biodiversity
- Cooperation between the municipality and non-state actors like business, academia, civil society, and citizens
Another key action included in the contract is a climate investment plan that intends to drive public and private sector investments towards climate-friendly solutions. Development of the climate investment plan started in late 2022 and will guide the financial decisions of the municipality going forward.
The climate transition must affect all operations in the municipality, and as such, the strategy covers the whole organization and will guide decisions in all departments of Mariestad municipality. This is made even more important by the recently announced establishment of a Volvo battery factory in Mariestad. While this allows us to share our sustainable industry experience with Volvo, it also presents a challenge. The new factory will bring an influx of new workers to the city, requiring the construction of new houses, infrastructure, and potentially even whole new residential areas. The climate contract means that this has to be done in a way that doesn’t compromise the emission reduction goals. Last year’s construction of Sweden’s first fossil-free preschool run entirely by solar power and hydrogen is a start, but much more will need to be done. “Mariestad has for a long time had a clear climate focus through long-term, goal-oriented work in innovation, industrial evolution, and green transition. We are a small municipality that dares to think big. Through Climate Contract 2030 we strengthen our ambitions in continuing to be a responsible actor for a sustainable society for all,” says Johan Abrahamsson, chairman of the local government board in Mariestad.
Read more (In Swedish):
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34 w
Great collaboration.
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57 w
Wonderful to see collaboration in combating the climate crisis
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66 w
Amazing,the impact of hummingbirds coming together for the sake of our planet
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66 w
It is high time that we start actively engaging in the fight for our planet.
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67 w
Great to see them interested in combating climate change
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67 w
Great to see cities taking the climate crisis seriously!
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67 w
Mariestad is leading the way… again.
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67 w
This type of commitment and collaboration between municipalities, organizations, and government agencies is important in order to effectively address climate change and transition towards more sustainable communities.
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67 w
Very important to make the transition possible at the stated time. Collaborative efforts and collective responsibility.
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67 w
Great project, working together to find solutions for climate change is the way
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67 w
congrats!