How Gothenburg became a blueprint for the sustainable city
Posted on: 19 May, 2025
Here’s how a Swedish city has become a shining example of a sustainable city and the future of the built environment.
Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden. Home to a population of just over 600,000, it’s some way behind the capital of Stockholm in size, and dwarfed by the likes of London, New York, Seoul, Delhi and Tokyo. With a GDP of €79.086 billion, it’s not a noteworthy city for its economy, either.
However, Gothenburg is famous for one thing – sustainability. After being named the most sustainable destination in the world seven years running by the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), it’s steadily built a reputation as a trailblazer for its environmental practices, and has become a popular tourist destination as a result.
So what makes Gothenburg such a sustainable location? And what could other cities and urban planners learn from its example?
Gothenburg’s journey to date
While Gothenburg lost its crown to the city of Helsinki, Finland in the latest GDSI ranking, it still came second ahead of other cities like Oslo, Copenhagen and Bergen, with a score of over 90%.
This reputation as a beacon of sustainability was not forged overnight. The city’s environmental initiatives were originally conceived at the turn of the millennium when planners began implementing forward-thinking initiatives for saving energy and reducing waste.
These gained momentum in the years that followed, and today the Swedish city has become synonymous with sustainability. As Katarina Thorstensson, a sustainability strategist in the city, noted in an interview, “Sustainability is in our DNA.”
What makes a city sustainable? Why Gothenburg remains a shining example
Cities around the world can learn from the example of Gothenburg. Here are some of the hallmarks of a sustainable city, and how Gothenburg has worked to address its environmental impact in each:
Transportation
Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to a city’s carbon footprint in urban environments. To overcome this, cities should strive to offer sustainable alternatives to options like private vehicle use and implement planning models that promote walking and cycling.
For several years, Gothenburg has been developing a Green City Zone, with the goal of implementing a climate-neutral and zero-emission transportation system by the end of the decade. To achieve this, it has invited organisations and researchers to develop new sustainable transport ideas through electrification, digitisation and automation.
Much of this European city also conforms to the 15-minute city urban planning concept, whereby residents have easy access by walking or cycling to crucial amenities. This also reduces the need for people to use vehicles, and lowers the amount of pollution in crowded city areas.
Energy
Despite occupying just 3% of the Earth’s surface, cities are responsible for 70% of global energy consumption, and 75% of all carbon emissions. As a result, heavy emphasis is being placed on cities to reduce their energy consumption and utilise renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
99% of Gothenburg’s public transportation runs on renewable energy, and it will be entirely free of fossil fuels by 2030. Göteborg Energi, the city’s energy company, is owned by Gothenburg, and define their goals as ‘creating sustainable and safe solutions in energy’ and working for ‘a more sustainable Gothenburg’.
Waste reduction and circularity
As the home of the biggest port in the Nordics, Gothenburg faced a significant challenge in addressing the amount of waste it produces. Resource wastage is a key contributor to global emissions, with food waste alone accounting for 8-10% of global annual carbon emissions and costing $1 trillion every year.
The circular economy is an economic system that promotes the reuse and regeneration of products and materials in an effort to reduce resource wastage and protect the environment.
Circularity is at the core of this Swedish city’s approach to sustainability. As part of its circular strategy, Gothenburg aims to:
- Reduce the climate impact of its purchases
- Encourage reuse and reduce waste
- Transition to a circular economy
As per Gothenburg’s waste management plan, the amount of waste per resident is to be reduced by 30%. What’s more, there are plans to reduce the climate impact from construction and renovation of buildings and other purchase (not including food) by 90% in 2030, compared to 2020. Eventually, Gothenburg will become a circular city.
Learn more: 5 circular business models (and how they can give you a competitive advantage)
Green bonds
Green bonds are financial investments used to fund projects that offer environmental benefits. They’re issued by public or private institutions and can cover a range of projects, from renewable energy to conservation and clean transportation.
In another example of how Gothenburg has been a trailblazer for sustainability, in 2013 the city became the first in the world to issue green bonds. These were available to eligible projects that:
- Mitigated climate changes, such as investment in low-carbon and clean technologies
- Adapted to climate change, including investment in climate-friendly growth
- Projects related to environmental sustainability
Green spaces
Green areas like parks and mini-forests aren’t just there to look pretty – they can also play a critical role in reducing emissions and improving quality of life.
Incorporating green elements into a city can combat noise pollution, offset carbon emissions, improve air quality and create habits for natural life, making them a must for any city that wants to be sustainable.
Gothenburg exemplifies this approach, offering an impressive 274sq m of green space per resident. One example of this is the 430-hectare Gothenburg botanical garden. Consisting of 16,000 species of plants and trees, it’s considered one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe.
Learn more: What is urban greening (and how is it creating the cities of the future)?
Final thoughts
As one of the greenest cities in the world, Gothenburg is an ideal blueprint for planners and sustainability professionals to take inspiration from, and an example of how a combined, collaborative effort to drive sustainable across multiple areas can lead to results.
Urban planning is an exciting field that has a pivotal role in the design and function of our cities and communities. If you want to have a part in helping the built environment realise a sustainable future, UCEM’s MSc Urban Planning will give you the knowledge, skills and technical understanding you need.
Find out more: MSc Urban Planning – University College of Estate Management
