A country that consistently places in the world’s top 10 happiest citizens and which created allemansratten, the concept that it’s everyone’s right to roam free among nature, it is not surprising that Europe’s most sustainable city is located in Sweden. In Gothenburg, the country’s second city, sustainability is so much a part of the infrastructure that the Global Destinations Sustainability Index has named it the world’s most sustainable destination for the past four years running, and it also recently won European Capital of Smart Tourism for 2020.
1. A total transformation
A city which, pre mid-1980s, was a dreary and highly polluted port, residents and local government have been determinedly cleaning up the city and reinventing it’s reputation over the years, and the transformation is incredible. Creative mediums such as art, music and cuisine initiated the new Gothenburg and it has now become a thriving cultural and sustainable location.
Two key elements of this transformation were the improvement of air and also water quality, and naturally this led to sustainability becoming an essential aspect of the city. Nowadays, around 65 per cent of the city’s transport runs on renewable energy, buses to and from the airport run on renewable fuels, there are plenty of pedestrian and cycle networks, and almost every hotel has received an environmental diploma, which includes strict rules that must be followed.
2. Sustainable infrastructure
A prime example is Gothia Towers, Europe’s largest hotel, which encompasses 1,200 rooms and five restaurants yet constantly strives to be increasingly sustainable; the entire hotel is fuelled by wind power (equating to the output of two wind turbines), and around 94 per cent of its total waste is recycled. Kitchen waste is composted, digested and converted into bio-gas, which is used to fuel the restaurants’ cookers, and hazardous chemicals have largely been removed from the hotel’s day-to-day running.
This is an impressive achievement for a hotel of its size, and these efforts are continued throughout the city. Several restaurants, such as vRa, Natur and Gaveriet, are leading the way in sustainable cuisine, sourcing local and organic products and supporting local producers. Fashion in Gothenburg also follows this conscious effort to be sustainable, with shops such as Nudie Jeans, which makes organic only cotton jeans, offers free repairs and sells pre-loved jeans, and Atacac, which showcases its items digitally and sells clothing which is priced and produced according to demand, in order to minimise waste.
3. A lesson in sustainability
Gothenburg is a city of innovation and inspiration, where social and ecological sustainability are equally important. Sweden has created a healthy and sustainable environment in its second city, which we can learn a lot from. Although visiting Gothenburg of course does not cancel out carbon emissions, it does show us viable solutions for living sustainably, and that in itself is invaluable. The world still has a lot to learn when it comes to taking steps towards sustainability and changing our environment, and our lives, in order to protect the planet for future generations, and Gothenburg is a great place to start.
