Climate index for municipalities

The municipalities play a key role in work on climate change, and the 2007 climate index fortunately shows that the pace of this work has risen. Trollhättan comes top in the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation's ranking of the climate change work of municipalities, closely followed by Lidköping in second place and Olofström in third.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation published its first climate index study in 2005. The climate index has been compiled on the basis of a web survey containing questions on the work of Swedish municipalities on climate change. Seventy-two per cent of Sweden's municipalities responded. The replies were scored by the climate programme group at the Society's national office. The index is intended to provide a comprehensive picture of the municipalities' work on climate change, with special emphasis on targets and level of ambition. The municipalities were asked about the efforts they made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, climate change targets, action plans, energy, transport, procurement, physical planning, information provided to the municipal population and employees, education in schools, cooperation with the business community and measures taken to adapt to climate change.

Four out of the twelve municipalities that came highest in the 2007 index were among the top ten in 2005, which suggests that successful climate change work is relatively constant. The municipalities are significantly more proactive than Sweden as a country. On average they intend to reduce emissions by just under 30 per cent between 1990 and 2015, which can be compared with the national climate target of a four per cent reduction between 1990 and 2012. Twenty-three municipalities have targets in line with a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 40 per cent by 2020, which is the level the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation regards as sustainable in the long term as far as Sweden is concerned.

Fifty-seven per cent of municipalities have cross-sectoral climate change targets, an improvement of ten percentage points since 2005. In addition, a further 25 per cent of municipalities are on the way to adopting a climate change target. Sweden can present this as good practice internationally. Seventy-five per cent of municipalities have, or are planning, annual follow-ups of their climate change targets, which is crucially important as continuous improvements are needed to meet the long-term targets.

Sweden has made some progress towards integrating consideration of climate impact in the purchase of staff vehicles, as green cars account for more than 25 per cent of the total number of cars owned or leased by one in three municipalities. However, the municipalities’ follow-up with regard to fuel-efficient cars is significantly poorer. Remarkably few municipalities become involved in the way in which their employees travel to and from work, and two-thirds of municipalities are only working to some extent on alternative fuels in public transport or are not working on them at all. Few municipalities are forward-looking with regard to changing over from a policy on travel to a policy on communication. Only two municipalities use videoconferencing or teleconferencing to any great extent.

The municipalities have great opportunities to influence the energy switch by using renewable energy and taking energy efficiency initiatives. Nearly 80 per cent of municipalities have to a large extent converted to renewable energy in municipally owned premises, or are working towards doing so. In housing, 65 per cent have converted to renewable energy or are working towards doing so. The survey also shows that the municipalities are putting a great deal of effort into energy efficiency improvement in municipally owned premises and housing. These energy efficiency efforts are most intensive in non-residential premises and somewhat less intensive in housing.

Consumption has a clear impact on climate. Sweden’s municipalities make purchases to a value of just over SEK 150 billion every year. In view of this figure, it is remarkable that as many as 15-25 per cent of municipalities do not stipulate energy efficiency or climate requirements in their procurement.

Only seven per cent of municipalities have studied to any great extent how they will be affected by climate change and whether municipal activities need to be adapted accordingly. But a majority have started work on this and have in some way studied their degree of vulnerability.

The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is pleased by the progress made in the municipalities' climate change work and looks forward to discussing the index and trends in climate change work with municipalities and other parties concerned.