The program focuses on sustainable waste management, presenting a complete waste and recycling system for an urban region with almost one million inhabitants.
We visit a globally advanced energy plant which acts as a living research project, continuously testing new methods for a smarter and cleaner waste management. We also examine the EU waste hierarchy and discuss producer responsibility for for efficient recycling of packages and products.
Circular economy is all about a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. Unlike in todays linear economy, in a circular economy we see everything as a resource for something else – waste doesn’t exist. How do business models need to change to suit a circular economy? What does this new way of thinking mean for the business community? How can profitable business models be combined with social and environmental responsibility? How can we design products right from the beginning, and do things even better, instead of just less bad?
City of Gothenburg will in the project IRIS, together with Utrecht and Nice, address to the urgent need to deliver energy and mobility services in a more sustainable way, and contribute to a more urban quality of life. For five years the project will continue to test and work with smart city solutions on many levels, and with different stakeholders in cooperation for the best added value.
Many cities around the world today have problems with poor air quality, and often it is the combination of heat and car exhaust that is the cause. The development of fossil-free transportation in cities of the future is critical. Umeå, has extremely innovative electric buses adapted to cold climates. Umeå’s goal is to have fossil-free city traffic by 2020.
New buildings use significantly less energy than existing buildings, which in turn can reduce their energy use with smart renovation methods. Umeå region has evolved as a hub for sustainable construction and management, and the interest in our work is great. Umeå’s objective is to become a world leader in sustainable construction by 2020.
