Matosinhos becomes the first UN Resilience Hub in Portugal
The city joins the Province of Potenza (Italy) as the newest role models for the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative
By building plus energy houses and retrofitting banks, Stockholm says this is mission possible
Stockholm is undergoing a veritable construction boom in recent years, so any local talk about mitigating climate change might sound somewhat cynical.
Well, think twice before you agree. Stockholm has long championed sustainability in line with the Swedish society’s nature respecting mind set. More than half of Sweden’s national energy supply comes from renewables. The country has set itself ambitious goals to achieve fossil fuel-free transport by 2030 and zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. And Swedish construction companies choose not to play truant, finding climate-saving ways to build new homes and offices that are both beautiful and energy-efficient.
In 2014 Stockholm City launched a competition with a focus on aesthetics and energy consumption. Competition winner Stockholmshem, Stockholm's largest housing company, commissioned Swedish construction group Skanska to bring its climate-smart vision to life. The trailblazing development Backåkra 2, now complete, is the brainchild of architect Kjellander Sjöberg. It consists of two tenement buildings, known as plus energy houses. Both buildings are unique in many ways but most notably - they produce more energy than they can use, so they can sell the surplus on the electricity grid.
Skanska is not alone. JM AB, another Stockholm developer, now boasts buildings that use, on average, 50 percent less energy than they did ten years ago. Today all JM´s ongoing construction projects are “Svanen-certified” – the construction business’ equivalent to Michelin’s stars, awarded for the use of climate-smart materials. According to JM’s Kjell-Åke Henriksson, climate-friendliness is not necessarily tantamount to higher construction costs. Rather, he argues, prioritizing energy-efficiency and climate-friendly materials pays off in the long run.
And the answer by Swedish real estate company Vasakronan which is aware of the immense climate-impact of concrete, is simple: renovate. Currently the company is retrofitting the shell of Sergelhuset, the old offices of SEB, in the heart of Stockholm, adding solar panels and rooftop gardens.
Housing is not the only sphere where Stockholm’s construction companies apply strict climate standards. The recently-completed Office One, an office space built for minimum energy waste at the Stockholm Arlanda international airport, is an example. The site of this project was not chosen randomly - Stockholm Arlanda is one of just 30 airports in the world to have earned a top score on the global carbon management programme Airport Carbon Accreditation.
Peace and quiet in Baroque surroundings
The mayor of Stanz im Mürztal is building a renewable energy cooperative and it comes with a whole new economic model
The focus will be on solidarity, sustainability and green development, as well as on social development and security in the city
According to the Eurostat report, women are significantly more educated than men in the EU
The Irish Environment Protection Agency released an updated map of affected regions in the country
The story of Dortmund’s 2011 Science City Masterplan and how it grew in the new decade
It involves strategically placed pictograms on the pedestrian crossings
Never too early to fall in love with soft mobility
100 trees will take the place of 100 parking spaces in this Belgian town
According to the Eurostat report, women are significantly more educated than men in the EU
It involves strategically placed pictograms on the pedestrian crossings
The Irish Environment Protection Agency released an updated map of affected regions in the country
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre
A talk with the Mayor of Malmö on the occasion of the city’s UN Resilience Hub status