Stockholm highlights its climate credentials with a high-level forum

It will be fifty years since the UN’s first-ever climate conference took place - also in that city

Stockholm+50 is the name of a high-level event, which will take place in the Swedish capital 1-3 June as a commemoration of the 1972 UN Conference, which was the first such to focus on environmental issues paving the way for later climate summits.

As part of the larger event, the City of Stockholm is inviting local governments from across the globe to take part in the Cities Stockholm+50 forum. With this event, 2022 is shaping to be a major year for Sweden in terms of international formats on the subject of sustainability and climate effort as seen from the urban angle. Recently, Malmo hosted the ICLEI World Congress 2021-2022 and another Swedish city, Helsingborg is preparing to inaugurate its H22 City Expo mega event (30 May -3 July).

Stockholm is leading the charge on sustainable transition

Cities Stockholm+50 forum will take place at The City Hall on 1 June and will focus on: emissions in the construction and food sector, sustainable city planning, civic engagement and technological solutions.

Mayors from a dozen international cities have already expressed willingness to attend: Athens, Budapest, Milan, Cape Town, Helsinki, Riga and more. CEOs from Ingka Group, Microsoft, Northvolt, Skanska and Sodexo are some of the corporate representatives. 

There will also be participants from the academic world as well as from international organizations, such as Maimunah Mohd Sharif, CEO of UN Habitats, Johan Rockström - the Manager of one of the world's leading centres for climate and sustainability research, and Bertrand Piccard - the adventurer who was the first to fly around the world in a solar powered plane.

Reflecting on her city’s climate credentials, Mayor Anna König Jerlmyr stated:

“Stockholm has hosted international climate meetings for more than 50 years. We are at the forefront when it comes to green conversion, cooperation with the private sector, and electrification. Since two-thirds of global energy consumption and emissions take place in cities, we must tackle this challenge from a holistic perspective together with mayors from other countries, as well as corporations and experts. Only together can we build the sustainable cities of tomorrow”.