Sweden’s sustainability champion Malmö is heading towards 100% renewable energy

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Renewable energy is derived from natural resources, which, unlike more traditional energy producing sources, will never exhaust. That is why, when it comes to the future of our planet and population, shifting to renewable energy sources is so critical. Most importantly, they emit neither greenhouse gases nor polluting emissions. They are clean sources of energy that have a much lower environmental impact.

When nonrenewable sources are converted into energy, they pollute the air and make the living condition on the planet significantly worse. Last month, a groundbreaking report was published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the body of the United Nations responsible for advancing knowledge on human-induced climate change. According to the report, despite efforts to mitigate the risks, human-caused climate change is causing serious and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people worldwide.

At the same time, the report stated that cities are ‘’hotspots of impacts and risks, but also a crucial part of the solution’’. Many municipal and local governments around the world are pushing the transition to clean energy. However, much more can and must be done in order to protect the lives of all living species and preserve biodiversity. Renewable energy is critical to achieving a low-carbon future. Immediate action is required to transition to 100 percent renewable energy and reduce the likelihood of reaching unrecoverable risks.

“Together, growing urbanisation and climate change create complex risks, especially for those cities that already experience poorly planned urban growth, high levels of poverty and unemployment, and a lack of basic services,” Debra Roberts said in the IPCC press release.

“But cities also provide opportunities for climate action – green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transport systems that connect urban and rural areas can all lead to a more inclusive, fairer society,” she further stated.

The energy transition is a process that implies the transformation of the global energy sector. In this regard, many European cities have already taken major steps to phase out fossil fuels. Malmö, Sweden’s third-largest city, carries the title of one of the European sustainability champions. Therefore, it is hardly a surprise to see that this Scandinavian city has also set up some of the most ambitious goals when it comes to the energy transition. Malmö’s goal is to have the entire city run entirely on renewable energy by 2030.

According to REN21, a multistakeholder governance group that is focused on renewable energy policy, Malmö intends to achieve its goal through a combination of renewable sources, waste-to-energy, and recycled energy. The city has highlighted the two most demanding sectors that must be addressed in order to meet the 2030 target: transportation and district heating. As part of its ambitious goal, the city plans to build five geothermal heat plants by 2028 to replace the use of biofuels and biogas for heat generation.

Malmö is constantly employing new solutions to expand and develop the city in a sustainable manner, which has also earned the city a reputation as one of the leaders in the field of innovations. The city is constantly looking for ways to reinvent itself and putting those ideas into action. Malmö’s outstanding efforts regarding renewable energy is maybe best portrayed by the city’s district of Västra Hamnen (Western Harbor). This is Sweden’s first climate-neutral city district where local energy production is integrated from the start.

Positioned on a former shipyard site directly beside the sea, Västra Hamnen is a shining example of a successful energy transition. According to Guidebook Sweden, the district’s energy supply is fully self-sufficient, relying entirely on wind, solar, and biogas. Solar panels and heat pumps, as well as seawater and groundwater, are used to heat or cool the buildings. This Malmö neighbourhood combines living, working, education, and leisure activities, and it is Scandinavia’s first project of its kind.

The use of fossil fuels is the leading source of air pollution in the world. Not properly addressing this issue could have serious consequences for climate change, water, and food security. In our rapidly changing world, cities can take a leading role in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future. The example of Malmö should inspire other cities around the world to invest in renewable energy and contribute to a more sustainable future.