Former Stockholm Mayor König Jerlmyr: The future belongs to the cities
Anna König Jerlmyr is renowned for her impactful term as the Mayor of Stockholm from 2018 to 2022. Under her leadership, the city gained international recognition as the world’s most sustainable city in 2022, thanks to her pioneering sustainability initiatives and innovative Smart City projects. Her tenure was marked by transformative changes in areas ranging from digital innovation and economic recovery post-Covid-19, to gender equality in tech and immigration policies.
König Jerlmyr served as the mayor from 2018 until October last year. Her earlier political career included a term as a member of the Riksdag from 2006 to 2010, after which, she took responsibility for social affairs in the Stockholm Municipality from 2010 to 2014. From 2014 to 2018, she served as the leader of the opposition in Stockholm.
Mayors of Europe recently had the opportunity to talk with the former Mayor of Stockholm and touch upon a broad range of topics. In this extensive interview, we delve into her experiences and insights gained during her tenure as Mayor, discussing everything from pioneering sustainability initiatives to innovative Smart City projects.
Your mandate as Mayor of Stockholm was very successful and recognized as one of the top five mayors in Europe in 2021. What do you consider to be your most significant achievement during your time as Mayor?
I would say that my main legacy is that I showed how cities can contribute in a result-oriented way and how solutions and innovations can solve the climate crisis. We were awarded the most sustainable city in the world in 2022, and one of the reasons was that we demonstrated how policy can be combined with action. Strategic plans such as becoming climate neutral by 2030 as part of the EU’s viable cities initiative, combined with a yearly climate budget with clear climate targets, showcased that we could walk the talk. Additionally, bringing data closer to the decision table and supporting the city as a living testbed for innovation were significant steps. For me, as a mayor, you need the data and the researchers to measure the result of your policies. “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” I always say.
What were the key factors that contributed to Stockholm earning the title of the world’s smartest city?
For me, a smart city helps the city develop better services for when and where a service is needed and how to prioritize. For instance, when a waste bin is full and needs to be emptied, not just being emptied once a week through a routine schedule.
We had programs with multi-sensors that could measure heat, noise pollution, air quality in real-time through the Senseable City Lab Stockholm that I initiated together with MIT and KTH. We also used AI, together with sensors, in our drinking water system to monitor the quality of the water in real-time, detect bacteria, and potential leakage.
Another initiative was to connect properties with sensors that could reduce energy consumption and lower the heat, including ventilation and connected freezers and fridges in the schools. This saved costs, created a better indoor environment for groups like students and teachers, and also saved energy.
Smart traffic lights are another example we introduced, with 40 percent better accessibility for public transport. It also improved air quality since it reduced congestion. But also within FoodTech, we could see great solutions with urban fish farms with digitally monitored water and lighting. There are no limits to the possibilities that a digital and data-driven city will bring.
Every city now finds new smart digital ways to create better services for their citizens, and I am certain that AI, sensors, and satellites will create even more low-cost, smart, and better services for the future. Personally, I look forward to when we can use solar power in space to create renewable energy on Earth.
As the former vice-chair of C40, what do you believe are the most pressing climate issues facing cities today? What role do you see cities playing in achieving global climate goals?
The most pressing climate issue is still the dependence on oil, gas, and other fossil fuels. If the cities around the world can’t transform to fossil-free and renewable energy systems, it will be a disaster. But there is hope. Los Angeles approved a new ordinance that immediately bans new oil and gas extraction and requires sites to stop production within 20 years. And even in cities as Beijing in China, you can see that the proportion of coal in the city’s total energy consumption has dropped to around 1.5 percent in 2022, compared with 13.7 percent in 2015. We still need to accelerate the change and stop subsidizing fossil fuels and energy, but more cities are introducing policies for a green transformation.
I would say that cities are committed to delivering their fair share of halving emissions by 2030. By the end of 2022, a significant majority of C40 cities had a climate action plan aligned with the 1.5-degree ambition of the Paris Agreement.
Cities can strengthen the adaptation to climate change through presenting climate risk reports on extreme heat and flooding, and of course also mitigate the emissions through fossil-free energy, more circular management of waste and materials, and also rewilding parts of the cities and introducing greener and more bio-diverse public spaces.
You have worked on energy solutions at the World Economic Forum. Could you talk about some of these solutions and their potential impacts on cities?
The World Economic Forum is such a great forum for sharing knowledge and best practices. And they also value the potential impact cities can contribute. Cities house more than half of the people in the world and account for more than two-thirds of global CO2 emissions.
One example is the innovative district heating network that connects almost 90 percent of buildings in Stockholm. This is applicable to cities with access to innovative energy sources and can reduce their carbon emissions; it’s relatively low-cost and highly efficient.
Buildings can also play a key role in combating climate change. Construction and the operation of buildings are responsible for 38 percent of global emissions. Connecting buildings through sensors is a very efficient way of reducing energy consumption.
We see so many examples of energy storage now as well, one of my favorite examples comes from a Finnish company that even found a way to store energy from solar and wind into sand silos, functioning like a sand battery. The sand battery stores heat for use weeks or even months later. It works by converting the captured renewable electricity into hot air by using an industrial version of a standard resistive heating element, then directing the hot air into the sand.
As an advocate for equal pay, how are you leveraging technology to address this issue in your current role at Pihr? In what ways do you believe local governments can promote equal pay and gender equality more broadly?
Gender pay gaps can be a result of a range of factors, including differences in job roles, seniority, education, and experience. However, they can also be a result of bias, discrimination, and unequal opportunities. I am engaged in Pihr because I really want to release the full potential of women in the labour market in Europe. We need to close the gender pay gap if we want to attract talents and be competitive for the future in Europe. And being a strong supporter of Stockholm as a women’s place when I was a mayor, this is a natural commitment for me after politics. This is actually a policy with a lot of principles that both the city and large companies have signed. It’s not only a campaign; it’s an agreement between the city and the companies that we strive for equality in the workplace. This is something that other cities can be inspired by.
I think that we will see a huge shift in addressing the gender pay gap in the coming years with the directive from the EU that requires EU companies to share information about how much they pay women and men for work of equal value, and take action if their gender pay gap exceeds 5 percent. This is needed since the pay gap is still high within the EU, and the pension gap is even higher.
With Pihr’s pay equity platform, companies can easily identify and resolve pay gaps and ensure fair compensation for their employees. The arguments that this will create a lot of bureaucracy can now easily be faced with the fact that there are AI-based solutions that will shorten the time to produce equal pay audits by over 90 percent. With my engagement in Pihr, I can sleep well at night knowing I am a part of investing in female leadership potential.
How can local governments effectively work with tech companies to achieve sustainability and equality goals?
They can collaborate with tech companies that can create more data-driven insights to measure progress in different areas. For example, working with companies like Pihr. One area I think cities will use more and more is the prop-tech sector that could help cities with standards on how to measure climate impacts for any construction projects, from feasibility studies to the production phase, and finally delivering the climate declaration. By using software in all projects and phases, the results are comparable and bring new opportunities to reduce the climate impact.
But we can also find new ways of collaboration. I initiated a collaboration with C40 and Minecraft, as I wanted to engage more young students in school to participate in creating solutions on climate. We had a project with the schools where the students could present and later be awarded for the best climate solution. But the real impact was to engage so much more youth than using the traditional youth council. My thesis was to be where the children are and to try to reach more voices, especially those who never would get engaged in a youth council from the beginning.
What are some innovative strategies or tools that you think cities should use to achieve their sustainability goals? Can you share an example of a successful partnership between a city and a private company for sustainable development?
Stockholm has a Climate Pact with companies that want to contribute to the city’s climate goals. During 2021 and beyond, a group of climate pact members are working together to accelerate the implementation of low carbon solutions for urban deliveries and logistics.
Across Europe, the rapid growth of internet retail and the onset of the pandemic has led to increasing demand for home deliveries and urban logistics. Many cities, private companies, and other stakeholders are experimenting with new methods, techniques, and business models in an attempt to meet this demand.
Individual and shared challenges may be relatively simple to address in the short-medium term through new measures or cooperation, with the city playing a facilitation role. Examples include,
Encouraging city-owned companies or other company clients to install charging points for service vehicles or delivery vans. Investigating if companies can share charging points at terminals, or work to launch new micro-terminals enabling last mile delivery of refrigerated produce to shops or customers using cargo bikes or light electric vehicles.
How do you evaluate the impact of sustainability initiatives? What key metrics do you look at?
We use our climate budget and of course, also the climate action plan with clear targets that are followed closely. CO2 emissions of course, where we measure tonnes per inhabitant, but also measures of air quality, fuels and transport, work machines, energy use in buildings, heating, oil burnings in buildings, district heating, biodiversity etc. The long term goal in our plans is to set the maximum atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide at 19 million tons during 2020-2040.
Can you discuss some of the smart city projects that were implemented in Stockholm during your tenure?
Stockholm was awarded for implementing 12 smart solutions in a city development project called Grow Smarter. The main challenge in sustainable districts and built environment is to reduce energy use, environmental impact, and carbon footprint. Our existing stock of buildings in cities plays a major role in energy consumption.
Modern houses are highly energy efficient, but one third of Europe´s housing stock was built between 1950 and 1970 when the technologies and material used now had yet been developed. By refurbishing these older buildings using new construction techniques, the amount of energy they use can be reduced by up to 75 percent.
Construction materials make up to 30-40 percent of goods moved around the cities. A centralised logistic depot in Stockholm helped cut emissions associated with these journeys drastically, allowing materials to be moved in the most efficient way possible. And of course, use as many electric vehicles as possible.
By investing in local energy production and storage, cities will be able to make up localised energy shortfalls and even out peaks and drops in demand.
Other examples were smart lighting with LED and sensors that allow lampposts to dim when nobody is around and brighten up as people approach. But the lampposts were also communications hubs and EV charging points. We also used new business models for district heating and cooling, using waste heat from data centres and supermarkets and reusing it to heat apartment blocks.
This and much more were factors that made us the smartest city in the world.
How do you think the concept of “smart cities” contributes to sustainable development? How did these smart city initiatives impact the lives of Stockholm’s residents?
Without the collaboration and innovation with other stakeholders and this type of open mindset to test new solutions, we will never reach our goal to be a smart city. We need the smart city to foster development and progress, often with digitalisation and data-driven decisions.
I think this is a very important question, because we need to tell the story to the citizens what all of this brings. All these programs and projects actually lead to reduced congestion, noise pollution and CO2 emissions and improved health and living environment for the citizens, and create jobs at the same time. And of course, it can also reduce the cost of energy for the household, and make it more affordable to live. We know for a fact through many studies that those who bicycle to work reduce the risk for cancer and that people who spend time in nature increase their mental wellbeing. All these factors give positive effects for the citizens.
As an advisory board member at AGV Invest, can you discuss the role of proptech in promoting sustainability and decarbonisation in the real estate industry? How do you see the role of investment in prop-tech startups in achieving sustainable development goals?
For me, these entrepreneurs can showcase so many innovations as circular solutions to reuse material in the property sector, or to find the most efficient low carbon material for the construction sector. And to calculate the real climate impact calculations for buildings. I see so much potential in the solutions that come with the prop- and contech market. But they can also find new business models for affordable housing. For me, investing and engaging in AGV Invest makes me feel that I really contribute to the sustainable development goals.
What are some key challenges and opportunities you see in the intersection of technology, sustainability, and city governance?
Key challenges are that investing in solutions for energy saving, bringing other stakeholders to the table, or investing new material could be associated with both cost up front and risk. You need brave leaders that fully support and stand behind the new type of leadership that can foster collaboration and a mutual commitment for the common mission and vision.
The opportunities are to have a healthy city and planet for next generations to grow up in. And at the same time facilitating new innovations that can bring jobs, export possibilities, and growth, green growth.
Looking forward, what key actions do you believe cities need to take to become truly sustainable and smart?
We have talked about the importance of transforming cities to be fossil free and climate neutral, but one other tool that can bring great impact is the cities’ procurement. Cities should use their purchasing power to demand sustainable solutions in everything they procure, from the vehicles they use, to the food they serve in the schools to the furniture they use in their buildings. Ask and demand for sustainable and circular solutions. Only less than 9 percent of the material is reused or circular. We need to believe and work for a zero waste society and I am convinced that it’s in the city that this change can start.
I would also stress that circularity is a must for the future since many cities still produce too much waste, and that investments in mobility for pedestrians and cyclists are necessary together with an efficient public transport system.
And to stay smart, collaborate with the industry, the ecosystem of entrepreneurs and academia and have an open mindset and a brave leader, then I am certain that cities around the world will be both smart and sustainable. To be honest, the future belongs to the cities, not the nation states.
