Stockholm, which promotes itself as the Capital of Scandinavia, can now also add the slogan Green Capital of Europe, after the announcement of the European Commission last year.
“It is a great honour. A lot is happening in cities around Europe and the rest of the world, which is very inspiring, but the fact that we are the first city to be awarded is very flattering and a proof that we are on the right way.” said Mr. Olle Zetterberg, CEO of Stockholm Business Region, the investment promotion company for Stockholm.
The European Green Capital Award is an initiative to promote and reward the role that local authorities play in improving the environment, and their high level of commitment to genuine progress. Starting in 2010, one European city will be selected each year as the European Green Capital of the year. During 2010, Stockholm will be the first European Green Capital. It was also announced that Hamburg will be Green Capital 2011.
Said Mr. Zetterberg: “Stockholm’s reputation is high in these matters. Ranking lists puts us practically every time in a top position when it comes to environment and quality of life.”
“Before, we got a lot of study groups from both public and private sector visiting for example Hammarby Sjöstad, one of the world’s top sustainable urban development projects. But the Green Capital prize has further increased the international interest, not at least in investment matters.”
The cleantech cluster of Stockholm consists of some 2,500 companies and the market is a fast-grower. New infrastructure for €20 billion is on its way, and combined with 80,000 planned apartments it is attracting investors, construction, consultants and ICT companies to Stockholm.
The Green Capital Award comes as a bonus for Stockholm, but the award was preceded by a careful review, including everything from water protection plans, to public transport and work against fossil fuel emissions. Stockholm was considered the front-runner in all of the categories.
The EU Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: “I congratulate Stockholm and Hamburg for their efforts in giving priority to the environment and quality of life. Four out of five Europeans now live in urban areas, and that is where the environmental challenges facing our society are most apparent. With their measures to tackle air pollution, traffic and congestion levels, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste water management, Stockholm and Hamburg can act as role models for the rest of Europe.”
The City of Stockholm considers the prize as motivator for private and public partnerships in cleantech and sustainable urban development to further develop innovation and terms of collaboration.
“The prize is a good indicator that we are doing the right thing, right now, and not just leaning on previous successes. We have a strong R&D heritage which is essential for the progress, for the international competiveness of the private sector as well as the public sector. Important institutions such as Karolinska Institutet, Royal Institute of Technology and the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala are great stakeholders in our part of contributing in shaping the society of the future,” said Mr Olle Zetterberg.
For more information www.stockholmbusinessregion.com; invest@sbr.stockholm.se
