The role of the Swedish municipalities in the transition towards sustainable energy systems

Abstract

Climate change is affecting the planet on a global level and it is of vital importance that actors in the energy system work together to achieve political goals, such as the United Nations' goal which states that the global temperature increase should be kept far below 2 °C. There is a need of actions and collaboration throughout the society. The aim of this paper is to make visible the role of Swedish municipalities in the transition towards sustainable energy systems. The paper presents a study of some ongoing activities and collaborations for increased sustainability where municipalities play a clear role. The study focuses on three areas; (1) municipalities´ activities towards citizens and business community, (2) municipalities’ activities linked to collaboration with other actors, and (3) challenges related to these activities. The study is based on information from a literature search and interviews. Representatives from eight Swedish municipalities have been interviewed. The result shows that the municipalities are involved in various activities and collaborations. This is done via networks, projects, consulting, information dissemination, showing good examples, tryout activities and nudging. Some important challenges have been found. One of them is the transport sector and how to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Another is to consider that the Swedish energy system is spread over a large geographical area with different opportunities and limitations concerning electricity production and the sizes of the municipalities. Energy system measures and policy programs need to consider these differences to minimize the risk for sub-optimal energy-system measures. A third challenge is the lack of time and resources within the municipalities to engage enough in energy and climate issues.