CLUE - Climate-neutral city districts in Europe

Reducing cities’ negative climate impacts is key to the ambition of creating climate-neutral cities. Stockholm aims to be fossil fuel-free, and similar goals exist throughout Europe. To achieve this, new urban development projects such Stockholm Royal Seaport, have been given the task of acting as a forerunner and role model for sustainable urban development focused on reduced climate impact.

Purpose and goal

The purpose of the project was to discuss and share experiences, innovations, and strategies for creating climate-neutral cities. A number of case studies and best practice were discussed relating to:

• legal issues
• citizen engagement and participation
• instruments
• technology systems for heating, cooling, and energy efficiency, and traffic planning

The goal was to create a shared vision around climate-neutral city districts and develop strategies to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of working methods.

Results and experiences

A guide with good examples from cities and regions for reducing climate impact was produced. The guide provides support to local and regional decision-makers working on climate issues.

The CLUE project showed that achieving climate neutrality requires cross-administrative and corporate co-operation, involving many stakeholders learning from each other. Climate neutrality requires integrated system solutions, engagement from all involved parties, strong political will, and an increased ability to think holistically and identify relevant business models.