Stockholm: green city, national parks and right of access to nature
The "right of everyone"(allemansrätt) allows everyone in Sweden to roam freely in nature - in public spaces and on private property - and to pick berries and mushrooms. This customary right bears witness to a conception of nature as a shared heritage, which is also found in Stockholm. The city's urbanization has managed to accommodate the living environment, with 95% of its inhabitants living within 300 meters of a green space. In 1995, the capital also created the world's first urban national park, the Royal Urban National Park (Kungliga nationalstadsparken), also known as Ekoparken. Covering an area of 27 km2, it includes three royal parks (Djurgården, Hagaparken and Ulriksdalsn) and extends into the municipalities surrounding the capital. A popular destination for Stockholmers, it can be reached on foot, by bike or by public transport (bus, streetcar and boat). Tyresta National Park, also accessible by public transport, is home to an old-growth forest and a popular hiking destination for city dwellers.
A carbon positive city by 2030
Sweden is suffering the effects of global warming, with annual temperatures rising at twice the global average. In 2018, the country experienced an unprecedented heat wave, resulting in severe drought and forest fires, and the need to import grain. In the capital, it's been one snow-free Christmas after another. But the city, which hosted the first United Nations conference on the environment in 1972 (followed by the Stockholm Declaration) took concrete steps early on to embark on the ecological transition. The 1970s were a time of growing environmental awareness, with the publication of the Meadows report (The Limits to Growth), but also the first oil crisis. It was at this time that Sweden initiated a proactive policy to limit its dependence on fossil fuels. This was partly based on the development of renewable energies (hydroelectricity, biomass, waste, wind power). A carbon tax was also introduced in 1991. 90% of the city's buildings are connected to district heating networks (mainly fuelled by biomass and waste), and 36% of its buses ran on biogas in 2015. The Hammarby Sjöstad eco-neighborhood in the city's southeast is based on energy-efficient buildings and an underground vacuum waste collection system, which has eliminated the need for vehicle collection. In 2020, Stockholm was voted "world's smartest city" for its implementation of the European "GrowSmarter" project, which includes the renovation of the Valla Torg district, based on "smart grids", connected networks enabling real-time management of waste, heating and mobility. Stockholm Royal Seaport is an eco-district project scheduled for completion in 2030. It involves the redevelopment of a brownfield site into an "intelligent", energy-efficient residential district. The city of Stockholm intends to use technological innovations to pool its networks, optimize the management of its district heating and heat 10% of its homes by recovering heat from its data centers. The city even intends to become carbon neutral by 2045.
Improving the quality of freshwater and the Baltic Sea
Agricultural discharges contribute to the eutrophication of rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea, where "dead zones" can be observed. An enclosed, shallow sea, the Baltic suffers from pollution from the various countries that border it. In addition to agricultural pollution, there are industrial and shipping discharges. The Helsinki Convention, which brings together the 9 countries bordering the Baltic, has set up a concerted action program for the period 2007-2021 to combat pollution and protect the sea's biodiversity.
Towards more sobriety
The country recycles 99% of its waste, thanks to an advanced circular economy approach and financial incentives. A shopping mall dedicated solely to the sale of second-hand products has also sprung up an hour's train ride from the capital. This trend is akin to Lagom, a certain art of living based on the "happy medium" and sobriety. The köpskam, or "shame of buying", has also made its appearance in a country where the consumer society is still very much alive.
Soft mobility
Stockholm is accessible by train and bicycle. The capital boasts over 750 km of cycle paths. It is crossed by EuroVelo 10, the Baltic cycle route, a signposted European cycle route accessible to all. Public transport and intermodality are also well developed in the Swedish capital. Stockholm introduced a congestion charge after a referendum in 2006, and has seen a significant drop in road traffic and fine-particle pollution. Flygskam, or "the shame of flying", developed in the wake of the Paris climate agreements. More than an emotion, the term describes an attitude based on the desire to combat global warming, followed by action. In recent years, Sweden has seen a significant increase in rail travel and a drop in domestic flights, also due to other factors, such as the taxation of airline tickets in 2018. Thanks to investments since 2022, it has been possible to travel from Stockholm to Berlin by night train for 16 hours.
Greta, a leading figure in climate activism
Finally, we can't conclude this chapter without mentioning the young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who initiated theFridays for the Future climate strikes in 2018, drawing a whole section of the world's youth into her wake. The young Swedish activist, who lives in Stockholm, has also set up a foundation that supports projects around the world. In 2022, together with over 600 young people, she filed a complaint against the Swedish government for climate inaction.
