- When we talk to international colleagues, they are surprised by our work. The scope of this initiative is unprecedented in the world. But much work remains, and now we will focus on scaling up and implementing concrete measures in the cities, and a lot will happen during the year, says Lars Johansson.

Tough goals drive action

A central part of the Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative is that the stakeholders together contribute to the faster scaling up of solutions, working methods, and learning, both within Sweden and internationally. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with the EU's mission for climate-neutral cities, the EU Cities Mission. A central part of the work is the Climate Contract 2030, which is a process where the cities, together with six authorities, accelerate the transition.

- To participate in the initiative, your city must have the ambition to become climate neutral by 2030. It is a tough goal, but tough goals are needed for the transition to happen. Each city must also develop a climate roadmap, which outlines what they will do to reach the goal, including which emission reductions are significant and should be prioritized. This also includes the city looking at the financing of the transition, says Lovisa Vildö, Innovation and Process Leader at RISE, who also works at the Viable Cities program office.

An example of how a city is working is Lund. Here, the city has identified that transportation and agriculture are the largest sources of emissions, and therefore they will work with targeted measures such as sustainable travel to and from schools, as well as the reuse of building materials, energy efficiency of street lighting, and super cycle paths that are bike lanes through the entire city center. In collaboration with the neighboring municipality of Lomma and SLU Alnarp, Lund is also exploring strategies for increased carbon sequestration in both the municipality's own and privately-owned agricultural land.
RISE contributes in Lund with expertise on the efficient use of energy and power at the neighborhood level, for example by looking at how energy communities can function in the local energy system. Additionally, RISE also supports the mobility area, including parking issues and by creating its own green travel plan.

At first glance, it may seem like isolated measures, but all parts work towards the larger goal within the city, says Lars Johansson.

- Within Climate Neutral Cities 2030, we also support cities in governance innovation. This means leadership, management, and organization where the entire city transitions, including both the municipality and all other actors operating there. Otherwise, there is a risk of only carrying out isolated projects that may not lead to any significant results in the end, he says and continues:

- For example, it involves establishing transition teams and transition arenas to strengthen the capacity to work more horizontally and with network governance to meet the complex challenge that the climate transition entails. In this change work, RISE contributes with capacity in change management (how to create mandates and orchestrate change with, for example, boundary-spanning and interstitial leadership).

Different conditions require different solutions

An important part of Climate Neutral Cities 2030 is the wide range of municipalities with partners involved. All have different conditions for succeeding with the transition and how it should be done. The lessons learned are shared between the cities.

- A good example is Ulricehamn, which aims to create a sustainable everyday life for its residents and develop the business sector while working on the climate transition. Ulricehamn has a large proportion of subcontractors to the industry in West Sweden, such as larger companies that demand increased sustainability efforts from their suppliers. Through local climate agreements, municipalities can both support and mobilize companies in the transition. Our work strengthens the municipality's business sector in the long term, which is positive, says Lars Johansson.

RISE's broad expertise – a strength in Viable Cities

RISE is part of the Viable Cities board and staffs part of the program office. Additionally, RISE participates in about ten local transition teams. The latter are working groups that drive the transition work forward at the local level in the various cities.

- The transition teams are composed based on the needs of the specific municipality and region. At RISE, we have thousands of experts in various fields, ranging from energy and materials to mobility, sustainable construction, and water issues, among others. They become a very good resource in this context, as experts and system actors who help to keep the whole together and see the significance for the entire initiative in each city," explains Lovisa Vildö and continues:

- One of the advantages of us at RISE is precisely the ability to look up and find synergies and see the big picture, so we work more efficiently and smarter together with the cities. The lessons and knowledge developed within Viable Cities are spread across Sweden and even Europe and the rest of the world.

- It is a fantastic export opportunity for Sweden to spread the experiences and lessons learned within Climate Neutral Cities 2030 to other countries and their cities. The context, with the network and knowledge that exists here, is an enabler for a transition and development that contributes to Swedish expertise being in demand and contributing to a good life for everyone within the planet's boundaries. By scaling up the initiative in Sweden, and we believe that all 290 municipalities can and want to participate, we contribute to a faster transition from the local to the global," concludes Lars Johansson and Lovisa Vildö.

* A boundary crosser is a person who has understanding and knowledge of different contexts such as academia, the public sector, and business, with the ability to cross real or imagined boundaries

>> More about Viable Cities 

>> Please contact maja.manner@ri.se for more information on how RISE kan support your city or municipality in the transition work. 

By 2050, all buildings in the EU should be zero emission buildings, i.e. with very high energy performance and very low fossil fuel emissions. This is the overall goal of the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The directive sets stricter requirements than before, but leaves it up to each member state to decide, within certain limits, what regulations to introduce.

"In practice, the focus is on carbon dioxide emissions. And a very important piece of the puzzle is the energy use of the buildings, which means that measures are needed for the building envelope as well as for heating and ventilation," says Lisa Löfving, Business Development Manager for Energy at RISE.

"At the same time, it is not as simple as identifying what needs to be done to comply with the EU directive and then implementing it.

"As a property owner, there are many other things to consider. In addition to the EU directives, you have to take into account things like Sweden's own national climate targets, the technical conditions of the building, economic aspects and - last but not least - the fact that the property must provide a good indoor environment for those who will use it as a home or workplace," she says.

She gives a simple example of the choice of whether or not to replace windows. In terms of energy efficiency, it is often worthwhile replacing old windows with new, modern models.

"But how good is it from a resource point of view to get new windows and throw away the old ones? That's where the environmental aspect comes in from a different direction, and it's a matter of assessing whether, for example, it might be better to carry out a renovation that achieves a certain level of energy efficiency than to replace the windows completely," says Lisa Löfving.

The EPBD brings new challenges

This is a complex situation to deal with, but it is not new - and there are established methods for calculating costs and impacts. But the stricter EPBD brings new challenges, says Peter Ylmén, who researches sustainable buildings at RISE.

"It is now important to include new parameters, such as carbon dioxide emissions from the materials used in the building. "In the end, there will be a lot of data to manage," he says.

The next step is no less challenging, he says:

"The final trade-off between, say, environmental, economic and social aspects is not something that can be calculated. Even if you do energy efficiency calculations, life cycle analyses, investment projections and take social aspects into account, it is still only a basis for decision-making. To make the decision, you need the ability and expertise to weigh up the different results," says Peter Ylmén.

Own electricity production

However, the energy issue does not have to be all about consumption, as it is also possible to set up your own renewable electricity production - something that is also addressed in the EPBD.

"Many property owners are investing in solar panels and batteries, and this is often a very profitable investment. This is especially true for those with a larger property portfolio, where the electricity can also be used in the summer when there is less need for heating," says Lisa Löfving.

She also notes that there are rapid developments in the field, including Svenska kraftnät, which makes it easier for property owners to make their battery available for so-called support services to balance the electricity grid.

Innovations that can simplify the complex energy issue are also coming in other areas, Peter Ylmén points out.

"For example, we see a lot happening in ventilation and heat recovery, but above all we will benefit greatly from developments in digital readings via sensors in buildings that can be combined with digital models, so-called digital twins," he says.

Energy mapping required

"The basic requirement for a property owner is to have a complete and up-to-date energy audit," says Lisa Löfving.

"The building should be reviewed from an energy point of view, taking into account all possible aspects. This should then lead to a maintenance plan with both short and long-term perspectives," she says.

Navigating these issues can be complicated and is something that many property owners need help with.

"At RISE we have a very broad range of expertise in this area. We have expertise in all aspects of climate and energy issues in buildings - we help property owners with everything from assessing the current situation and the need for action, to exploring new solutions and follow-up. This enables us to see the big picture and help with the complex issues that can arise," says Peter Ylmén.

Many industries are grappling with how to adapt their operations to a circular economy. The construction and real estate sector, which is responsible for around a fifth of Sweden's climate impact, is one of them.

However, this is not new to the sector; for example, a higher degree of re-use of building materials has been on the table for some time, but the way to get there has proved to be fraught with challenges.

"It is a question of both market and technical aspects. A fundamental parameter for enabling a transition is that there is demand. Otherwise it will be difficult to motivate investment in supply," says Pernilla Dahlman, Senior Business Advisor and Head of the Circular Business Lab at RISE.

However, there are clear signs that demand is emerging, not least thanks to regulatory drivers.

"For example, in the Climate Calculation Act for Buildings, reuse is becoming an enabler. "If you, as a building owner, use a higher proportion of recycled building products, this results in a lower climate impact in the climate calculation," says Johan Bergström, project manager for construction and real estate at RISE.

Fragmented market

Management and logistics also need to be developed in a more circular construction sector.

Johan Bergström notes that there are digital platforms that individually manage the inventory and sale of building materials.

"But the challenge is that it can be difficult for supply and demand actors to find each other. The market for reuse can be perceived as fragmented.

Another aspect that is obviously very important is the nature of the material itself. Is it really suitable for reuse?

"It can be difficult if the houses were not built with reuse in mind. But the most important thing is to ensure that the material meets the requirements - from chemical content and fire safety to U-values and strength," says Johan Bergström.

Defining quality criteria

Quality assurance therefore becomes an important parameter to increase the chances of reuse.

"When it comes to new products, there are clear rules for what applies, but it is often unclear what applies to reused material.

"It is therefore important to work on establishing standards and quality criteria," says Johan Bergström.

"At RISE, we have many years of experience in everything from material issues to reuse, as well as special expertise in circular business models. So we've managed to build up a good level of expertise on how we need to proceed in order to move forward," he says.

Potential in reuse

Pernilla Dahlman emphasises that there are clear benefits for companies that invest in adapting their operations to increase reuse.

"Those who start early and set up processes for taking back and remanufacturing products, for example, can often also link up with other suppliers' products, securing both access to materials and valuable customer relationships. From a pure brand perspective, this is of course also very beneficial," she says.

Johan Bergström believes that the best thing for a company in the industry is to start small.

"In the current situation, there is great potential to learn from each other, either through various pilot projects or by working together in business networks," he says.

"RISE has taken on the role of bringing together actors who are interested in increasing their focus on reuse," says Pernilla Dahlman.

"We have a rather unique role in this context, also thanks to our interdisciplinary expertise and solid testing activities. Through our various partnerships and cooperation forums, there are good opportunities for business development and exchange of experience," she says.

When plastic became popular in the 1950s and 60s, it quickly became a material that was both versatile and durable.

Today, plastic is recognised as one of the biggest environmental culprits. Waste enters and remains in the environment, causing pollution that harms wildlife and ecosystems - while the production of plastics causes high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Producing fibre-based packaging with Apple

Every year, according to the UNDP, the world produces 430 metric tonnes of plastic, a number that is expected to triple by 2060 if nothing changes, and at the same time leading to an increase in plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Finding materials that can replace different types of plastic is therefore of high priority.

Producing fibre-based packaging with Apple

Apple, one of the world's largest companies, is working to make all of its packaging plastic-free. The tech giant has enlisted the help of RISE to develop a fibre-based material that can replace plastic.

"Together with Apple, we have developed a fibre-based foam. It has the potential to replace some of their packaging material.", says Bettina Mueller, senior project manager at RISE.

"Much of this is confidential, but I can say that we have made great progress, and I am very optimistic that this material will actually be used – and that we will be able to find even broader applications for it."

Similar process to traditional papermaking

The production of such fibre-based materials is essentially based on the methods developed for traditional papermaking.

"That is the starting point. The basic steps are then to add air and create a foam, which gives a three-dimensional structure rather than a flat paper material. Then you remove the water by dewatering and drying," says Claes Holmqvist, senior researcher in manufacturing processes for fibre-based materials at RISE.

The material could then be adapted for a wide range of applications.

"Once you find out how to make such a material, you can modify it and use it as insulation, upholstery in furniture, soundproofing in cars or filtration, for example," says Bettina Mueller.

In principle, wherever low-density plastics are used today, different types of fibre-based foams could be used instead.

Of course, the idea is not that these new fibre-based materials will end up in nature. But if they do, they will not cause the same damage as plastic.

Can be recycled like paper

"It works like paper, and paper is biodegradable. But the idea is that it should be recycled, just like paper, which also means that you don't have to use as much raw material when you produce it," says Claes Holmqvist.

The raw material in this case is the forest. The question is whether there will be enough forest if, in addition to all its other uses, it is to help replace plastic – will it be sustainable?

"We need to think intelligently about how we use these resources, where are they most beneficial? However, bio-based materials are definitely part of the solution to some of the problems we face. The cool thing about bio-based materials is that when you use resources like a tree or agricultural fibers, new ones can grow in the same place, ensuring sustainability" says Claes Holmqvist.

The transition from plastic to fibre-based materials is still in the early stages. More research and development is needed – and there are regulatory barriers, for example if the material is to be used as a building material.

Above all, however, the goal now is to reduce production costs.

"When plastic materials were new 60 years ago, they were not very inexpensive either. "It is not realistic to expect a new material to be completely equivalent and as inexpensive. You need to weigh the environmental benefits against the slightly higher costs to find a balanced approach," says Bettina Mueller.

Pilot biorefinery in Örnsköldsvik

RISE has a head start thanks to its unique understanding of the raw material - it has a long history of developing and creating new materials from wood. In the autumn of 2024, RISE will also open a new pilot biorefinery in Örnsköldsvik.

"We have the technical knowledge, but there are other things to consider when developing new materials. We mentioned sustainability and regulatory issues. We can easily bring in experts in these areas because RISE is interdisciplinary. This means that we can support the whole chain and gain a system perspective," says Claes Holmqvist.

- AI can be used to support certain sub-processes, especially in areas where we have large amounts of data to be investigated and analysed, which is time-consuming when done manually. The urban planning process that forms the basis for how we design and plan our communities is enormously information-intensive - and there are many parallel processes and documents to be produced that are interesting to consider how they can be streamlined with the support of the increased availability of data and new technology,’ says Jenny Carlstedt, project manager in architecture and spatial planning at RISE.  

She continues: 

- The process that is closest to being partially automated is the building permit process, which is very rule-driven. Here we can see some attempts made on simpler forms of building permits, for example for fences or similar limited cases. The vision here is to be able to streamline the process even more, and not least with the support of AI, to be able to offer residents more efficient processing. The difficulty in automating building permits lies partly in the documentation, which is not good enough today, and partly in regulations that are not designed for digital processes. In all historical regulations, such as those that apply to a detailed plan, the aim has been to give municipalities freedom in design and organisation. This means that there is room for many different interpretations within the regulations, which AI finds difficult to handle today. 

Jenny Carlstedt nevertheless believes that AI can already work in certain areas of the spatial planning process:

- For example, a lot of research is being done on how AI can support the digitalisation of older detailed plans. If we are to be able to create more automated processes for building permits, for example, older detailed plans are a volume of information that needs to be available. With the large amount of detailed plans that exist, as well as the complexity of the data, it is an interesting amount of information to test AI on.

Much to gain from increased digitalisation 

Built Environment is a complex sector with large amounts of information and processes, which creates good opportunities for streamlining in the future. But it is also a big part of the challenge ahead, according to Jenny Carlstedt: 

- There are many processes and stakeholders that need to understand each other. There is data from all systems both above and below ground. There are enormous opportunities for savings with new technology. Just think of the parts of management that could be improved, for example in predictive analysis such as the status of light bulbs in buildings or outdoors. There, a sensor could easily sense when it's time to change the bulb and maybe even send an order directly to the system. Or, even better, linked to sewers if there are sensors that can detect before leaks are likely to occur or if there is a risk of overflow during high water flows. This would mean huge savings for society,’ she says.  

Another aspect of digitalisation that is important to consider is the security aspect. Certain types of information related to critical societal functions may be sensitive to be fed into AI platforms, in the case of systems where the information becomes accessible to anyone. 

- We cannot make all types of information available for this reason, especially when access to multiple pieces of data that are not individually classified can become so when aggregated with other data. But despite this risk, there is still incredible potential in digital development for the spatial planning sector,’ explains Jenny Carlstedt.  

Supporting climate change adaptation 

One important area where AI and digitalisation can play a crucial role in the future is in climate adaptation. Alexander Gösta is an architect specialising in urban planning and the use of digital tools in the planning process at RISE. He has recently worked on a project looking at digitalisation in the service of the climate. 

- We looked at how digitalisation can support climate adaptation issues. Among other things, what opportunities there are to gather the flow of information and access relevant data for urban planners and for the operation of properties. Here, we have collaborated with a number of other actors in the field of visualisation, as well as the Open Platforms for Building Automation network coordinated by RISE,’ he says. 

This work is being developed with a number of municipalities that are interested and active in the issue. 

- We have involved our climate adaptation experts at RISE. This means that we can develop both digitalisation and climate adaptation work together,’ says Alexander Gösta. ‘These are two areas that both require coordination, and the municipalities can succeed if they work together in their respective organisations. So if you are interested and work in a municipality, just contact me or Jenny. 

Technology development in full swing 

Alexander Gösta is also involved in a new initiative at RISE focusing on the urban development of the future - AI as a catalyst for sustainable decisions. This work will involve RISE's collective expertise in everything from AI and cybersecurity to connected cities.   

- We will also work with a company that can create 3D models and examples of plots in a new way to test different exploitation possibilities. Here we will investigate the possibility of adding a machine learning component to make the programme work smarter, and take better account of the desired performance and boundary conditions before the system starts generating proposals. 

Many people today believe that AI can solve everything as long as you have an idea, but according to Alexander Gösta, it's not quite that simple.  

- No, but we hope to go a long way in this project by switching on better prediction models, such as an AI that can predict that if this is what you want, this is the best solution, before it generates thousands of proposals that take a lot of time and consume a lot of energy.  

Collaboration and data sharing  

AI and digitalisation are relevant and many discussions are ongoing in the industry. But according to Jenny Carlstedt, we are still in the very early stages of development.  

- Development is moving fast and in the near future we will have tools and technologies that will facilitate the entire industry, I am absolutely convinced of that. Some municipalities and cities will lead the way in this development and get a head start,’ she says.  

The big challenge, according to both, is that the built environment sector has been very traditional in terms of data historically, with different areas still working in silos, as well as the many processes that exist in a municipality on everything from building permits and traffic issues to education, care and emergency services.  

- This means that data is not available in a comprehensive way that would be needed to take advantage of all the possibilities of AI, and that is where the big work will be in the future. Collaboration between different actors is crucial, they both conclude.