Projects and networks

National projects

  • Local nature conservation program
  • Local water program

International projects

CoBiUM - Cargo bikes in urban mobility

Växjö Municipality leads the EU-funded three-year project CoBiUM. Participating partners in the project include: the Energy Agency of Southeast of Sweden (Sweden), Danish Cycling Tourism (Denmark), University of Greifswald (Germany), City of Slupsk (Poland) and City of Gdynia (Poland). CoBiUM aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing car traffic by increasing the use of cargo bikes for private and commercial use. A decrease in car traffic means that the pressure on parking spaces will decrease and lead to safer roads and reduced noise levels. This will increase the quality of life in participating cities.

In the project, various pilots will be implemented in the participating cities and will involve three different target groups: private persons, public sector and companies. By collaborating within the project group, the pilots will be evaluated throughout implementation in order to help provide good results and new knowledge. After the pilots have been completed, a manual on how cargo bikes can be better utilised in cities will be published. By spreading the project's results, we hope that other cities in the Southern Baltic region will be inspired to do similar.

IUC Burlington – Växjö cooperation programme (IUCBV)

The IUC Burlington – Växjö cooperation programme is an eighteen month project, started in November 2017, financed by the EU International Urban Cooperation Programme (IUC). The program aims on bringing together technical experts from European and North American cities for exchange on best practices and expertise to ensure the development of sustainable cities. Växjö has been selected as one of 11 European cities being matched with one of 11 cities from Canada, the USA or Mexico. Växjö has been matched with Burlington, Ontario, Canada which is a city with similar conditions as Växjö. The cities aim to cooperate on climate mitigation and adaption, green structures/public spaces and sustainable land use. That could ensure sustainable expansion of the cities both from ecological, social and economic perspectives. Another important issue is to share knowledge on sustainable building practices and tall wood buildings. The project will include joint workshops, study visits, trainings and potential staff exchanges over the duration of the programme and the main output will be local
development action plans for each of the cities.

Contact person: Bo Hjälmefjord, +46 470 410 00 ;
e-mail: bo.hjalmefjord@vaxjo.se.
Web for IUC
External link.

CitiZEN – Sustainable Mobility for Citizens in Europe

CitiZEN External link.

READY

READY is a five year long EU funded project with Växjö Municipality, Aarhus kommun in Denmark and Kaunas in Lithuania as participants.

It started up 1st of December 2014 and covers the following items:

  • Demo of a balanced and holistic approach towards affordable retrofitting of residential buildings and offices,
  • Development and demo of new solutions for low-temperature district heating, components and management ICT systems,
  • Development and demo of flexible combined grid balancing/energy storage solutions for buildings and RES systems including combined heat pumps for heating and cooling, electrical vehicles charging, new PVT systems and second life reuse of EV batteries in buildings,
  • Resource and energy smart solutions for kitchens,
  • Solutions for water efficiency and waste water energy recovery,
  • Demo of new innovative industrial equipment for use of RES and integration of demand and supply – based on business plans, and follow-up by promotion and dissemination activities.

CENSE2020

Circular economy from North to South Europe 2020: new pathways of citizenship decision processes is a two year project, that started in July 2015. The project objective is to create a network of towns, municipalities and NGO:s that strives towards a circular economy by sharing experiences within the field of sustainable development focusing in resource efficiency and methods for reuse. In Växjö the project is represented by Växjö Municipality and the social cooperative Macken, that cooperates with seven other municipalities from Croatia, Malta, Romania, Greece, Netherlands and Italy. During the project there will be conferences, local forums, experience exchanges, workshops and meetings in seven targeted countries from the region.

Main components of activities:
1) network coordination and management of activities;
2) network capacity building;
3) awareness raising and visibility actions;
4) exchange of good practice among the region countries; and 5) research and analysis.

The expectation from Växjö Municipality is that the project will benefit with new ideas and input and strengthen the relations with potential partners for future projects within the field of circular economy.

NERO

NERO is a three year EU financed project where VKAB participates together with four other
Scandinavian partners. The project duration is between 2017 and 2020.

The overall objective is to develop and demonstrate nearly Zero Energy Wood Buildings with
technical solutions which significantly reduce the costs compared to the current situation. On site and nearby renewable energy system solutions are studied in order to provide real addition of renewable energy production and to provide solutions, which are optimal on local grid and energy system level.

The project promotes large-scale market uptake of the developed nearly Zero Energy Wood
Buildings low-carbon solutions, applicable for construction industry design and procurement process.

International networks

The Covenant of Mayors
External link, opens in new window.

Växjö is a part of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM), a commitment by signatory towns and cities to go beyond the objectives of EU energy policy in terms of reduction in CO2 emissions through enhanced energy efficiency and cleaner energy production and use. The EU-project ENGAGE support the Covenant of Mayors. Växjö's sustainable energy action plan has been approved by the secretariat and the key results of the SEAP is available on the Covenant of Mayors web site External link..

Energy Cities (Energie Cité)

Since 2002, Växjö is member of Energy Cities, the European Association of local authorities inventing their energy future. Founded in 1990, Energy Cities represents more than 1000 local authorities from 30 countries. Energy Cities is a Covenant of Mayors’ “supporting structure”. Energy Cities web site. External link.

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability

An international environmental organization with more than 1 500 member cities. ICLEI represents the world's municipalities at the UN negotiations on environmental issues. They have different thematic networks such as for example networks of procurement staff. Cheryl Jones Fur (MP) is board member and representative from Växjö Municipality since February 2019. ICLEI web site. External link.

IDA International DME Association

Stakeholders around the DME, di-methyl ether, which for example is an excellent fuel for diesel engines. City of Växjö deems DME as the most interesting vehicle fuel in the medium term, economic, environmental and energy.

UBC Union of the Baltic Cities

An association of the Baltic Sea for around 100 member cities. UBC is developing concrete cooperation projects with other cities around the Baltic Sea, which will promote the development and integration in the Baltic region. Växjö is represented in Executive Board 2017–2019.

National and other networks

Climate Municipalities is an association in Sweden for more than 22 municipalities and a county with more than 2 000 000 inhabitants who are actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Members: Växjö, Malmö, Lund, Luleå, Kristianstad, Götene, Helsingborg, Hässleholm, Falköping, Kristianstad, Lidköping, Luleå, Mölndal, Olofström, Stockholm, Säffle, Södertälje, Umeå, Uppsala, Åmål, Östersund, Linköping and Lycksele. In addition, the Stockholm County Council.

Climate Municipalities are to support the participants with

  • To develop local climate policies
  • Concrete projects in the transport, energy and housing sector
  • To be a link to the international and national work being undertaken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • To show the national authorities on the obstacles and opportunities for local climate work.

Climate Muncipalities - Klimatkommunernas web site. External link.

Regional network, Environmental Resource Linnaeus

An association which operates in Småland, Öland, Blekinge and Halland. A platform for environment and sustainable development, projects ekomat.nu aims to increase the consumption of organic products in the public sector. Environmental Resource Linnaeus - Miljö Linnés web site. External link.

Kontakter

Senast uppdaterad: 29 August 2022