What role can municipalities play in promoting sustainable consumption?

The document analyzes how Swedish municipalities approach sustainable consumption, noting that while awareness is high, there is a critical lack of consumption monitoring and political support. It recommends systematic impact analysis of municipal purchases, increased political prioritization, and a stronger coordinating role for County Administrative Boards to facilitate knowledge sharing and national-local alignment.

• The Swedish public sector is responsible for nearly 15% of the country's consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions, with households accounting for approximately 60% and private capital investments for the remaining 15%.
• While many Swedish municipalities are active in promoting sustainable consumption—with nearly 60% integrating it into their own operations and about 30% targeting households—most do not monitor their consumption, and fewer than half have assessed the environmental or climate impact of their purchasing.
• Municipalities identify a need for more financial resources, employee competence, and stronger support from local politicians and legislation to advance their sustainable consumption work. Their efforts are primarily driven by financial incentives, followed by national policy instruments and guidelines.
• To improve outcomes, the document recommends that municipalities prioritize the systematic monitoring of purchases and investments, that local politicians make sustainable consumption a policy priority, and that County Administrative Boards take a larger role in coordinating knowledge and synergies between municipalities and national government.

APA

Axelsson, K., André, K., Dawkins, E., & Eriksson, A. (2021). What role can municipalities play in promoting sustainable consumption? Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210303a-axelsson-unlock-2103a-1.pdf

Chicago

Axelsson, Katarina, Karin André, Elena Dawkins, and Aina Eriksson. What role can municipalities play in promoting sustainable consumption? Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210303a-axelsson-unlock-2103a-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Axelsson |first1=Katarina |last2=André |first2=Karin |last3=Dawkins |first3=Elena |last4=Eriksson |first4=Aina |title=What role can municipalities play in promoting sustainable consumption? |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=March 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210303a-axelsson-unlock-2103a-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{axelsson2021what, author = {Axelsson, Katarina and André, Karin and Dawkins, Elena and Eriksson, Aina}, title = {{What role can municipalities play in promoting sustainable consumption?}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/210303a-axelsson-unlock-2103a-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }