The role of private market capital in financing sustainable cities: investor and municipal views in a Swedish context

The report analyzes urban greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on the transportation and built environment sectors. It evaluates the annual emissions reduction potential of various efficiency-based technologies—such as electric vehicles, LED street lighting, and building retrofits—and explores carbon removal strategies, including artificial technologies and nature-based solutions. The analysis provides a baseline for both global and Swedish emissions to guide municipal policymakers in selecting high-impact decarbonization strategies.

• Cities are critical for climate mitigation as they host 56% of the global population and are responsible for 71–80% of global emissions.
• In Sweden, the transportation sector and buildings are the primary sources of territorial emissions, together accounting for over 60% of emissions in urban settings. In 2019, the Swedish transportation sector emitted 16.4 Mt CO2-eq, with road transport contributing approximately 15 Mt CO2-eq.
• The built environment is a major global emitter; while direct emissions from buildings are 9%, the total including indirect emissions from energy use and construction rises to 31% of global emissions.
• Among efficiency-based technical solutions for cities, electric and hybrid cars, micro generation, insulation materials, and urban LED lighting are identified as the primary technologies for emissions reduction.
• The circular economy has a significant cross-sectoral mitigation potential, with an estimated annual emissions reduction of 10 Gt CO2-eq, or 20% of current emissions.
• Carbon removal technologies vary widely in their potential and readiness; for example, enhanced weathering has a potential range from 0 to 100 Gt CO2-eq per year, indicating a need for further development.
• Nature-based solutions, such as green roofs and the restoration of natural sinks, have an estimated mitigation potential of 10 Gt CO2-eq per year.

APA

Waltré, N., Sjöström, E., Agerström, M., Vanhuyse, F., & Carrion, A. R. (2022). The role of private market capital in financing sustainable cities: investor and municipal views in a Swedish context. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/technicalsolutionsclimateneutralcities-vcf-april2022.pdf

Chicago

Waltré, Nina, Emma Sjöström, Magnus Agerström, Fedra Vanhuyse, and Alicia Requena Carrion. The role of private market capital in financing sustainable cities: investor and municipal views in a Swedish context. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2022. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/technicalsolutionsclimateneutralcities-vcf-april2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Waltré |first1=Nina |last2=Sjöström |first2=Emma |last3=Agerström |first3=Magnus |last4=Vanhuyse |first4=Fedra |last5=Carrion |first5=Alicia Requena |title=The role of private market capital in financing sustainable cities: investor and municipal views in a Swedish context |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/technicalsolutionsclimateneutralcities-vcf-april2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{waltr2022role, author = {Waltré, Nina and Sjöström, Emma and Agerström, Magnus and Vanhuyse, Fedra and Carrion, Alicia Requena}, title = {{The role of private market capital in financing sustainable cities: investor and municipal views in a Swedish context}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/technicalsolutionsclimateneutralcities-vcf-april2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }