POSITION PAPER

COUNTRY: Sweden

COMMITTEE: UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)

AGENDA: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nation’s Global Development Network
which promotes technical and investment co-operation among nations. It advocates for change and
connects Countries for knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for
themselves. It helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional
capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

The sustainable development goals were adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as a
call to end poverty and protect the planet. One of these 17 goals is the Goal 11 which aims at
making cities and communities sustainable. More than half of the World’s population now live in
Urban areas. By 2050, that figure will have risen to 6.5 billion. Urban sprawl has brought about
enormous changes in landscape pattern, and substantially impacted agricultural land-use in areas
where land was used for crops. With cities already contributing to more than 70 percent of global
Co2 emissions, by concentrating resource demand and waste generation, cities have a major
negative impact on the natural environment which justifies the importance of SDG 11. Making cities
sustainable means creating career and business opportunities, affordable housing and resilient
societies.

Sweden is the most sustainable Country in the World, a ranking it has earned for its use of
renewable energy sources and low Co2 emissions, as well as social practices like education and
institutional framework. The Swedish environmental objectives system includes a clean air
objective. Sweden supports UN-Habitat’s projects through the Swedish International Development
Co-operation Agency. It actively provides least developed Countries with support for construction of
resilient buildings using local materials. Sweden also invests in green living. Access to green areas is
relatively high in cities of Sweden. Sweden has adopted a new target for sustainable cities, which
was announced in the Budget Bill for 2018. It has recently established a delegation against
segregation, aimed at building knowledge & financial support to counteract segregation of duties.
Examples of sustainability in Sweden include district heating in Gothenburg, fossil fuel free Vaxjo,
energy efficiency in Umea, sustainability through urban farming, powering buildings through body
heat, etc. The Environmental code of Sweden contains a number of rules to control pollution and
promote recycling. It also includes penalties for breaking these laws. At the global level, Sweden
works with the UN to achieve goals . sustainability. Sweden has put itself forward as a candidate to
host the third global high level conference on road safety in early 2020. The Swedish Civil
Contingencies Agency is the contact point for Sweden’s obligations in relation to the UN’s Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Sweden invests in green living, has favourable
Economic growth, is safe for Women, has transparency in the media and last, but by no means least
– it’s a beautiful Country.