An initiative is now being launched to inspire and challenge the real estate industry to pursue an even more sustainable transformation in society. The Stockholm Environment Institute, which is an international and independent research and policy institute, is starting an exciting collaboration with Fabege to help create sustainable and socially beneficial urban and regional development in Stockholm by the year 2050, in line with the UN’s global goals as defined in Agenda 2030.

Urbanization is a strong global trend. More than half of the world’s population now live and work in cities, and within a few decades 70 per cent of all humans are expected to be urban residents. Sweden is one of the countries where this development is most rapid.

Increasing climate change, geopolitical tensions, challenges in the EU and other factors in the world are giving rise to increasing uncertainty about the path of development in the future – both globally and also in our part of the world. There is therefore an increased need for methods to analyze how we can best ensure good development of societies.

- “We live in an exciting but challenging time. It is now extremely important that we make smart choices and cooperate with politicians and the business community. We hope the collaboration with Fabege will lead to the right measures being taken in the real estate industry to contribute to long-term sustainable benefits in society,” says Katarina Axelsson, project manager and researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute.

With the uncertainties regarding global development, the impact of climate change and other external factors, how can the real estate industry, together with other relevant stakeholders, contribute over the next three decades to bringing about sustainable and socially beneficial urban and regional development in Stockholm by 2050? At Friends Arena on 19 March, SEI and Fabege will use exploratory scenario methodology and group discussions to explore how local politicians, businesses and other relevant organizations can work together to:

• contribute to sustainable urban and regional development
• contribute to a sustainable transformation in society and achieving the UN’s 17 global sustainability goals
• be a driving force for change, rather than just responding to changes in society.

Cities currently have a growing environmental impact. At the same time, cities provide unique opportunities, as they gather together workplaces, housing and leisure experiences in a compact geographical area, while also allowing people to develop and realize a diverse range of values: environmental, economic, social and cultural.

- “We at Fabege have a great opportunity to influence development in the right direction, thanks to our way of developing both new and existing districts in Stockholm. We see that there are completely new framework conditions today and that technological development is progressing rapidly. As a result of the collaboration with SEI and us now jointly taking a holistic approach and gathering together knowledge from various societal stakeholders, behavioral scientists, researchers, politicians, our own board and environmental experts, we hope to find completely new solutions and approaches for creating a better Stockholm,” says Fabege CEO Christian Hermelin.

The aim of the workshop is to analyze the interaction between Fabege and other stakeholders in society, identify challenges and clarify the unique role of the real estate industry in the shift to a sustainable society. In the workshop, explorative scenario methodology will be used to analyze alternative development paths for the Stockholm region and how Fabege can contribute, with a focus on Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement.

The goal of this unique collaboration is to understand how Fabege, the real estate industry, local politicians, businesses and other relevant organizations can actively contribute to sustainable development in society, taking into account different future scenarios.

Fabege AB (publ)

About Fabege’s work with sustainability:
Energy efficiency and choosing materials with a reduced climate impact are integral parts of Fabege’s work with sustainability, which is an area where development has progressed rapidly over the past decade. In recent years, Fabege has therefore widened its ambitions, which now encompass entire districts, with the aim of creating socially sustainable and dynamic places where people feel safe, and have access to a large range of services and a high quality of life. Attractive locations with green experience-based street environments, roof parks, smart logistics solutions and sustainable modes of transport. It is in the daily life between the buildings that the greatest social gains can be achieved.