Umeå municipality have been working for sustainable development for a long time. The city’s overall growth vision is to grow with social, ecological, cultural and economic sustainability, on the path to becoming 200 000 citizens year 2050. Umeå’s ambition is also to be carbon neutral in 2030. For us, sustainability is part of our identity and soul, so when you visit us, we want you to see, feel and live it too.
A successful and sustainable meeting
Visit Umeå is here to help you achieve your environmental, social and economic sustainability goals with your meeting. It is our way of contributing to a more sustainable future. We care about our city and the people who live here, but also those who visit us. Therefore, it is important for us to fill the concept of "sustainability" with meaning and concrete content.
Visit Umeå works purposefully to create a more sustainable tourism industry. Umeå has joined the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations Program – a global network of destinations that strive to achieve world-leading sustainability results. The purpose is to find new ways forward so that we can continue to welcome visitors who want to experience and meet in a long-term sustainable way.
In collaboration with Region Västerbotten Tourism, we offer companies in the Umeå region to work according to a method called Västerbotten Experience. All Västerbotten Experience companies have undergone a sustainability review based on the criteria developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council approved by the UN.
Visit Umeå supports you in the successful and sustainable implementation of your meeting. We help you free of charge and independently, based on your wishes and needs and act as a local expert so you do not have to be. Welcome to contact us and we will continue to work together.
A few examples of Umeå’s sustainable work so far
Green Umeå – a network of businesses and organizations with sustainability as guiding star.
Sharing City – Umeå contributes to development by testing new solutions and cooperations. Umeå municipality takes on complex challenges and challenges existing structures.
RUGGEDISED – Umeå is a part of the EU cooperation project lasting 2017-2021. During these five years, around ten different innovative climate smart solutions are tested, at the same time as new business models adapted to a sharing economy are developed.
Sveriges Bästa Idrottsstad (Sweden's best sports city) – Umeå has been appointed ”The best sports city of Sweden” in 2018, 2020 and 2021. The strength of Umeå is both the width and the elite of sports and having the most amount of sports associations per capita in the whole of Sweden.
Europas Miljöhuvudstad (European Green Capital) – Umeå has been nominated three times and been in the top final every time, most recently in 2018. The applications also have the positive effect of being a powerful force on the city’s sustainability work.
Fairtrade City – Umeå is a proud Fairtrade City since 2013. By working for fair trade and ethical consumption, Umeå wants to contribute to emproved working and living conditions for people living in countries with widespread poverty.
Viable Cities – A strategic innovation programme focused on smart, sustainable cities. Umeå municipalitys’ purpose is to, in broad collaboration, form a road map towards a carbon neutral Umeå 2030.
The network Food & climate in the north – The Food & Climate Network in the North is a network in which several of Umeå's restaurants and some school kitchens participate in order to jointly contribute to a more sustainable restaurant industry. The network makes every effort to contribute to a more sustainable restaurant industry and reduce its impact on the climate and the environment. The collaboration is permeated by a transparency where the restaurants openly show how they work with sustainability in the business. See the video
Den koldioxidsnåla platsen (The Low Carbon Place) 2016-2022 – An ongoing project from Umeå municipality, aiming to make it easier for citizens to make more sustainable choices and lowering their climate impact from transportation, accommodation and purchases.
Projektet Klimatneutrala Umeå (Climate Neutral Umeå) 2030 – A project which, in broad collaboration, is forming a road map and identifying which actions Umeå needs to implement to reach and take responsibility for, the Paris agreement.
Gender equality – Umeå municipality has been working systematically with equality for 30 years, with many acknowledged projects and initiatives. The groundbreaking equality work has for example led to Umeå, within the EU program URBACT, taking the lead in a European network titled Gendered Landscape. Additionally, Umeå was the highest ranked region in EU Social Progress Index 2019.