Voted most sustainable city in the world for the seventh year running, Sweden’s second-largest city, Gothenburg, boasts multiple green hotels, restaurants and attractions.
Just as Changi continues to dominate the World’s Best Airport lists, Gothenburg has received plenty of recognition for its sustainability in recent years. With a score of 94.64 per cent out of 100, it topped the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-I) in 2023 for the seventh consecutive year, pipping Oslo to the post. Measuring and benchmarking the sustainability performance of tourism destinations, the GDS-I ranked 100 cities on their commitment to transforming their social, environmental, supplier, and destination management offerings.
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“We’re so incredibly proud of achieving this award for the seventh time – we never get tired of it,” says Katarina Thorstensson, smart tourism and sustainability strategist for Visit Gothenburg. “It’s such a great recognition for our long term collaboration and dedication at the destination. We’re also really happy to see the global sustainability movement grow. Being part of this both challenges and inspires us, and we hope we can challenge and inspire others as well.”
Why is Gothenburg ahead of the curve, compared to other Western countries? Arguably because Sweden was an early bird in regards to environmental thinking, with the government introducing the discourse on sustainable development (SD) in the early 1990s. Then In 2001, the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development (GMV) was developed by Chalmers University of Technology and the University of Gothenburg to support sustainable development and environmental research.
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Committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, Gothenburg continues to seek more sustainable alternative practices. Demonstrating the city’s ambition to be at the forefront of green mobility and infrastructure evolution, a Green Zone is being developed in the city to test fully emission-free and climate-neutral transportation systems.
At the moment, approximately 95 per cent of public transport is run on renewable energy. Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has equipped the city with electric articulated buses and trucks, and the Gothenburg tram network is another sustainable transport option. The largest network in Northern Europe, it boasts 160 kilometres of single track. Other environmental initiatives include the city’s district cooling system, powered by the cool flows from the Göta älv river, which combines surplus heat and river water to provide residents with an energy-efficient, cost-competitive alternative to conventional air conditioning.
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Gothenburg is one of the greenest hotel cities in the world and in 2023, 88 percent of its rooms were eco-certified: the idea to hang up your towel if you want to use it again came from Swedish hotel brand Scandic, and is now an industry standard. Planet-friendly accommodation options include Scandic Göteborg Central (below), an LEED Platinum hotel that opened in 2022.
Its interiors have a lifespan of up to 15 years and most materials can be reused or recycled during renovations, which is in line with Scandic’s vision of a completely circular hotel room. Other eco-conscious options include Nääs Farbriker Hotell and Restaurant, which is situated near Lake Sävelången in a former 19th-century cotton mill, and Sankt Jörgen Park, which features a Nordic Swan labelled restaurant, one of the world’s toughest environmental certifications.
Talking of food, make time to dine at the eco-certified Michelin restaurant SK Mat & Människor, an eatery with no walls and where you can savour dishes including blackened Arctic char with black rice, daikon, katsuobushi and dill flower vinegar. Alternatively, enjoy the season’s seafood at Nordic Japanese kitchen Vrå, where fish and shellfish come from safe, wild stocks; or dig into a “rescued” lunch at Restaurant Svinn, which prepares climate-smart food from food waste.
Gothenburg’s attractions have also embraced sustainability: Liseberg Amusement Park, where roller coasters and water rides await, runs on 100 percent renewable energy, for instance. Community-based tourism group Tikitut, meanwhile, aims to provide a “glocal” meeting place for Gothenburg visitors, with stories around Lake Bergsjön, canoe rental in nature reserve Vättlefjäll and the chance to eat dinner at a local’s house among its itinerary highlights.
Sustainable shopping options include the Icebug Store, a Gothenburg-based trainer brand that’s keen to become the first climate positive shoe manufacturer. Likewise, outdoor brand Houdini wants to create a more circular clothing industry, and in 2021, all its collection was recycled, recyclable, renewable, biodegradable or Bluesign certified, meaning it was produced under strict safety and environmental requirements. Organic denim brand Nudie jeans, meanwhile, is headquartered in Gothenburg, and you can get your denims mended for no cost at the Nudie Jeans Repair Shop, which also stocks the brand’s latest collections of jeans, tops and accessories.
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