Common Climate Policy of the Capital Region

Common Climate Policy for the Capital Region formally signed – aim for carbon neutrality by 2035

The mayor of the capital and mayors of municipalities in the capital area, together with the CEO of SSH, formally signed the capital region’s climate policy last week. The municipalities in the capital area want the policy to contribute to implementing concrete measures that promote carbon neutrality in the capital area. The most important output of the policy is therefore an overview of actions that are likely to be effective in combating climate change. The actions address, inter alia; road transport, shipping, local energy use, industry, chemical use, waste, and land use. With the policymaking, the municipalities declare their commitment to making the capital area carbon neutral by 2035, i.e., that total greenhouse gas emissions will not exceed calculated carbon sequestration.

Major milestone

According to Páll Björgvin Guðmundsson, Managing Director of SSH, it is a major milestone in the cooperation between the municipalities in the capital area, that form a single residential and employment area, if a common climate policy is in place. It is the collective responsibility of municipalities in the area to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but at the same time the implementation of the policy is the responsibility of each municipality in line with local conditions. At the same time, projects are carried out at a common level, e.g. in the field of transport and waste. The climate policy of the capital area is the focus of the Capital Region Action Plan 2020-2024, and the projects are financed with contributions from the state, individual ministries and municipalities in the capital area.

More information in addition to climate policy itself can be found on the SSH website, Loftslagsstefna fyrir höfuðborgarsvæðið – stefnt að kolefnishlutleysi árið 2035 | Samtök sveitarfélaga á höfuðborgarsvæðinu (ssh.is)