Press Information A guide to sustainable Gothenburg The Palm House at the Garden Society The park Bältesspännarparken Welcome to the world’s most sustainable Winner of Global Destination destination Sustainability Index Leadership Award Gothenburg is not a global metropolis, not even a capital city. The latest ranking (2019): Evenso, it is a destination that makes an impact on big issues. For Rank City Overall score four years in a row, from 2016–2019, Gothenburg has held the 1 Gothenburg 90 % highest score in the Global Destination Sustainability Index*. And 2 Copenhagen 88 % in november 2020, Lonely Planet named Gothenburg the world’s 3 Zurich 85 % Best Sustainable City Stay in 2021. 4 Glasgow 78 % 5 Aalborg 76 % The fact that this destination on the Swedish west coast is a world 6 Malmö 76 % leader in sustainability is not due to any specific campaign. Rather, 7 Reykjavik 76 % it is thanks to long-term work done by the destination and daily 8 Sydney 75 % actions made by its residents and different organisations, many of which are in the hospitality industry. We believe that anyone can 9 Melbourne 74 % make a difference. 10 Uppsala 74 % Examples on progressive work done on the destination: European Capital of Smart Tourism 2020 • 95 percent of all hotel rooms in Gothenburg are environmentally Gothenburg was together with Málaga awarded the European Ca- certified, making us one of the greenest hotel cities in the world. pital of Smart Tourism 2020*. A great honor, and an even greater responsibility. We intend to use the title to drive change on a Eu- • Public transport is a vital part of the city and increasingly elec- ropean scale. To us, this award is all about creating an even more tric, with 145 new electric buses 2020. sustainable destination, where everybody is welcome and able to take part. • The Way Out West music festival is fully vegetarian, with a large vegan offering. With the help from technology, culture, creativity, and involving partners within the destination – hotels, restaurants, event orga- • Liseberg Amusement Park runs on 100 percent renewable en- nizers, private companies and the academia – we are set on de- ergy. They even have an attraction generating electricity to itself veloping in a positive direction. The capital year is extended to and other attractions. September 2021. • Gothenburg Culture Festival has won many prizes for their work Read more on on goteborg.com. on sustainability, and aims to be the most sustainable event in Europe, free of disposable products. For more information about green activities and outdoor adventures, please go to: https://www.goteborg.com/en/nature- experiences-and-outdoor-adventures/ Way out West festival * GDSI and Smart City did not appoint any cities in 2020. SLEEP WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE Hotel Scandic Rubinen Around 95 percent of the hotel rooms in the city are en- vironmentally certified, making Gothenburg one of the world’s most sustainable hotel cities. Comfort Hotel Göteborg Clarion Hotel Post Skeppsbroplatsen 1 Drottningtorget 10 Comfort Hotel Göteborg challenges the hotel industry with the Clarion Hotel Post is a large, modern, first-class business and lei- goal of becoming the most sustainable hotel in Gothenburg and in sure hotel. The hotel is located in the old post office building at Sweden as a whole. In 2019 the hotel won the award as the most Drottningtorget, joined by an extension featuring a rooftop ter- environmental friendly and sustainable hotel out of approximately race with a pool and amazing views. All of the electricity used by 190 hotels in the chain. The hotel is now undergoing a plastic re- the hotel is renewable, they have removed palm oil in their food form. All disposable plastic has been removed, straws and coffee production and all of the staff’s clothes are 100 % recyclable. Their mug lids are now made of cardboard and toothbrushes are made cleaning products are free of chemicals and they have a system of bamboo, etc. The hotel is also calculating the climate cost of its reducing the water usage. food served. nordicchoicehotels.com nordicchoicehotels.com Hotel Eggers Gothia Towers & Upper House Drottningtorget 2-4 Mässans gata 24 Hotel Eggers is the third-oldest hotel in Sweden still in opera- Gothia Towers is one of Europe’s five largest hotels, with 1,200 tion, located just by the central station in central Gothenburg, hotel rooms and its own trade fair and conference space, plus eight with parts of the building dating back to 1820. The hotel is Swan bars and restaurants. Gothia Towers also houses Upper House, ecolabelled and is powered entirely by electricity from its own a 5-star hotel with a spa. It is the largest hotel so far in Europe wind turbine. Measures are taken to reduce food waste and the that is environmentally certified according to BREEAM. 94 % of proportion of meat on the menu in the hotel restaurant has been all waste is recycled. Some is composted and digested, and then greatly reduced. They also have charging stations for guests who converted into biogas that heats ovens in the restaurant kitchen. have electric cars. Beehives and a roof kitchen garden provide fresh, locally produced hoteleggers.se ingredients for the restaurants. The entire plant’s electricity re- quirements are covered by wind power, which means that it saves approximately 5,500 tons of CO2 each year. gothiatowers.com Radisson Blu Riverside Scandic (7 hotels in Gothenburg) Radisson Blu Hotels In 1993, Scandic decided to become a leader in sustainability and Radisson Blu has two hotels in Gothenburg, the Radisson Blu push the development on sustainability in the hotel sector. The Scandinavia and the Radisson Blu Riverside. Both of the hotels idea to “hang up your towel if you want to use it again” came from are climate compensating for all events and meetings, they no Scandic – an idea that is now the standard in the hotel industry longer use plastics and their food is made based on the season. around the world. Scandic has opted out of using straws, drink During the summer they also provide electric bikes to all of its stirrers, toothbrushes and take-away cups made of plastic. In guests. Gothenburg three hotels are Swan ecolabelled; Rubinen, Europa radissonhotels.com and Opalen. scandichotels.com STF Göteborg City Hotel & Hostel Drottninggatan 63-65 Gothenburg keeps on growing Centrally located budget accommodation with a modern and Before the pandemic the demand in hotel rooms was high trendy design. The hotel is certified by Green Key and also LEED in Gothenburg, and even though 2020 was a rough year classified. Within the Swedish Tourist Association, the hotel has the city will get more than 3000 new hotel rooms in both its own sustainability policy and is committed to sustainability, by new and existing hotels. In 2021, two new hotels will open focusing on community involvement, source separation, energy with almost 600 rooms in total. consumption, sustainable agriculture (organic products) and good working conditions. They avoid using disposables and only work Furthermore, the city is estimated to grow by a third until with environmentally certified cleaning products. 2035. That means 150 000 new residents. svenskaturistforeningen.se SUSTAINABILITY ON THE MENU Taverna Averna Many locals in Gothenburg enjoy a healthy and eco- friendly lifestyle. It is easy to find vegetarian food and chefs that prefer local produce and let the seasons cowrite their menus. Here is a short list of selected restaurants, bars and cafes with an eco-profile. Natur Cum pane Geijersgatan 12 Mariagatan 17, Kobbarnas Väg 4 A restaurant for all occasions; a romantic dinner or a place to relax A small and genuine organic bakery that bakes everything with a glass of Champange. Vegetables are always in a constant from scratch. Here, every single ingredient is organic and focus, they serve seasonal dishes and all their wine is natural. the full range is eco-certified. restaurangnatur.se cumpane.coop Garveriet Wine mechanics Garverivägen 9 Lilla Waterloogatan 15 At Garveriet in Floda, sustainability, local and small scale are top At this urban winery in the district of Gamlestaden, grapes from priorities. This old tannery is now a bakery, restaurant, cafe and Germany and France are turned into locally produced wines. shop with conference halls and much more. The ingredients used There is also a restaurant offering lunch, dinner and a weekend come from producers within a 200 kilometers radius, and the aim brunch. is to become self-sufficient on vegetables and fish, and besides that winemechanics.se inspire others to live and eat more sustainably. garveriet.se Kafé Magasinet Tredje Långgatan 9 Vrå Kafé Magasinet is KRAV*-certified, the electricity comes from so- Drottningtorget 10 lar panels and they are using biogas. The cafe has generous ope- Japanese and Swedish west coast fusion. Vrå has a strong focus on ning hours, serving everything from coffee and breakfast to dinner sustainability and Gothenburg’s largest sake bar. Most vegetables with solely organic wines. on the menu come from their own rooftop farm and the seafood kafemagasinet.se comes mostly from the wild instead of fish farms. restaurangvra.se/en * The KRAV label shows that produce has been grown without chemical pesticides or fertiliser, with good standards of animal husbandry by ethical producers. Koka Botaniska paviljongen Blackbird Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22A Stigbergsliden 3 A cafe and restaurant with local and KRAV*-certified dishes, with A vegan bar and restaurant locaded in Majorna. The food is com- seasonal changes, beautifully located in the Gothenburg Botanical pletely vegan and cooked from scratch using ingredients such as Garden. seitan, tofu and tempeh. Blackbird is a cooperative restaurant botaniskapaviljongen.se run by vegans.