City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 Sustainable city – open to the world City of Gothenburg Contents The Chairman of the City Executive Board sums up the past year 5 Annual Report City Executive Board members 7 Sustainable city – open to the world 9 The City of Gothenburg Annual Report is the City How to read the City of Gothenburg Annual Report 12 Executive Board’s report to the City Council on the 1 Administration Report 14 combined services and finances for the year. It is also The Municipal Group 16 aimed at residents and visitors, as well as external Overview of trends in operations 18 stakeholders such as lenders, suppliers and other public Key conditions for earnings and financial position 21 authorities. The Annual Report is produced by the City Significant events 28 Management Office for the City Executive Board. Governance and monitoring of municipal operations 30 Good financial management and financial position 33 Balanced budget requirement 49 The Annual Report begins with a summary of the past Significant personnel-related conditions 50 year by the Chairman of the City Executive Board Expected development 56 in 2020, Axel Josefson. This is followed by general Annual accounts 62 information about the City of Gothenburg’s organisation, 2 Income statement 64 its employees, assignments and future challenges. The Balance sheet 65 Annual Report is divided into four sections. Cash flow statement 66 Notes including accounting policies 67 Economic and Financial Report 94 3 Operational accounts 96 Investment accounts 104 Foundations 111 Overall operational goals and 4 developments in operations 112 City Council’s goals and Agenda 2030 115 Gothenburg is an attractive metropolitan city where everyone has the chance to shape their own life and no one is excluded 117 Gothenburg is a metropolitan city that is growing sustainably and has confidence in the future 131 Gothenburg is a metropolitan city with a stable economy and strong growth 142 Title: City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 Auditor’s Report 149 Author: City Management Office, City of Gothenburg Graphic design and layout: Visual Communication, City of Gothenburg Cover photo: Frida Winter 2 City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 | Introduction Introduction | City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 Axel Josefson, Chairman of the City Executive The Chairman of the City Executive Board, reflects over the past year. Board sums up the past year PHOTO: FRIDA WINTER The city was equipped for the crisis The past year was shaped by the pandemic and everything it brought with it. It has been a tough year for many people. Nevertheless, we achieved good earnings in 2020. When we summarised the accounts a year ago we Support package for care of the were able to say that our finances were in good elderly shape and we had been able to invest in the core Care of the elderly has had to cope with a area of welfare. As a city, we were well equipped very difficult period as a result of Covid-19. for the approaching economic downturn. We Unfortunately, Gothenburg, like the rest of expected a gentle braking of the economy. But Sweden, was unable to prevent the virus from instead we found ourselves a few months later in reaching nursing homes and homes for the a situation where the economy ground to a halt elderly. The pandemic has highlighted the need as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Volvo for investment in care of the elderly now and Group companies and SKF, along with many in the future. Among other things, we have other companies, furloughed their employees. approved a support package of SEK 300 million Production stopped as demand fell to zero. for more staff, improvements in health and safety, Coronavirus restrictions meant that Liseberg was infection prevention and protection of social care unable to open. The tourists disappeared, which recipients. Preparations also continued for the hit the visitor industry especially hard. Some of transfer of combined responsibility for care of the those who were furloughed were able to return elderly and municipal healthcare and nursing care to work later in the year, but others were made to the new elderly, nursing and care committee unemployed, particularly those with jobs in the (ÄVO) at the end of the year. The new organisation retail and service sectors and visitor industry. will provide better opportunities to coordinate It is never easy to predict what lies ahead, but improvement measures and skills provision. We will it would have been hard to imagine a year ago thus be better equipped to meet future challenges that large parts of the world would be paralysed and safeguard access to safe and effective care for by a pandemic. This made it even more important the elderly. that we had already made contingencies for harder times when the economy was booming. Continuing positive trend in schools It is also why, despite the pandemic, the city can Resources for compulsory school services have report healthy earnings for 2020. been increased and will receive additional support 4 City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 | Introduction Introduction | City of Gothenburg Annual Report 2020 5 “Although some investments in the coming years. The trend seen in 2019 has City Executive Board members have had to be put on continued, with a rising proportion of students who leave year nine with satisfactory grades. This hold during the pandemic, trend can also be seen in upper secondary schools, others have continued as where the proportion of students graduating from planned. During the year, we the three-year national programmes is increasing. implemented the country’s School placements created problems for many largest reorganisation of students during the year. A new set of rules is public operations.” planned for the autumn semester 2021. Changes had to be made in many school ser- vices as a result of the pandemic. Upper secondary the emphasis on collaboration and the exchange schools used remote learning to varying degrees. of experiences between the City, the police and In response to the pandemic, adult education has civil defence, as well as the business community been given additional resources to cope with the and voluntary organisations. impact on the labour market. Axel Josefson (Mod.) Helene Odenjung (L) Daniel Bernmar (Left) Blerta Hoti (Soc. Dem.) Martin Wannholt New record in housing construction City Councillor, City Councillor, City Councillor, City Councillor (Dem.) Chairman 1st Vice Chairman 2nd Vice Chairman City Councillor Ongoing focus on the sustainable city Despite the pandemic, the City of Gothenburg The climate issue has remained a high priority and is investing more than ever. The pace of housing we have worked hard to create a more sustainable construction in 2020 was consequently also city. The Environmental and Climate Programme ramped up. In 2019, the number of new homes was launched in April and sets out the goals we aim built in Gothenburg since the early 1970s was to achieve by 2030 to slow down climate change. relatively low. This year, that figure will be In December we signed the Climate Contract along consider ably higher, with as many as 4,500 new with nine other cities, to speed up the transition to homes completed. We are steadily reducing the climate neutrality. We also took several steps during shortfall in housing construction that the city has the year to make Gothenburg more bike-friendly experienced for many years. We are also building a and create a cleaner city, with less pollution and varied mix of housing – rental apartments, shared Karin Pleijel (Green) Hampus Magnusson Marina Johansson Grith Fjeldmose (Left) Jessica Blixt (Dem.) littering. Gothenburg will be a hub for green ownership housing and single-family homes – in City Councillor (Mod.) (Soc. Dem.) City Councillor City Councillor City Councillor City Councillor innovation and a sustainable city of events. order to combat homelessness and segregation. A number of measures have been Sweden’s largest reorganisation taken to improve security Although some investments have had to be put on All residents of Gothenburg should feel safe hold during the pandemic, others have continued in their own city. Unfortunately, this is not the as planned. During the year, we implemented case today, and security is therefore high on the country’s largest reorganisation of public the city’s agenda. During the year, municipal operations. Ten districts and the Committee for security guards began patrolling the city centre Allocation of Social Welfare have been combined at Brunnsparken and Gustaf Adolfs torg. They into four social care committees and two depart- complement the work of the police very well mental committees. This work could never have Jörgen Fogelklou Emmyly Bönfors Jonas Attenius Nina Miskovsky (Mod.) Jenny Broman (Left) and the Municipality has already applied for been completed without the invaluable efforts of (Swe. Dem.) (Centre) (Soc. Dem.) City Councillor City Councillor City Councillor City Councillor City Councillor permission to appoint security officers in more the city’s employees. Efforts to make the city an locations. Järntorget and the streets around Första attractive place to work, where people thrive and Långgatan are next in line. feel they are developing, remain a priority. The housing group Framtiden AB has launched Several of the municipal operations have been a very ambitious strategy which aims to ensure in varying degrees of crisis preparedness for much that Gothenburg has no high-risk areas left on of the year. This puts a great deal of pressure on the police list by 2025. This strategy involves an organisation and places high demands on setting up a super-administration as well as large quick decision-making and new working routines. investments in new housing and renovation. In light of this situation, I am very proud of the Framtiden AB has allocated a total of SEK work that is being done around the city.