Gothenburg named new host of UN's Sustainable Lifestyles Hub

As a Sustainable Lifestyle Hub, Gothenburg will become an arena where business, academia, municipalities, and civil society can collaborate with international partners. Together, they will develop and run progressive projects that contribute to achieving the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as tourism, events, lifestyle, and circularity. The first major activities are planned for early 2026.

“Local solutions can spark global transformation,” said Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships.

“Together with Gothenburg, we will accelerate sustainable lifestyles and connect local action to global impact.”

For Gothenburg’s business community, this initiative represents an opportunity to reach out globally with the solutions developed here. The Gothenburg region already has a strong ecosystem within climate-smart energy, mobility, circular economy, and sustainable events.

Through the initiative, companies in the region can strengthen their international collaborations, attract investment, and use Gothenburg as a test bed for innovations that can then be scaled up globally.

“We can expect increased international interest in visiting Gothenburg, our forward-thinking companies, and experiencing innovative solutions on site,” says Maria Leffler, responsible for receiving visitors and delegations, at Business Region Göteborg.

A city with strong sustainability credentials

Gothenburg has been ranked seven times as the world's most sustainable destination in the Global Destination Sustainability Index, placing second this year. The city is also one of the EU's 100 climate-neutral and smart cities, with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030. Sustainability permeates politics, urban development, culture, tourism, and business, and has made Gothenburg internationally recognised as a leader and global role model.