12. Responsible consumtion and production

The goal should be seen in the light of a globally growing middle class, which is expected to put further pressure on the Earth's collective resources, which in turn increases the risks of negative effects on the environment and human health. From a Swedish perspective, target 12 is the target identified by the OECD as the most difficult for Sweden to achieve by 2030. Levels of consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions are high in Sweden, as is the use of hazardous chemicals. At the national level, action plans and strategies have been developed to support sustainable procurement and reduced food waste (Glokala Sverige n.d.).

The goal in a local context

The City of Malmö is well placed to work towards this goal, partly because the city procures goods and services for large amounts every year. By drawing up procurement guidelines, the city can contribute to innovation-driven development of both its own and its suppliers' operations in a sustainable direction. The municipality is also responsible for large parts of waste management. Utilising waste resources through recycling and detoxifying the cycle by collecting hazardous waste are crucial to achieving the national environmental quality objectives and are in line with several of the goals of the 2030 Agenda, including Goal 12. Consumer advice and energy and climate advice are other services that the municipality offers to support residents in more sustainable consumption.

What it looks like in Malmö

Sustainable management and use of natural resources

By sharing goods and services (sharing economy) or reusing products (circular economy) to a greater extent, Malmö residents and the City of Malmö can utilise the resources we have for longer and contribute to the achievement of goals. Progress in terms of energy efficiency and the transition to a circular economy in Malmö is difficult to assess and work is underway to develop key figures (Miljöförvaltningen 2023). Although progress is difficult to assess, there are good examples in the area, such as the City of Malmö's circular procurement of furniture and signage. The City of Malmö is also working with other stakeholders, such as the business community and associations, to find circular solutions.

Reducing waste and taking care of the waste that is generated is part of the work to ensure sustainable consumption and production. Total waste volumes remain at a high level, while the amount of waste per inhabitant, as well as residual and bulky waste volumes, have decreased over the last decade. Hazardous waste collection is at a slightly lower level in the last decade compared to the past, which may be due to a decrease in the use of products containing hazardous substances, but also to a smaller share of hazardous waste being sorted out and collected properly.

The proportion of waste that is recycled or taken care of through biological treatment, such as composting, is not changing to any great extent, and a large proportion of packaging is not sent for recycling but is thrown in the rubbish bin and incinerated. However, food waste collection is increasing. Minimising food waste is an important part of using natural resources in a sustainable way. In 2023, food waste amounted to 13.6 kg/person in Malmö, which is the lowest value since measurements began in 2012 (Miljöbarometern n.d.).

Promoting sustainable public procurement practices

Through specific sustainability requirements in procurement, the City of Malmö is working to steer purchases towards goods and actors that contribute to all three dimensions of sustainable development. The City of Malmö is also working to incorporate circular solutions, such as reused products, repair facilities and spare parts, into its contracts. However, to see the desired environmental effects, active choices must be made at the time of purchase and the circular option selected.

Increasing the use of digital solutions, for example by steering towards the use of e-invoices, is another way to promote sustainable procurement practices. The share of e-invoices has increased over time and, since 2022, they represent 97 per cent of all invoices sent by the city. This has led to reduced administration and reduced climate impact from transport and paper consumption.

Resources are also being used more efficiently by directing the city's purchases to the e-commerce system. The system makes it possible to check that only authorised goods and services are available for sale and purchase through framework contracts. Over the period 2021-2023, e-commerce has increased from 50 to 61 per cent.

The city also steers towards increased sustainability by procuring goods included in a special basic range, where extended sustainability requirements, in addition to the environmental and social requirements the city sets in its other procurements, are imposed on certain goods and services, while the price is competitively priced. The basic range will cover the majority of the city's needs in the contract area. The share of purchases from the basic range has decreased from 77 per cent in 2021 to 71 per cent in 2023. The reason for this needs to be investigated further.

The proportion of purchases of organic food for the municipality's operations increased steadily from 27% in 2010 to 70% in 2021. After 2021, the proportion of organic food has decreased and is at 60% in 2024. Likely reasons for the decrease include sharply increased food prices and more producers switching from organic to conventional production due to reduced demand for organic goods. The decrease can probably also be explained by the fact that the city no longer has a common overall goal of 90 per cent of the food purchased being organic. The share of sustainability-labelled goods in the categories school and office supplies and catering, cleaning and hygiene products has also decreased from 60% in 2021 to 49% in 2023.

Overall, the City of Malmö has reduced the number of items purchased in the categories of food, books/media and office supplies during the period 2022-2024. Buying fewer items is in itself a sustainability gain, as every item produced has an impact on people and the environment.

Increase public awareness of sustainable lifestyles

There is currently no data on the development of Malmö residents' awareness of sustainable lifestyles. However, a survey on the knowledge and attitudes of the people of Skåne on climate and energy issues was conducted in autumn 2024 with participants in Region Skåne's web panel (Region Skåne 2024) on behalf of Region Skåne, the County Administrative Board of Skåne and Energikontor Syd). The results show that since previous surveys in 2014 and 2018, knowledge of climate issues is perceived to have increased. Most people consider themselves to be well informed about the causes and consequences of climate change, but slightly fewer consider themselves to be well informed about the ways in which we can counteract climate change (Region Skåne 2024).

The City of Malmö is working in various ways to increase the knowledge and commitment of Malmö residents to choose more sustainable lifestyles. For example, the City of Malmö offers free consumer advice on consumer law and sustainable consumption, free lectures to schools and associations, and support for households, organisations and businesses to make sustainable choices through energy and climate advice.

Sustainable tourism

The tourism industry in Malmö has grown during most of the 2000s and new facilities, attractions and hotels have been established (City of Malmö 2024). However, at present it is not possible to say how sustainable the tourism industry is, as there is no reliable way to measure.

Indicators

12.1 E-invoicing, percentage (%)

12.2 E-commerce, percentage (%)

12.3 Organic food, municipal operations, percentage (%)

12.4 Basic product range, percentage (%)

12.5 Sustainability-labeled goods, percentage (%)

12.6 Municipal waste collected, kg/person (adjusted)

12.7 Municipal waste collected for material recycling, percentage (%)

12.8 Food waste, elementary school, grams/meal

References

Glokala Sverige (u.å.). Arbetsbok – Agenda 2030. Tillgänglig: https://fn.se/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Arbetsbok_Glokala_Sverige_2021.pdf

Malmö stad (2024). Malmöläget. Statistik och fakta om näringslivet i Malmö, en sammanställning från Malmö stad 2024. Tillgänglig: https://malmo.se/download/18.553a332a19104efa6b133a3/1725458998166/MalmoLaget_2024_FINAL.pdf

Miljöbarometern (u.å.). Tillgänglig: https://malmo.miljobarometern.se/

Miljöförvaltningen, Malmö stad (2023). Miljöredovisning 2023. Uppföljning av Miljöprogram för Malmö stad 2021–2030. Tillgänglig: https://malmo2.miljobarometern.se/content/docs/miljoredovisning-2023.pdf

Region Skåne (2024). Skånepanelen 3: 2024 – Klimat. Tillgänglig: https://www.skane.se/om-region-skane/detta-gor-region-skane/publikationer/skanepanelen-3-2024---klimat/?parentQueryReferer=true