Drammen’s zero-emission mosaic for 2030

Encased in nature and situated at the junction of the Drams River and Drams Fjord, the warmest city in Norway has set its sights on reaching climate neutrality by 2030. 

Once dominated by industry and struggling with pollution, the port and river city of Drammen has built a strong track record of urban development that strives to be in harmony with the natural environment. Its “Zero Emission 2030” initiative – supported by NetZeroCities through the Pilot Cities Programme – is no exception and is testament to the local commitment to sustainability.  

Three municipalities, one goal

In 2020, three municipalities – Drammen, Nedre Eiker and Svelvik – combined to become the New Drammen Municipality.

“The merger provided a great opportunity for us to rethink our approach to sustainability and really plan how to set up the right pathways and business models to provide long term value,” says Ingebjørg Weselka Tofte, project manager for the initiative.

Drammen’s climate work focuses on four pillars – mobility, land use, sustainable construction, and a circular economy – and Zero Emission 2030 addresses these across the new municipality.

The project provides funding to a broad spectrum of local activities that drive circularity and green growth by leveraging technology and strategic collaboration. Taken together, they form a mosaic of green initiatives that support the city’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by the end of this decade. 

From waste to resource 

Part of the Zero Emission 2030 funding is being used to increase the uptake of renewable energy, particularly solar energy. 

Through collaboration with Grønn Vekst (the region’s energy company), energy group Å Energi, and other key regional players, the city has made efforts to set up local energy communities and launched business development projects to encourage greater investment in solar energy. To address network limitations, they are exploring battery fleet solutions. With battery prices expected to decrease by up to 50% by 2026, this creates new opportunities for collaboration between solar, battery, and energy companies. 

In line with its circular economy goals, the project also aims to establish a marketplace for reused construction materials. The city is developing a physical and digital solution by combining a reuse centre with an online marketplace. This approach will allow the construction sector to register resources in the marketplace, facilitate direct sales through the digital platform, and provide storage solutions for future reuse. 

Securing funding to fully set up the marketplace remains a major challenge, as it will require financing beyond the two-year duration of the Pilot Cities Programme.

“The system isn’t fully there yet, but we have managed to secure enough funds to establish a small pilot to test the digital and physical marketplaces. We will continue to work on this to ensure continuity of our work,” says Tofte.  

Despite being in its early stages, the project has already sparked unexpected successes, like the reuse-focused community space that was initially financed through the project but continued with independent funding.

“It’s a small success story, but it shows what’s possible when we start something and then let others take ownership,” says Tofte. 

Technology, health and sustainability: three sides of the same coin 

Shifting focus to another element of Drammen’s mosaic of activities, the city recognises that linking additional of climate policies – like health through better access to nature – with sustainability is an effective way to bring climate concerns closer to people’s daily lives.  

In collaboration with the University of Southeast Norway, they are adding technology to the mix by using virtual reality (VR) to showcase Drammen’s green spaces and inspire people to engage more with nature. 

The initiative was called ‘Pause and Refresh’, and targets university students who often come from outside of Drammen and are less familiar with local landscape.

“If people see green videos of Drammen through a VR experience, maybe they will start walking more to experience it firsthand,” says Tofte. Helpfully, students were also involved in the project design. 

Through virtual reproductions of local natural environments, the initiative aims to promote mental health  and counter a declining connection with nature – a common trend among younger adults. The VR experiences were found to work well in a university setting, as they appeal to the university demographic, and can have an effect in as little as five minutes which avoids adding pressure to busy schedules. The VR-videos can be found on YouTube. 

The installations were placed at strategic points across campus, with additional stands set up during high-stress exam periods to test their potential to decrease student anxiety through exposure to nature – even in a virtual form – and the university is now exploring with the university library and student welfare organisation how to integrate them further. 

Circular Drammen 

Tofte and her colleagues recognise that achieving long-term sustainability hinges on strengthening relationships with citizens and local partners and have dedicated funding to this effect.  

Libraries have become hubs for reuse and repair workshops, currently offering sewing classes.

“Meeting citizens where they already gather is more effective than creating entirely new spaces,” says Tofte.

A successful partnership was set up with VAREhuset, a local volunteer organisation that runs a centre for repair services, second-hand items, and sustainable products in June 2023. Much like the reuse community space, the partnership with the city brought the centre to life, but it now continues independently, and the centre aims to organise standalone workshops in the future. Young people were also invited to take part in local repair workshops to learn about circular economy practices and perhaps develop sustainable habits. 

“It takes time to talk to people, get them together in small workshops, and find solutions,” says Tofte. Yet these connections are laying essential foundations for sustained behavioural shifts. 

Eyes on 2030 

With five years to go, Drammen must maintain momentum and continue to secure funding, for which national support will be critical. As well as focusing on the longevity of such initiatives,

Tofte is aware that people locally “must see visible change, so we need to ensure we continue all the work we are doing and showing them the results,” she says.

Drammen is also building up their capacity in online climate communications to strengthen their connection to citizens. The city has dedicated website and Instagram account to share updates and resources, though building momentum online has its challenges.

“With just a few followers, it’s hard to build something new on social media, but we hope to grow this and keep it going even after the project ends,” says Tofte. 

Despite the city’s limited resources, the city’s involvement in the Pilot Cities Programme has energised local efforts and inspired a sense of possibility.

“If we want to be among the European frontrunner cities in the future, we must organise ourselves to secure essential funding and connect with other cities and countries,” says Tofte. 

“When you’ve been working on climate issues for a long time, it becomes both more frustrating because of all the challenges, but the outcomes also become more rewarding. The key is to keep pushing.”