Karlstad: Student citizen council for the climate

This spring, all children and students in municipal preschools and primary schools were asked to submit suggestions on how Karlstad Municipality can become more environmentally and climate-smart. This was done as part of the Student Citizens’ Council for the Climate, a concept with which Karlstad is the first in Sweden.

At a student democracy workshop in which 44 students from grades 4-9 participated, 967 proposals were received, which were then compiled and processed down to 67 proposals. Free bus rides during the summer vacation, more and wider bike lanes, smart garbage cans, solar panels on all roofs, more urban food production and electric boat buses are some of the 67 proposals that the Student Citizen Council submitted to the politicians in the municipal board. The municipal board has set aside SEK 1 million to make several of these proposals a reality.

– ”It is absolutely fantastic to see the students’ commitment and I am very impressed by their wise and climate-smart proposals,” says Linda Larsson, Chair of the Municipal Board of Karlstad Municipality.