How we work towards sustainability
At VisitOSLO we believe that tourism can play an important role in positively impacting our city. However, we also recognise that tourism can negatively impact the environment and the people.
Sustainability has been one of the pillars of VisitOSLO’s business strategy since 2016. We want our efforts to contribute towards a healthy and sustainable tourism development that benefits the visitors as well as the residents, and ensure that Oslo’s hospitality industry stays competitive and equipped for future expectations and requirements from both visitors and important stakeholders.
By healthy and sustainable tourism development, we mean that the destination should experience long-term economic growth, while ensuring that the industry’s negative impact on the environment and society are reduced to a minimum.
Tourism & The Sustainable Development Goals
The 2030 Agenda is the world's collective plan of action for sustainable development. It is concretised through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 sub-goals that apply to all countries. The tourism industry can – and should – be an important contributor to achieve the goals and can, directly or indirectly, contribute to all 17 goals.
However, not all sub-goals are equally relevant in the Norwegian context. VisitOSLO has therefore defined a selection of sustainability goals that the tourism industry in Oslo can influence through efforts and strategic measures. In particular, we consider SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals, as important in our work.
VisitOSLO’s prioritised sustainability goals
- SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production
- SDG 13: Climate action
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
In addition, we are cognisant of the fact that our work should contribute positively to SDG 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 14 & 15.
Read about our strategic work
Strategy | Sustainability Strategy | Sustainability Policy | Reports
How the City of Oslo is working towards sustainability
Oslo is working towards becoming one of the greenest cities in the world, and a leader in sustainable development.
You can read more about the City of Oslo’s strategic long-term development in Oslo’s municipal plan, and more specifically how Oslo plans to make the city fossil free in Oslo’s climate strategy. In addition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the policies and plans also aim to create an inclusive city full of life with cleaner air, more bicycle paths and even better public transport.
In 2023, the municipality of Oslo launched its strategy for Oslo as a sustainable tourist destination.
Read below about some of the milestones the City of Oslo has achieved in the last few years.
Milestones
- Second place in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index in 2023.
- Ranked as the most sustainable city in the world (Sustainable Cities Index 2022)
- First city in the world with its own climate budget
- One of the world’s most ambitious climate strategies (in line with the Paris Agreement)
- European Green Capital 2019
- International leader in electric mobility
- The first city in the world to focus on carbon capture and storage from waste facilities
- Oslo has one of the world’s longest harbour promenades (9 km)
- Awarded best local climate initiatives at the Zero Emission Conference 2021
- The leading city in Europe closest to No-Emission Travel
- The world’s best city for work-life balance in 2022
It should be easy to choose sustainable options in Oslo
We acknowledge that VisitOSLO has considerable power of influence to set new standards, initiate change and drive more sustainable behaviour. Therefore, we are conscious of how we communicate and portray questions regarding environmental issues and sustainability.
The travellers of today are increasingly concerned with sustainability, and we expect that this trend will continue in the future. Demand for sustainable travel products continues to grow. Several independent studies confirm that an increasing share of travellers wants to travel in a sustainable manner, and that sustainability also affects travel choices.
VisitOSLO is constantly working to simplify for travellers to make sustainable choices by providing correct information and the right inspiration, so that everyone gets an optimal stay in Oslo.
For this reason, we have created guides for vintage stores, restaurants, accommodations and activies that have a clear environmental profile and focus on sustainability.
Oslo should be accessible to everyone, which is why we have gathered information about the accessibility of various services in an accessibility guide.
How to travel sustainable
We have also created a guide for how to be a responsible tourist in order to encourage visitors to have a positive impact on the destination. In this context, we have conducted a survey to gives an overview of sustainability efforts within the tourism and hospitality industry. At visitoslo.com the visitor can filter restaurants, hotels, museums, and attractions based on sustainability indicators and filters. Read more about the Visit Oslo Responsibly-criteria:
Guide Against Greenwashing
VisitOSLO has signed the Guide Against Greenwashing, which means that we commit to do our utmost to uphold the principles presented in the guide in our advertising, marketing and general communication.
Certifications
We encourage the use of sustainability certified actors to make sure that they take responsibility and comply the minimal requirements. In Oslo, about 95% of hotels, venues and suppliers have a third-party certification.
These are the most common certifications among the hospitality industry in Oslo:
Questions or comments?
Do you have any questions to our work with sustainability in Oslo – or do you have a comment? Please do not hesitate to send us an email.