LIGHTING
STOCKHOLM ’ S QUEST TO
PROTECT BIODIVERSITY
WITH COLOUR AND PRESENCE-CONTROLLED LIGHTING
The City of Stockholm in Sweden has embarked on a groundbreaking project to assess and better control the impact of lighting on local biodiversity with a lighting project involving colour and presencecontrolled lighting .
Environmental Context The Swedish capital aims to become fossil-free and climate-positive by 2040 , with the city itself becoming fossil-free by 2030 . Key to this vision is not only reducing its carbon footprint but also nurturing a healthy environment for its residents and wildlife .
To bring these ambitious goals to fruition , Stockholm has crafted an “ Action Plan for Biological Diversity in the City of Stockholm .” This initiative has given rise to a series of actions aimed at preserving and enhancing biodiversity within the urban environment .
Lighting as a Conservation Tool One innovative aspect of this broader initiative is a focus on lighting as a potential conservation tool . This project is a collaboration between various departments at the City of Stockholm and has been driven by Mattias Bovin of the Environmental Administration and Anders Hedlund of the Traffic Office .
Commencing early in 2022 , the project is set to conclude with a final report in mid-2024 . The overarching goal is to establish guidelines for lighting practices that harmonize with and support biodiversity .
The Genesis of the Project In 2022 , Stockholm launched a pilot project grounded in international research and reports . The project ’ s central objective was to assess how colour and presence-controlled lighting could affect the activity of bats within the “ Årstskogen ” nature area , strategically situated in the heart of the city . The collaboration with the Environmental Administration ensures that ecological considerations remained at the forefront of the project ’ s design and implementation .
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