On Thursday, Vilnius City Municipality brought together the sustainability community of science, business and city companies for the forum “Vilnius Ecosystem”. Progress in sustainability is impossible without dialogue, so the forum organised at the end of the year by “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025” focused on a discussion aimed at aligning expectations, seeking common activities and solutions for a greener, more vibrant and prosperous Vilnius.

“We still talked separately too often, but the challenges we face require joint work and actually unite us – the topic of mobility, which raises a lot of discussion, is relevant to everyone, happiness and the general well-being of people in the city is also an important factor for sustainable urban growth, green ambitions – preserving biodiversity, improving waste management and striving for climate neutrality – are no less relevant from the perspective of the city, business and science conducting various studies. Therefore, I am glad that the forum was a productive start to the joint work that lies ahead,” says Anton Nikitin, Head of Sustainability in Vilnius.

Mobility and happiness in the city

Discussions on mobility have emphasised that real change requires more than just investment in infrastructure – it is necessary to invest even more rapidly in a better everyday experience, where time is the most important “currency”. The discussions focused not only on the need for faster and more convenient public transport, a consistently expanding bicycle network and solutions that can help change mobility habits, but also on positive incentives to travel without a car, the importance of communities, and the challenges and opportunities for changing habits as explored by science.

When discussing about happiness in the city, it was said that the foundation of a sustainable city is its people and communities. And although we are economically strong, we still lack a sense of community. The historically destroyed culture of the city is also still in the process of being created. However, there is also a lot of potential here to meet various needs so that the city is safe, comfortable and accessible both to children and elderly people, despite the sometimes long and inert processes of urban development.

Green ambitions and cooperation

Practical discussions on biodiversity, waste and resources, and climate neutrality revealed a clear need for closer cooperation: from more specific solutions for waste prevention to better data and the application of innovation to address climate issues. The evening “fail nights” session shared open lessons from the heat and waste sectors, as these are often the catalysts for change.

Sustainability in the city is not just about indicators – it is about the quality of life of people and communities, which we create together. Vilnius sees business and science as partners and communities that bring many people together, and plans to continue cooperating on sustainability issues. The goal is for “Vilnius Ecosystem” not to be a one-off event, but to become a working format for implementing various projects and joint initiatives.