A Practical Method on Solid Scientific Ground

The Actionable Consensus Framework (ACF) was not invented in a seminar room. It was built in real meetings, with real officials, under real political pressure – especially in medium‑sized cities where resources are tight, and friction is high.

Instead of starting from today’s constraints and moving in cautious, incremental steps, ACF does the opposite. Participants first agree on what a good life in a climate‑neutral city should feel like, then define a shared North Star and work backwards. Using backcasting, they map the concrete changes and decisions required to move from today’s reality to the desired future.

Under the surface, this very practical method rests on a solid scientific foundation. ACF is fully aligned with the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), a robust approach to strategic sustainability planning. It draws on climate science, behavioural psychology, social identity theory, negotiation research, and urban governance – but you can use it without knowing all the theory.

The framework grew out of several years of action research with ten Swedish cities in a government‑financed national climate‑neutral cities programme. Insights from real conflicts, stalled cases, and successful breakthroughs were distilled into a method that fits how city halls actually work. Its core assumptions have been reviewed and endorsed by leading scholars in sustainability science, strategic sustainable development, and urban governance in Sweden, the UK, and the US.

To ensure that ACF is both scientifically robust and practically useful, the framework has been vetted by these experts so that what began in Swedish cities is not just a local fix, but a globally relevant tool for any city.