Sweden in Action - The Sustainable Solutions Magazine by CleanTech Region Impact Group

Sustainable 2012

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Sweden in action 3 Jan Eliasson 3 Lena Ek 3 Gunilla Carlsson 3 Sustainable Urban Planning 3 What Sweden does

The report ”A Future Worth Choosing” has produced 56 recommendations on how sustainable development can be achieved. Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation, lists the most important items.

When constructing new residential areas, the builders can plan for sustainable environments from the beginning. Hammarby Sjöstad and Norra Djurgårdsstaden in Stockholm are two examples of developing urban neighbourhoods.

Sweden’s Environment Minister, Lena Ek sees herself as a coach who creates environmental benefits. Her basic approach is that it should be easiest, cheapest and most fun to be environmentally friendly.

In Linköping, young people can attend a cutting-edge uppersecondary educational programme. Folkunga School’s sustainable development programme is Sweden’s most up-to-date social science education.

A new chapter of the groundbreaking, outdoor exhibition, Hard Rain will tour through Sweden during 2012. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has funded a two-year tour.

Her goal was to work at a publicly traded, international company doing what is personally important to her. As Sustainability Manager at technology consulting firm ÅF, Alice Bah Kuhnke has finally found the perfect job.

6. United Nations leads the way to a sustainable world. 14. Rio+20 is all about our children’s future. 18. Enjoy Developing Sweden. 24. Focus on the Green Economy in Rio de Janeiro. 34. Conference on sustainable living and innovative solutions. 46. A nature-based high-tech society. 48. From Stockholm to Rio. 50. Vattenrike biosphere reserve. 52. Seeing the wood for the trees. 54. Capturing the sun. 56. A connected world. 57. An eco-smart society for all. 64. Managing waste a step towards renewal. 74. The goal is clear. 76. Airlines look for a new landing strip. 84. Kindergarten in China inspired by Swedish model. 92. Sweden in action. Editorial production: Dynamo Press AB Translation: Accent Språkservice Print: Tryckmäklaren i Norr AB 2

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Whole Earth?

From 1 July, Social Democrat politician and former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Eliasson, will become the UN’s Deputy SecretaryGeneral. Eliasson will thereby take on the most senior UN post assigned to a Swede since Dag Hammarskjöld served as Secretary-General.

ligning human systems and natural systems is the theme for this magazine and for an exhibition and seminar tour throughout Sweden and worldwide supported by Sida Partnership Forum. It is about Sweden in action and reinventing the modern world. It is about sustainable innovations, sustainable productions and sustainable lifestyle. And it is about bringing partners from private, public and civil sectors together with researchers to explore solutions and deliver green growth and human rights. There is no single “solution”, but there are thousands of solutions: small individual acts; big government policy changes; radically new forms of global governance and co-operation; new and renewable energy systems; cap-and-trade systems to establish a high price for carbon; new technology standards; new technology. We’ll need them all. The new WHOLE EARTH? exhibition points to the tasks ahead. A few key points: Build or rebuild cities to make them super-efficient for the 6–7 billion people who will live in them by 2050. Produce twice as much food as today without using any more land or water; doing it in ways that bring dignity to the billions who will still be living on farms and in rural villages. Use water efficiently (or by 2050, some 4.5 billion could be living in countries chronically short of water). Preserve the ecosystems that make life on earth possible. Changes in attitudes are needed to drive these and other changes toward a new world of human activity and living everywhere. All countries are “developing countries” now, needing to develop new, lower-carbon ways of heating, air-conditioning, moving around, manufacturing, farming and prospering. So too today, all our problems, all our solutions, are connected. And it gets personal. It is time to know what you are going to do now. Now read on …

Lloyd Timberlake and Mark Edwards, Hard Rain Project Dag Jonzon, Sida Partnership Forum Sustainable Solutions

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Vote for climate neutrality! We Swedes are a peace-loving bunch, but get aggressive about the environment. We like neutral â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and we like climateneutral mass transit systems. This includes airports. We plan zero carbon emissions by 2020. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what Swedavia means by aggressive! Check in at www.swedavia.com

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Swedavia is a state-owned group that owns, operates and develops 11 airports across Sweden. 5

UN leads the way to a sustainable world Given that the world consists of just under 200 countries with wildly varying goals and interests, we need an organisation able to bring us together to achieve a sustainable world. The United Nations has taken on this task. Text: Mikael Söderlind

n 1981 American environmental scientist and author Lester Brown introduced the concept of “sustainable development”. The term gained international attention in 1987 with the publication of the UN report entitled “Our Common Future”, also known as the Brundtland Report. Since then, the United Nations has been the leading promoter of the concept and actively works to bring nations together to develop strategies for creating a sustainable world. In the past 20 years, the UN has organised two major environmental and sustainable development conferences: the first in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 and the second in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002. Both conferences brought together representatives from the majority of the world’s nations and tens of thousands of 6

other stakeholders. They also resulted in several key documents that have since served as benchmarks for working with environmental and sustainability issues around the world. This summer will see the third milestone in this series of major UN conferences – Rio+20. The UN will also organise a number of other conferences and summits to discuss global development issues. The results of the 2000 summit, initiated by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, are particularly relevant today. At the time, member countries voted to adopt the Millennium Declaration. This declaration includes several goals to be achieved by 2015. One of these goals focuses on sustainable development. It states that, by 2015, the

every country’s policies must integrate the principles of sustainable development and that the world must reverse the current decline in natural resources by this date. The goal also requires that the world’s countries address future climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The UN also hosts the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), which focuses solely on sustainable development issues. Its mission includes integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions into these efforts. The division works to achieve this at international, national and regional levels and to promote sustainable development throughout society. Moreover, the DSD strives to ensure the ability to measure progress as these principles are implemented. Sustainable Solutions

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The UN has a central role to play From 1 July, Social Democrat politician and former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jan Eliasson, will become the UN’s Deputy SecretaryGeneral. Eliasson will thereby take on the most senior UN post assigned to a Swede since Dag Hammarskjöld served as Secretary-General. Text: Gunnar Andersson

liasson has already undertaken a long list of imposing assignments on behalf of the United Nations. These include being appointed by Ban Ki-moon as one of 15 ambassadors responsible for lobbying to achieve the UN Millennium Goals. He is also the only Swede ever to have served as Chair of the UN General Assembly, and in 2006, he was appointed the UN Special Envoy to Darfur by Kofi Annan. Eliasson has also served as the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. He has earned a reputation as a thoughtful negotiator in difficult situations and he enjoys great respect at the UN

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and in many parts of the world for his ability to resolve conflicts and serve as a unifying force. ”I am honoured that the Secretary-General has appointed me to this important position within the UN. I will do my best to defend the role of the UN in the world. In this time of upheaval and conflict, a strong United Nations is needed more than ever,” says Eliasson. The former Swedish politician is already working with the UN Millennium Development Group, of which Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain, share the chairmanship. Apart from Eliasson, the 15 other mem-

bers of the group include Nobel Laureates Muhammed Yunus as well as Jeffrey Sachs, Graça Machel and Ted Turner. Seventy-one-year-old Eliasson will now become Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s right-hand man and Deputy Secretary-General of the UN. He will assume the position from 1 July. ”I took some time to consider the offer before I responded, but I feel that you have to serve if you are called,” Eliasson reveals. Eliasson has known Ban Kimoon for many years. His assignment as Deputy SecretaryGeneral will include diplomatic missions, mediation, conflict resolution and addressing development issues.

”I had preliminary discussions with him [Eliasson]. Considering that he has such broad and extensive experience in crisis management and mediation, it is always natural that he could use his diplomatic skills in addressing many important and serious political crisis issues. And he should also be involved in development issues,” explains UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon. The UN has a plan for the next five years that Eliasson believes to be very wise. ”It’s revolves around sustainable development; conflict prevention; dealing with countries in transition phases, such as Arab countries; peace and security; and the situation of women and young people. These are very big issues, and they aren’t something that just the UN, but the entire international community, should address. Nonetheless, we hope that the UN can be a catalyst in these areas. It’s an ambitious, but necessary agenda,” Eliasson concludes. Eliasson believes that the UN’s role in global efforts towards sustainable development must be a central one. ”But the UN cannot drive this work forward on its own,” he says. ”In addressing this issue, all parts of society must take part and contribute. But the UN can certainly be normative.” For Eliasson, sustainable development is one of the critical issues for the future. ”Sustainability is obviously very important because we live in a world that must conserve resources for our children,” he says. ”The lifestyle we choose is therefore important, and climate change must be a priority.” He is not yet certain just how he will promote sustainability 10

Facts: Jan Eliasson Born: 17 September 1940 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Family: Married with three adult children Education: Degree in Economics from the School of Business and Economics at Gothenburg University, 1965 Positions and assignments: 2012–Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations 2010–Member of the UN Millennium Goals Group 2006–2008–UN envoy in Darfur 2006–Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs 2005–Chair of the UN General Assembly 2000–2005–Swedish Ambassador in Washington 1994–2000–State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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1992–1994–UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator 1991–1992–Vice President of the UN Economic and Social Council 1988–1992–Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN. President of the United Nations Trust Fund for South Africa 1983–1988–General Director for Political Affairs at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs 1980–1986–Participated in the UN mediation team in the war between Iran and Iraq. Later, Eliasson also served as a mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for the OSCE. Sustainable Solutions

1980–1983–Director for Political Affairs in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs 1977–1980–Deputy Director of the Press and Information Department, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1974–1977–First Secretary, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1970–1971–First Secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Washington 1968–1970–Secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Washington 1967–1968–Secretary at the Swedish Embassy in Bonn 1967–1968–Attaché, Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs 11

at the UN and whether or not he will attend the Rio+20 conference. ”But my involvement will focus both on these critical, topical issues and on the longterm, silent disasters like poverty and climate issues.” As a member of the UN Millennium Development Group, Eliasson is already well up-todate on sustainability issues. ”The UN Secretary-General has given me special responsibility for goal number 7, which is to ensure sustainable development.” The Swedish diplomat is basically an optimist who does not worry overly, but who believes that peace, climate change and human rights are key is12

sues that must be resolved. With his broad experience, expertise and long career, he hopes to contribute a great deal to the UN’s work. ”I have mediation experience, an extensive contact network and have been Chair of the UN General Assembly. I have also held the position of UN Mediator in Darfur, and have worked to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals; eight quantifiable goals aimed at improving the lives of the world’s poor. I hope my experience will be of value to the Secretary-General and the UN.” Eliasson feels that Sweden can play a major role in global efforts to achieve sustainable

development. ”Sweden has to be progressive and to help drive development forward. As for the development of new environmental technology, more people have to realise that this will be a real industry of the future, in which Sweden should take the lead. I believe that achieving this requires even closer cooperation between research and industry.” He also believes that there is already broad and strong environmental awareness in Sweden, but that we all need to take greater responsibility and to realise that we have no other choice. ”I often say that we have a plan B, but we have no planet B.” Sustainable Solutions

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Rio+20 is all about our childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future Alva Snis Sigtryggsson has been appointed to represent the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations at the UN. She will participate in the Swedish governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delegation to the Rio+20 Summit held later this year. 14

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Text: Gunnar Andersson

ach year the National Council of Swedish Youth Organisations (LSU) appoints young people to represent Sweden’s youth at various UN conferences. The idea is to increase opportunities for young people to become involved, influence and be empowered – even in international settings – through their youth organisations. This year’s representative to the UN summit on sustainable development, Rio+20, is Alva Snis Sigtryggsson. She is 18 years old, lives in Stockholm and works with the group Nature and Youth Sweden (Fältbiologerna). ”I will mainly be working on green economy issues in the lead-up to Rio+20. It’s an exciting field that is constantly evolving at pace with the realisation that we must promote other values than solely economic ones. Young people will play an important role in this process both before, during and after the Rio summit,” says Snis Sigtryggsson. LSU is a coordinating body for youth organisations in Sweden. It develops young leaders and their organisations while also working to improve conditions for young people in Sweden and around the world. The LSU organisation is non-profit, non-partisan and without religious affiliations. It is both by and for youth organisations. LSU brings together 73 independent, democratically organised, national organisations that, combined, have more than half a million young members. Sustainable Solutions

One of these is Alva Snis Sigtryggsson, who will represent LSU at Rio+20. She believes it is important to consider young people’s perspective, given that older people may not bother to create a sustainable future for themselves. ”It is us – not they – who will live with the consequences of decisions made or bypassed,” she explains. ”But I also believe that our particular generation is special. Our upbringing has largely been characterised by the worst aspects of an old system and it is only getting worse. Even so, we know more clearly now than ever before what has to be done and how we should do it. We are also young enough that the old system hasn’t influenced our way of viewing the problems too deeply. This makes us radical and able to create the world we want.” Though Snis Sigtryggsson places great emphasis on the younger generation, she hasn’t lost faith in today’s adults. ”Young people are not yet the decision-makers and have limited sway over the debate, while our opinions are viewed with scepticism. If we are going to have any ability to make decisions later when we are adults, long-term decisions have to be made today,” she adds. ”As I said earlier, I really believe that our generation has great potential to break with old norms and build a new world based on what we think is important – that both nature and people thrive and that the economic system is shaped based on these conditions.”

It is also important to remember that young people are by no means a homogeneous group. No one asks whether adults are able to contribute a unique perspective. The biggest problem is that the extensive knowledge young people have is not leveraged by today’s decision-makers, which results in undeveloped discussions without nuances. This applies to all aspects of sustainable development. Snis Sigtryggsson believes that young people need to be included in every forum imaginable so that they can be involved in and influence sustainable development efforts. ”Young people need to be involved not just where they are welcomed, but on every front – whether it be working with politicians, businesses, private individuals, organisations or others in positions of power.” Channels young people can use to exert influence may include traditional and social media, campaigns and applying pressure. ”They can also arrange direct meetings with individuals whose decisions can be influenced – lunch with a company manager or a local politician, for example,” she explains. She also believes in the need for a common goal to connect as many parts of the youth movement as possible in order to bring the young generation together. ”We need collaboration from unexpected quarters, many different perspectives and greater breadth. That would make our demands hard to ignore,” Snis Sigtryggsson concludes. 15

40 years since the first UN summit The world only began to take environmental issues seriously in the early 1970s after the United Nationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first environmental conference. Since then, the environment and, more recently, sustainable development in general have had their own agenda at the UN. Over the years, three major global conferences have taken place. In addition, annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs) are held to discuss the progress made to date in addressing climate issues. Text: Mikael SĂśderlind

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Stockholm 1972 In 1972 global environmental issues finally gained the world’s attention. In this year the UN organised its first ever environmental conference, the UN Conference on Human Environment, in Stockholm. Actually, the conference yielded few concrete results but it has strong symbolic significance since it marked the beginning of environmental efforts at the international level. One of the conference’s key successes was the formation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), an organisation that coordinates the UN’s environmental activities. The conference also resulted in the Stockholm Declaration of 26 principles, 21 of which form the basis for international environmental law. Rio de Janeiro 1992 Twenty years after the historic Stockholm Conference, the UN Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro also had a significant impact on environmental thinking. This summit adopted the principle that all development must be sustainable, which means that economic, social and environmental factors must be considered when making decisions. The also summit adopted the well-known Agenda 21 (an action plan for the twenty-first century) and four additional documents: the Rio Declaration, the Forest Principles, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Johannesburg 2002 The 2002 Earth Summit in Johannesburg is widely viewed as the third milestone in the process of achieving sustainable development. The summit attracted Sustainable Solutions

20,000 participants from 189 member countries and from international and non-governmental organisations. It resulted in a political declaration and an implementation plan for sustainable development. The summit once again stressed that all development must be sustainable and that economic, social and environmental aspects must be integrated. Annual negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol Since 1995 countries that adopted the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have met annually to discuss the management of climate issues. Since 1997 negotiations related to the Kyoto Protocol have also been held in meetings known as Conferences of Parties (COPs). In 2006 the COPs were combined with the Meetings of the Parties (MOPS). These meetings are held primarily for signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Countries that have not ratified the protocol may participate as observers, however.

Facts: COP 3 1995: COP 1 in Berlin, Germany, 1996: COP 2 in Geneva, Switzerland, 1997: COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, 1998: COP 4 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1999: COP 5 in Bonn, Germany, 2000: COP 6 in The Hague, Netherlands, 2001: COP 6 in Bonn, Germany, 2001: COP 7 in Marrakech, Morocco, 2002: COP 8 in New Delhi, India, 2003: COP 9 in Milan, Italy, 2004: COP 10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2005: COP 11/MOP 1 in Montreal, Canada, 2006: COP 12/MOP 2 in Nairobi, Kenya 2007: COP 13/MOP 3 in Bali, Indonesia 2008: COP 14/MOP 4 in Pozna , Poland 2009: COP 15/MOP 5 in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2010: COP 16/MOP 6 in Cancún, Mexico, 2011: COP 17/MOP 7 in Durban, South Africa, 2012: COP 18/ MOP 8 in Qatar

It has been argued that the UN Conference on the Human Environment began the modern era of international environmental action. Some claimed even greater achievements for that gathering in Stockholm in 1972. Anthropologist Margaret Mead told the delegates gathered there that the event was “a revolution in thought fully comparable to the Copernican revolution by which, four centuries ago, men and women were compelled to revise their whole sense of the earth’s place in the cosmos. Today we are challenged to recognize as great a change in our concept of man’s place in the biosphere.”

Enjoy Developing Sweden Text: Lloyd Timberlake.

he Stockholm conference Declaration stated that “Man has constantly to sum up experience and go on discovering, inventing, creating and advancing. In our time, man’s capability to transform his surroundings, if used wisely, can bring to all peoples the benefits of development and the opportunity to enhance the quality of life. Wrongly or heedlessly applied, the same power can do incalculable harm to human beings and the human environment.” It added: “In the developing countries most of the environ18

mental problems are caused by under-development. Millions continue to live far below the minimum levels required for a decent human existence, deprived of adequate food and clothing, shelter and education, health and sanitation.” The Stockholm Action Plan makes less compelling reading: a long list of 109 very vague recommendations such as “It is recommended that Governments be mindful of activities in which there is an appreciable risk of effects on climate…”. However, the main purpose of the conference was not to argue

science or develop treaties but to coordinate international policy, the little that existed at the time. Thus in the Action Plan, the words ozone and biodiversity do not appear, and there is virtually no reference to climate change besides the one quoted above. Yet the conference “marked the entry of the environment onto the international agenda. There was wide agreement among governments. The meeting paved the way for the establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and for many of the Sustainable Solutions

Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, being greeted by Mr. Maurice F. Strong, Secretary General of the Conference, upon her arrival at the Fokets Hus building to attend the Conference.

conventions, treaties, and protocols that followed. It also made clear, in its Declaration and in the speeches of many of the delegates from the developing world, that managing environmental challenges in poorer countries requires a certain amount of economic growth and specific forms of development. It argued that development and the environment were not mutually exclusive, but it did not convincingly integrate the two. Fifteen years later, the Brundtland Report did this by developing and championing Sustainable Solutions

the concept of sustainable development, which it defined as forms of development that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Thus environment and development were shown to be inseparable, two sides of the same coin. The report, by the World Commission on Environment and Development (or the Brundtland Commission, after its chair, Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland) also brought the concept

of sustainable development into the real world by noting that it â&#x20AC;&#x153;is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs. We do not pretend that the process is easy or straightforward. Painful choices have to be made. Thus, in the final analysis, sustainable development must rest on political will.â&#x20AC;? 19

From left: Mr. Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations; King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden; and Mr. Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the Conference, just before the Swedish welcoming ceremony at Stockholm’s Royal Opera House which preceeded the official opening of the Conference in the afternoon at the Folkets Hus.

President Thabo Mbeki of the Republic of South Africa addresses the opening plenary meeting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Brundtland Report was also forceful on a concept that is really the theme of this paper: all environmental and development challenges can be boiled down to the problem that human systems are out of sync with natural systems. The Brundtland commissioners wrote almost 25 years ago: “the real world of interlocking economic and ecological systems will not change; the policies and institutions concerned must.” In 2010, 29 international companies, members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) issued the report Vision 2050, in which they tried to envision a sustainable planetary society by the year 2050 and to lay out the paths to get there. Vision 2050 had three main findings. The first is that “business as usual” would lead to vast societal disasters – bad

nance, information/communication technology, and partnerships. The third finding was that for there to be any chance for a sustainable world by 2050, much must be accomplished in the present decade: 2010-2020, a period the report labeled the “turbulent teens.” The key question is whether or not Sweden, and Swedes, care. Global warming means that we are all “developing countries” now, with wealthy countries like Sweden needing to develop new forms of energy, to use clean tech to develop its way into sustainability. Sweden is relatively clean and green, but it is using more than its share of global resources. Do Swedes want to develop in the right direction? Or are they happy to rest on their green and well-developed laurels? These questions about what Swedes are going to do lead to

for humanity and thus bad for business. The second is that “the transformation ahead represents vast opportunities in a broad range of business segments as the global challenges of growth, urbanization, scarcity and environmental change become the key strategic drivers for business in the coming decade. In natural resources, health and education alone, the broad order of magnitude of some of these could be around US$ 0.5-1.5 trillion per annum in 2020, rising to between US$ 3-10 trillion per annum in 2050 at today’s prices, which is around 1.5-4.5 % of world GDP in 2050. Opportunities range from developing and maintaining low-carbon, zero-waste cities and infrastructure to improving and managing biocapacity, ecosystems, lifestyles, and livelihoods. Enabling these changes will also create opportunities for fi-

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Maurice F. Strong, Secretary-General of the Conference, making a statement. At centre is Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim, and at right is Ingemund Bengtsson, Minister of Agriculture of Sweden and President of the Conference. [5–16 June 1972]

a very nasty issue: motivation. Why should any of us who is well off and lives in a prosperous, comfortable country bother to change toward more sustainable ways of doing things? The short answer is “to save our human civilization.” But, strangely, that may not be motivation enough. Let us look at climate change, because it combines so many different ecological issues: spreading deserts, changing water availability, deforestation, changing farming realities, etc. To manage climate change we must move away from carbon as the basis of our energy systems. We have the technology to do this, and as we use this technology, we will improve it and it will become cheaper. We know, because many learned reports have told us so, that if we start decarbonizing our economy now, we will save money. So we have the science, technology, and Sustainable Solutions

the economic motivation. But that is not the way the world works. The average adult Swede does not suffer from carbon-based energy. S/ he benefits: most cars and houses still require carbon fuels. All airplanes do. Carbon dioxide takes a long time to rise into the upper atmosphere and start playing its “greenhouse” role. So the carbon doing the damage now was released not by this generation but by previous generations. The CO2 released by this generation will hurt future generations. The CO2 now in the atmosphere is killing and destroying the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people, but these are not Swedes; they are in dryland Africa, or under the melting glaciers of the Andes and the Himalayas. However, every generation of well-off people – those causing the problem – will be in the same situation: wanting to de-

lay action until the NEXT generation takes over. But the actions required will get harder for each generation. As a species, we are not evolved enough to tackle challenges that threaten mainly poor people in other parts of the globe and people not yet born. In this case, we lack the legal, ethical, and moral toolkit to “save our human civilization.” US philosopher Stephen Gardiner describes this plight eloquently, and argues that it is so difficult it corrupts us in several ways. We pretend the science is controversial and unclear. We pretend the solutions are more difficult than they are. We pretend we are negotiating solutions when we are not. And we pretend we are making progress in those negotiations, when we are not. Gardiner wrote this piece before the 2009 Copenhagen meeting of the parties to the UN 21

climate treaty. As he predicted, despite everyone pretending to negotiate in good faith, no progress was made. Yet most observers, even environmentalists, said things like: “Well yes, it was a disappointment, but actually a great deal

of progress was made at Copenhagen.” So as we discuss what Sweden will do now, we can never lose sight of the question: why will Sweden do it? It will take leadership from the top of the political, business and NGO

worlds. And it will take grassroots leadership to create a bottom-up movement to stiffen the resolve of Sweden’s leaders. And Sweden must decide how to partner with all the other developing countries facing the same challenges.

Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, addresses a press conference. 19 October 1987, United Nations, New York.

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The fast track to leading Swedish environmental technology The magazine Miljöaktuellt (Environmental News) and its publisher IDG are investing heavily in green technologies with several new initiatives to create Sweden’s central platform for environmental technology information. The goal is to provide a meeting place for customers, investors and technology companies.

iljöaktuellt and the publisher IDG have chosen to invest heavily in green technologies through a number of new projects: the news site M-Teknik, the magazine Green Solutions from Sweden (which it bought in February), and the extensive online service Swedish Greentech Industry Guide. Swedish Greentech Industry Guide (www.greensweden. se) is a searchable database that lists all Swedish green tech companies and shares information about their services and products. This is a smart catalogue of Swedish green tech companies with optimised information for international customers and investors. In February, the environmental magazine Miljöaktuellt purchased Green Solutions from Sweden, an exclusive cofSustainable Solutions

racts and the policy decisions that affect the green tech sector. ”We want to excel at finding and collecting the news needed by the green tech industry, whether you are a contractor, supplier, investor or buyer of green tech,” says M-Teknik’s chief editor Jon Röhne. fee table magazine focused on describing the Swedish environmental technology market to foreign investors and buyers. This independent magazine will be published twice a year and distributed through IDG and through international and national partners. The third investment by Miljöaktuellt and IDG launched last autumn, the website Mteknik. This news site focuses on research, new and exciting technologies, industry cont-

Facts Read more At www.greensweden.se you can find over 1000 Swedish green tech companies. At http://m-teknik.idg.se you can read about politics, technology and contracts from green technology Sweden. For more information or to find out how you can be a part of the platform, contact Arash Sangari, Ph: +46-(0)763-41 06 63, arash.sangari@idg.se

In late June the UN will hold its next major conference on sustainable development. This time, the spotlight will be on the Brazilian capital of Rio de Janeiro. The programme is ambitious and participants have many challenges to address.

Focus on the Green Economy in Rio de Janeiro Text: Mikael SĂśderlind

n 2010 the UN General Assembly decided that a conference on sustainable development would be held in 2012. The conference, known as Rio+20, will be held 20-22 June in Rio de Janeiro. As the name indicates, 20 years have now passed since the last major UN environmental meeting took place in Rio. The meeting was historically important and laid the groundwork for Agenda 21, a global programme for sustainable development. The Brazilian government hopes that Rio+20 will be the largest conference in United Nations history. Diplomat Laudemar Aguiar, Head of Logistics for Rio+20, estimates that 150 heads of state and 50,000 other attendees will convene, including diplomats, journalists, business people, politicians and environmental activists. The fact that all 30 hotel chains in Rio de Janeiro are 24

more or less fully booked during the conference gives an indication of the scale of interest. Ten thousand campers are also expected in the city. Several of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading heads of state, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, King of Spain Juan Carlos I and Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former president Vladimir Putin, have been invited to Rio+20, though it is still unclear just who will attend. British Prime Minister David Cameron has declined to participate, despite heavy criticism, and will instead send Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. President Barack Obama has also declined to attend, although representatives from his administration will be present. The main themes for Rio+20 are the green economy in the context of sustainable development, the eradicating poverty and the institutional

framework for sustainable development. The framework involves discussing how to formulate rules and structure its organisation. Member states, interest groups and committees will hold a large number of meetings during the conference to discuss everything from sustainable tourism to the green economy in the energy sector. The summit has a tightly packed programme, to say the least. The main objectives of the conference are to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, to assess the progress and shortcomings of the implementation of commitments from past sustainable development summits and to address new issues and challenges currently emerging. The outcome of the conference will largely depend on the quality of regional and national preparations. Sustainable Solutions

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Seven priority areas for Rio+20 3 Jobs. The economic recession has taken a toll on both the quantity and quality of jobs available. A well-functioning labour market is crucial for the 190 million people currently unemployed and the more than 500 million job seekers who will emerge over the next ten years. 3 Energy. Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today, whether it be jobs, security, climate change, food production or rising incomes. We need to develop sustainable energy solutions to strengthen economies, protect ecosystems and achieve equity. 3 Cities. Cities are hubs of commerce, culture, science, production and more. Many challenges exist in maintaining cities in a way that continues to create jobs and prosperity without exhausting resources. 3 Food.It is time to develop new approaches to growing, distributing and consuming food. If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all, while also generating decent incomes. 3 Water. Clean, accessible water for all is an important feature of the world we want to live in, and there is enough fresh water on our planet to achieve it. Bad economics or poor infrastructure, however, cause millions of people to die each year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene. 3 Oceans. Our oceansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; currents, temperature and living creatures drive global systems that make Earth habitable for humankind. Throughout history, oceans and seas have also been vital for trade and transportation. Managing this global resource carefully is crucial to a sustainable future. 3 Disasters. Disasters caused by earthquakes, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tsunamis and more can have devastating impacts on people, environments and economies. Making smart choices allows both people and ecosystems to recover from disasters faster.

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Sweden has an international reputation for promoting sustainable development. This reputation is, of course, based on the nation’s efforts as a whole. ”I believe and hope that Sweden is perceived as a country that is at the forefront of sustainability issues internationally‚ both in terms of work in our own country and international work,” says Gunilla Carlsson, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation.

Fifty-six points to address Text: Gunnar Andersson

The UN Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm in 1972. It was the first in a series of conferences on sustainable development held every ten years; in Nairobi in 1982, in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, in Johannesburg in 2002 and preparations are now in full swing for the next conference in Rio, to be held 20-22 June. ”Ever since the Stockholm conference in 1972, Sweden has maintained a high profile internationally in terms of sustainability issues. This year we are organising the conference Stockholm +40 – Partnership Forum for Sustainable Development where we will have yet another chance to push the sustainability agenda.” Carlsson believes that an international consensus is important to achieving progress within sustainable development. ”Each dimension of sustainable development – the economic, social and environmental – are, in many respects, 28

inter-related. What one country does affects other countries. There may also be additional costs that prevent countries from moving ahead in the pursuit of sustainable development on their own. That’s why international consensus and cooperation are so important,” adds Carlsson. Gunilla Carlsson is one of 19 high-ranking politicians from different parts of the world who have sat on the UN High Level Panel on Global Sustainability Panel (GSP). The panel was started by Ban Kimoon in August 2010 and was jointly led by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. ”The UN Secretary General’s decision to appoint a High Level Panel on Global Sustainability is partly a result of the conclusions presented by the International Commission on Climate Change and Development, which I chaired,” explains Carlsson. The Panel’s task was to develop a new vision for sustainable

growth and prosperity and to suggest ways on how this should be implemented. The final report ”A Future Worth Choosing” was presented in Sweden on 24 February and is an important contribution to the Rio+20 Conference. ”Much of the report’s message is evident in its title – ’A Future Worth Choosing’,” says Carlsson. ”Our basis for sustainable development is all the millions of choices made every day by individuals, businesses and governments. Our common future is bound up with all of these decisions. The challenge we face is making sustainable choices possible. That’s why the Panel’s

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report concludes that sustainable development is fundamentally linked to people’s ability to influence their future, defend their rights and their ability to express their opinions.” The report also highlights how important it is that all players contribute to sustainable development – not just governments and organisations, but also business. ”Through coalitions and partnerships, innovative stakeholders can lead the way, which in turn can create tremendous leverage, where others can see the profitability of the sustainable options,” Carlsson explains.

Carlsson believes that an important starting point in all matters related to sustainable development is to put people first and to build on each person’s rights and needs. ”Every person’s right to shape their lives and influence development in their village, their city and their country is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development. For me, a key issue is to clearly demonstrate the importance of democracy and respect for human rights, in order to create a sustainable society,” Carlsson continues. Another key issue that Gunilla Carlsson wishes to high-

light is the role of business as a driving force behind sustainable development. She believes that well-functioning markets pave the way for increasing growth and reducing poverty, but also for innovation and smart solutions for responding to today’s challenges. ”Business has a crucial role in meeting the challenges that must be overcome if we are to achieve the goal of sustainable development. We need to better use the expertise, resources and innovativeness of private industry in the future. In itself, economic growth is not a threat to the environment and in many respects is necessary to

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protect the environment. Sustainable prosperity will be made possible through new and innovative forms of cooperation between governments, companies and organisations. For business to play its role in promoting sustainability, countries need to develop economic instruments that stimulate the move towards green and inclusive growth,” says Carlsson. According to Carlsson, another factor in successful sustainable development is utilising the potential of youth. She believes that today’s young people are healthier and better educated than any previous ge-

neration, and that we must allow the world’s youth to take part in all aspects of society and make the most of their ideas and enthusiasm. The report also states that Gro Harlem Brundtland’s analysis as contained in the ”Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future” is as relevant today as it was 25 years ago – sustainable development is only possible when all three dimensions – economic, social and environmental development – are included. Brundtland defined these three dimensions of sustainable development and the sustaina-

bility panel has identified what the stakeholders – governments, businesses and private individuals – need to do to realise the vision. ”I see the fact that the panel agreed on a common vision and 56 recommendations as an important success in strengthening the international consensus on how to tackle the major global challenges we face today. The report will be an important prelude to the political processes that we now have before us, such as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio in June of this year,” says Carlsson.

Fifty-six specific recommendations. The report has produced 56 specific recommendations on how sustainable development can be achieved. Here, Carlsson lists some of the most important items, related to how we can bolster empowerment of citizens, how to create a sustainable economy and what political action is required. 3 1. Governments should respect, protect and promote human rights, including a person’s right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives, as established by the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. 3 2. Governments should accelerate the implementation of measures to promote gender equality and women’s rights, including rights to property, equality of access to credit and financial services, equal opportunities to participate in political processes and access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights. 3 3. Governments, the private sector and private individuals should cooperate and form partnerships in order to offer vocational training and provide support to young entrepreneurs. 3 4. Governments should establish price signals that value sustainability. In particular, governments can: a) establish pricing instruments that include external environmental costs, such as emissions trading and carbon tax, by 2020 and b) phase out subsidies on fossil fuels by 2020. 3 5. Governments should develop sustainability criteria for cost-efficient public procurement. 3 6. Governments should promote the inclusion of long-term sustainability criteria in investments and transactions made by companies. 3 7. Governments and private enterprise should build strategic partnerships to implement investments for sustainable development. 3 8. Governments should ensure good governance – including democracy, human rights, principles of the rule of law – and promote youth participation in decision-making at all levels. 3 9. Governments should agree to develop universal sustainability objectives that includes all three dimensions of sustainable development. An expert committee should be set up to establish these objectives before they can be finally adopted by UN member states. 3 10. The UN Secretary-General should lead a collaboration between relevant international organisations – including UN agencies, international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF, the private sector and other stakeholders – to regularly produce a ”Global Sustainability Development Outlook Report” which collates existing information into an integrated analysis of sustainable development. Sustainable Solutions

The members of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Global Sustainability, co-chaired by Tarja Halonen (front, sixth from left), President of Finland, and Jacob Zuma (front, fourth from right), President of the Republic of South Africa, pose for a group photo at UN Headquarters. Pictured front row, from left: Connie Hedegaard, European Union Commissioner for Climate Action; Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation for 2011 and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Switzerland; Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Rural Development of India; Izabella Monica Vieira Teixeira, Minister of Environment of Brazil; Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia; Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey; Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden; James Laurence Balsillie, Chair of the Board of Canada’s Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Back row, from left: Alexander Bedritsky, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Special Envoy for Climate Change; Hajiya Amina Az-Zubair, Senior Special Assistant/Advisor to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); Han Seung-soo, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI); Freundel Stuart, Prime Minister of Barbados; Yukio Hatoyama, Member of the House of Representatives of Japan; Gro Harlem Brundtland, Chair of the World Commission on Environment and Development; Julia Carabias, Environmentalist and former Secretary of the Environment of Mexico; Janos Pasztor, Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team; Cristina Narbona Ruiz, Spanish Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and former Minister of Environment of Spain; Zheng Guoguang, Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration. 32

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Facts: Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden 3 Governmental posts: 2006 – Minister for International Development Cooperation 3 Swedish Parliament 2002–2006, Member of Parliament 2004–2006, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs 2002–2006, Deputy Member of Committee on EU Affairs 2004–2006, Alternate Member of the Swedish Delegation to the Nordic Council

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2003–2004, Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs 2002–2004, Member of the Committee on EU Affairs 2002–2003, Member of the Committee on Education 2002–2006, Member of the War Delegation 3 The European Parliament 2004–2006, Vice Chair of European People’s Party 1995–2002, Member of the European Parliament and EPP-ED Group 1999-2002, Leader of the Moderate Party delegation in the European Parliament

Conference on sustainable living and innovative solutions Over the course of three days, international stakeholders will gather in Stockholm for discussions on sustainable development and to find common messages to relay to decision-makers at the upcoming UN conference Rio+20. Text: Gunnar Andersson

he ”Stockholm+40 – Partnership Forum for Sustainable Development” conference is being organised in commemoration of the first UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. Stakeholders from the international community will gather April 23-25 for discussions on sustainable development and its challenges. During the conference, the business community, civil society, researchers, decision-makers and young people will discuss sustainable solutions within the fields of technology, production and lifestyle. The idea is to combine their different perspectives to try to create a holistic view of what we can do to achieve sustainable development. The Stockholm+40 conference will have three main themes: sustainable innovation, sustainable production and sustainable living. The Swedish government’s Minis34

ter of Environment, Lena Ek, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gunilla Carlsson, will host the conference. On 5 March, the Swedish Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting in preparation for Stockholm+40. There, Minister of Environment Lena Ek stressed the importance of the 1972 conference and the progress that has been achieved since then. She also noted, however, that much remains to be

done and that more people must become involved in environmental work. Minister Gunilla Carlsson pointed to Stockholm+40 as a step leading up to the large Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro this summer. ”I look forward to seeing Sweden now create its own international arena to address sustainability issues in preparation for Rio+20. I am particularly pleased that we are Sustainable Solutions

doing so through close cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment. Stockholm+40 will allow us to be even more specific about what we actually need to do to achieve sustainable development,” Carlsson said at the meeting. The overall objectives of the conference are to offer key stakeholders a platform for dialogue on practical measures for promoting sustainable development and to develop clear messages and recommendations for how sustainable innovation, sustainable production and sustainable living can be promoted and developed, and thereby demonstrate to decision-makers at Rio+20 how a green economy can be realised. Forming new alliances for sustainable development is also a key objective of Stockholm+40; alliances that may lead to the realisation of decision-makers’ commitments as made in Rio and at previous UN meetings on sustainable development, and to clearly highlighting young people’s views, proposed solutions and approaches. Stockholm+40 – tre teman:

Sustainable innovations The time for old technology and old attitudes that consume too much of the earth’s resources is over. We now need new solutions developed through close cooperation between those involved in research, business and industry and the financial sector. Several examples of creative innovations and collaborations will be highlighted. Sustainable production Creating incentives for companies to adapt their production to more sustainable solutions and to take greater social responsibility demands that decision-makers, researchers and businesses rethink their approaches and take innovative measures. These stakeholders will meet at the conference to demonstrate what has already been done and to gain inspiration and new ideas for productive solutions. Sustainable living Today, we know that the ecological footprint of the average person is too large. How do we find a sustainable balance that allows everyone to have a decent life without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs? Young people have a central role to play here and during Stockholm+40, they will have the opportunity to express their views on how we can create a sustainable society. Source: regeringen.se

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”It should be fun to be environmentally friendly” In her role as Sweden’s Environment Minister, Lena Ek sees herself as a coach who creates environmental benefits. Her basic approach is that it should be easiest, cheapest and most fun to be environmentally friendly. Text: Mikael Söderlind

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t is challenging to be assigned to one of the most important environmental posts in Sweden, making it all the more important to recharge your batteries from time to time. ”On weekends I often take long walks to sort through my thoughts and think strategically about the way forward. This time is very important for me because of the way my everyday life is organised; my moments communing with nature are sacred. I also read a lot and play the piano,” Ek reveals. Life is hectic for Lena Ek. She begins her day by reading documents at breakfast. Afterwards, her work involves everything from negotiations to conferences. Her evenings are also often busy with meetings, after which she spends more time reading documents. Ek sees herself as a coach who has been given the opportunity to create both competitive advantages and environmental benefits. Her goal is to hand on a world that the next generation can feel optimistic about. In fact, Ek has been interested in the environment since childhood. ”My involvement is born from a sense of justice and from a love of the Swedish forest and archipelagos. I’ve been interested in environmental issues since I was a little girl.” Ek will soon co-host the Stockholm+40 conference together with Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson. The conference will celebrate all those who have worked to promote environmental issues since the first UN environment conference in 1972 and will also act as a forum for discus38

sing future challenges. The meeting will bring together a range of stakeholders. ”These include researchers, business representatives, decision-makers, private persons and young people. We hope to be able to peer into the future together and to define strategies for what can and should be done to promote more sustainable innovations, to shift to sustainable production and to persuade us all to live more sustainably,” says Ek. Later this summer Ek will travel to Rio de Janeiro and the UN’s widely promoted sustainability conference, where she will be active in both negotiations and other, related events. From the Ministry of Environment, Environmental Ambassador Anna Lindstedt, political staff members and officials will accompany Ek. One of the conference’s main themes is the green economy and Ek reveals that Sweden will focus on several important issues within the field. ”In the on-going negotiations about the green economy, Sweden is focusing specifically on water, energy, sustainable agriculture, sustainable cities, chemicals and biodiversity. The Swedish Government believes in emphasising all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental – when discussing the green economy.” When it comes to environmental efforts in Sweden, Ek is particularly proud of how far Sweden has come in relation to the climate target and Roadmap 2050, which encompasses all sectors of society. This includes reducing climate emissions by 40 per cent by 2020, making Sweden’s ve-

hicles fossil fuel-free by 2030 and making Sweden neutral in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Ek also highlights Sweden’s efforts in support of Non-toxic Living, which she believes will be of great importance, as well as Sweden’s work on issues related to water and the oceans, where, she argues, the country lies at the forefront internationally. Given that her own workdays are so hectic, Ek acknowledges that she does not live a completely sustainable life, at least not in the long run. ”Personally, perhaps I should take it a bit easier. But otherwise I really try to make my life as sustainable as possible in different areas. I take the train as much as possible, for example. My attitude is that it should be easiest, cheapest and most fun to be environmentally friendly.”

Facts about Lena Ek Born: 1958 in Mönsterås, Sweden Education: Law Degree Political party: The Centre Party Political career: District Chair of the Centre Party in Östergötland County 1993-1995, Mayor of Valdemarsvik Municipality 1994-1998, county council member and deputy of the board of Östergötland County Council 1994-1998, Member of the Swedish Parliament 1998-2004, Member of the European Parliament 2004-2011. Current position: Swedish Environment Minister since September 2011 Current: Host of Stockholm+40 and one of Sweden’s representatives at the Rio+20 conference.

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Unique concept for marketing green technology C

lean Tech Region Solutions is entrepreneur Lars Ling’s company, which uses a unique concept to market and support cleantech businesses with base in Västernorrland and Jämtland, as well as Sweden, promoting Green Solutions from Sweden to export markets through partners. The concept includes conferences, inspirational lectures on good examples, workshops and the Green Solutions from Sweden magazine that now has been acquired by the media group IDG, International Data Groups Swedish division Miljöaktuellt, focusing on Green Solutions. Another success was The Clean Tech Region’s Green Solutions Round the World Tour that started on 26 January and lasted for 28 days. Lars Ling visited 11 cities in four different parts of the world. “I had booked meetings with key people at Swedish embassies and Export Council offices, which had in turn invited important local contacts. In total, I met around 600 people,” says Lars Ling. The tour confirmed the great interest in sustainable solutions. He believes that there has been a great deal of interest in Green Solutions from Sweden. “The aim of the trip was 40

simple. To establish contacts and open doors for green technology businesses,” he says. And it was successful – the round trip has resulted in a number of definite partnerships that may be important to the business’s potential exports. “I am on the way to creating partnerships with parties in Singapore, Australia, Japan, India the US and China, among other places.” Clean Tech Region Solutions has already led to concrete deals for several companies on a number of markets says Lars Ling. There is enormous potential for exporting Swedish products and services in the field of CleanTech. The market is estima-

ted at EUR 3100 billion by 2020, according to a report presented by Minister for Enterprise and Energy, Maud Olofsson, during Sweden’s EU presidency 2009. The CleanTech Region´s concept assists innovative Green companies to find customers, partners and capital and grow and expand into global markets through partners. The world tour has continued and the U.S. market with New York and San Francisco, with great interest at the Wall Street Green Summit and CleanTech Open forum, have created new opportunities with concrete interest from Investors, companies and projects. For more information contact info@cleantechregion.com Sustainable Solutions

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Meeting the needs of all The planet is too small and interconnected for the rich to be comfortable and secure while billions suffer poverty. Poverty is disastrous for people and the planet. Over three billion people, almost half the world population, live on less than $2.50 a day; and more than fourfifths live in countries where the income gap between the rich and poor is widening. Aside from being a personal tragedy, poverty can keep people from taking part in solutionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; for themselves or their societies. The only way poor people can adapt to climate change is through having sufficient income, savings, insurance, and mobility. Governments cannot solve poverty, but they can set up the conditions whereby people can pull themselves out of penury: access to credit and education for all; enforcing fair laws fairly; streamlining bureaucracies; and creating effective safety nets for the poorest. Poor-country governments would be helped in this effort if allthe richer countries kept their promises: to establish a global trade regime that helps countries trade out of poverty; to increase aid; and to help poorer countries adapt to climate change. Read more:

www.hardrainproject.com www.sida.se/Global/12691_Business_ for_Development_memorandum_C4.pdf www.sida.se/English/Partners /Private-sector/Innovationsagainst-poverty/

Photo: Mark Edwards

Hard Rain: Whole Earth? Aligning human systems and natural systems

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A new chapter of Mark Edwards’ groundbreaking, internationally acclaimed outdoor exhibition, Hard Rain will tour through Sweden during 2012. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has funded a two-year tour of Hard Rain: Whole Earth? to principal cities throughout Sweden, featuring customized content that illustrates Swedish sustainable development projects at home and in the majority world. Text: Dag Jonzon

ark Edwards’ inspirational exhibition and talk, Hard Rain: Whole Earth? , Is an urgent appeal to students and the general public to find new ways of influencing political decisionmakers to priorities sustainable development. – The key challenge is to find new ways to show political and business leaders support for sustainable development. Governments can’t get ahead of their electorates. They understand the need for sustainable development, but it is not a priority – voters are not urging them loudly enough to act in favor of the future. What’s needed is a new kind of joined-up campaign designed and led by tomorrow’s decision-makers – students at universities now, says Mark Edwards. The idea for Hard Rain came to Mark when he was lost in the Sahara desert. He was rescued by a Tuareg nomad who took him to his people and played him Bob Dylan’s song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”: “Sad forests”, “dead oceans”, “where the people are many and their hands are all empty.” As Dylan piles image upon image, Edwards had the idea to illustrate each line of the song. In the years that follow, he travels around the world on assignments that allow him to capture the photographs that turn Dylan’s prophetic words into images of the real world. Sustainable Solutions

It graphically illustrates our headlong collision with nature. The exhibition contains images some visitors may find disturbing. More than 15 million people on every continent have viewed it in city centers, botanic gardens, universities, and at the United Nations headquarters since its launch at the Eden Project in May 2006. One of the most successful photographic exhibitions ever created, it has attracted huge public and critical acclaim, along with the support and endorsement of political and environmental leaders across the world. The new exhibition Whole Earth? Aligning human systems and natural systems, developed by Mark Edwards with leading environmental commentator and writer Lloyd Timberlake, responds to thousands of requests for an exhibition that illustrates solutions to the problems highlighted in Hard Rain. It is designed to engage the next generation of decision-makers – students at universities now – as well as the general public, in the campaign for sustainable development. – It shows that we have the technology (mostly) to deal with our global problems – the vision has been written out often enough – but governments need grassroots support if they are to scale up these solutions and move towards sustainable development Mark says. 45

From Stockholm to

ÂŠ Chris SteelePerkins Bo Landin outside Parliament House, one of the venues of the 1972 environment meeting.

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o Rio

Bo Landin, science journalist and biologist

Stockholm, 1972. For the first time, world leaders gathered to discuss the environment under the leadership of the United States.

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was 20 years old and the youngest journalist reporting from the summit. While Scandinavians discussed saving the environment, environmental activists from Asia, Africa and Latin America were talking about the universal right to welfare and democracy and eliminating poverty. We had just seen the first images of earth photographed from space – a planet encapsulated by a lifesustaining but thin and delicate atmosphere. In Stockholm, two world views collided: North and South, with contrasting perspectives on sustainable development on our shared planet. Today, many people look back on that conference in Stockholm as the beginning of an era of environmental awareness and action. In Sweden, a strong and informed public opinion evolved, pushing government and business to adopt new laws and regulations in favour of the environment.I personally witnessed how the Environmental Images (Miljöbilder) television programme in the late 1980s helped turn the public against the production of bleached paper. Consumer pressure and environmental journalism led to the introduction of eco-friendlier paper. Forty years after Stockholm, it is time for a new environmental summit. The third time around, world leaders have another chance to take public opinion on sustainable development seriously.

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Naturebased hightech society In Sweden, forest literally surrounds us. Trees – along with hydropower, wind and sun – have been crucial resources in reducing Sweden’s carbon emissions and driving renewal in the cities and urban areas where nine out of ten Swedes live. Text and interviews: Dag Jonzon Senior Programme Manager at the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)

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n the last twenty years, Sweden has invested billions of kronor in renewable energy and sustainable urban development initiatives funded by central government, municipalities and private business. After centuries as a poor agricultural nation, Sweden is on its way to becoming a nature-based high-tech society. Today biofuel is Sweden’s most important energy source.

Sweden has been a strong voice at environmental conservation summits in Stockholm, Rio and Johannesburg, and Sida has helped to advance Sweden’s high international standing in environmental issues. However, Sweden is finding it hard to meet its national environmental goals in climate change, marine pollution, a toxin-free environment and biodiversity.

Swedish consumption patterns have a negative global impact: if everyone in the world shared our living habits, we would need three planets. The exhibition demonstrates that all nations are developing countries now. Our challenge is to work together for fair and globally sustainable development. Sweden’s vision is to contribute to world-leading solutions for a sustainable future. Sustainable Solutions

Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forests are a crucial resource in reducing carbon emissions and driving urban renewal.

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Vattenrike biosphere reserve The city of Kristianstad is built on a delta and has adapted to climate change by building reinforced dikes and adopting surveillance systems to protect from the flooding that can result from extreme weather conditions. Kristianstad’s Vattenrike is an internationally recognized wetland region, designated by UNESCO as Sweden’s first biosphere reserve in 2005. Carina Wettemark, ecologist at Vattenrike

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t’s wonderful to work in such a large region with many contrasts, from very dry land to flooded meadows,” says Carina. “We have a rich heritage and vibrant agricultural sector that play a crucial role in making Kristianstad so environmentally and culturally special.” Carina stays in close touch with farmers who are committed to sustainable agriculture

and with golf greenkeepers who manage their courses so that more than 50 different species of wild bee can coexist with local golfers. “We rely on bees to pollinate many of our fruit trees and flowers. To save the threatened Megachile lagopoda bee we plant Greater Knapweed, a plant with large flowers that attract the bees. Knapweed thrives along sandy roadsides

but has declined in recent years because roadside verges are cut too early.” Vattenrike’s mix of wetland and sandy grassland makes it a unique environment, Carina explains. “We have so many species here that aren’t common anywhere else. When cattle graze they disturb the ground, and the flora and fauna benefit from that.”

Facts 3 “Biosphere” means all parts of the earth’s surface and atmosphere in which living organisms exist, or that are capable of supporting life, including all organisms and the ecosystems that sustain them. 3 Vattenrike covers most of Kristianstad municipality and is located along the lower 30 kilometres of the River Helge in the north-eastern corner of Skåne. The River Helge is Skåne’s largest waterway and home to Sweden’s widest expanse of wet meadows. 3 The Vattenrike visitor centre, located just outside Kristianstad town centre, highlights ways to preserve biodiversity and informs people about the environment and ecology. 50

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ÂŠ Chris SteelePerkins Carina Wettemark has found her dream job in Swedenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only biosphere reserve.

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Capturing the sun Joakim’s interest in solar power began at a young age, via a fascination for mathematics. When he learned the equation explaining the shape of a parabola, he was hooked. Joakim Byström, CEO of Absolicon

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drew my first solar panel when I was 11, and ever since then it was a model I wanted to build,” he recalls. Eventually he did, joining up with fellow students in physical engineering at Uppsala University and environmentalists he met at study groups to build solar panels and research opportunities and solutions for solar power. These efforts led to a concentrated solar collection facility

that produces electricity, heat and cooling systems for large properties, public buildings, and for global export. The unique design needs just one-tenth of the photovoltaic cells of standard solar panels to generate equivalent electricity. It uses heat four times more effectively, capturing up to 50% of incoming solar radiation. “There are two units in my home town of Härnösand,” Joakim says.

“One’s on the roof of the newly redeveloped hospital and the other’s in a major park owned by the municipal energy company Hemab, and is connected to the district heating network.” “I see the sun as the only possible energy source to turn to for the majority of the world’s population,” Joakim says, adding with a chuckle, “The sun and that parabolic equation will rule the future!”

Facts 3 Solar cell prices have fallen by 50 per cent over the last two years due to rapid growth in demand. The industry has generated 75,000 jobs in Europe, and projections indicate 1.4 million new jobs by 2020. 3 The solar energy that hits the earth’s surface in the course of one hour is sufficient to meet the energy needs of the entire globe for a year. 3 The roof of a standard Swedish home receives about five times more solar energy than the total energy the house uses.

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ÂŠ Chris Steele-Perkins The DomsjĂś bio-refinery has attracted new investment and Gunilla Kihl oversees all production.

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Seeing the wood for the trees A former pulp mill, in 2002 Domsjö became Sweden’s first working bio-refinery and also hosts a large biogas facility, although its major production is speciality cellulose as a substitute for cotton and silk. Biofuels are produced through the gasification of black liquor, a natural by-product. Gunilla Kihl, environmental engineer at Domsjö

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ur main business is processing cellulose to make viscose fibre for the textile industry,” Gunilla explains. “We also produce lignin, which when dried makes cement manufacturing more eco-friendly by reducing water, bioethanol and biogas consumption. Many people are surprised at all the different ways you can use a natural raw product such as wood.” Gunilla praises the foresight

of the investors who saw potential when the factory was threatened by closure in the late 1990s. “Today there are more than 30 companies here, and together we’re developing tomorrow’s bio-refineries using the expertise from Sweden’s chemical and forestry industry.” The venture to produce viscose fibre from cellulose became a real success story. New Indian owners bought the factory

in 2011 and are aiming to make Domsjö part of the world’s largest producer of clothing made from natural wood fibre instead of cotton, which has a negative environmental impact. “I’ve always wanted to work here,” Gunilla says. Her wish came true when she gained her environmental engineering diploma. Today, she’s in charge of the production process and of ensuring the bio-refinery meets environmental standards.

Facts 3 Investments in black liquor gasification for electricity or fuel production have enabled Sweden to reduce national CO2 emissions by 10% and provide road vehicles with 45 billion litres of biofuel. 3 Forests are a key resource for developing sustainable cities in Sweden. The country has invested heavily in district heating and biofuel-fed combined heat and power (CHP) systems with high electricity yields. 3 Biofuel has become Sweden’s most important energy source, accounting for 32% of national energy usage, compared to 29% for oil-based fuel, according to March 2010 statistics from Svebio, the Swedish Bioenergy Association.

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A connected world

“As young people, we have the sharpest skills and we keep things moving to make sure the centre works as a meeting place for people of all ages,” says Emelie Öberg, who leads a weekly art group for children at Söråker Community Centre and exhibits her paintings there. Emelie Öberg, Söråker Community Centre

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e run the place ourselves. Using young entrepreneurship as our method and culture as our tool, we’ve developed a democratic arena and digital meeting place. Nothing should be impossible here: every dream, idea and fancy has its place. And

getting involved should be fun.” The centre’s proactive, innovative spirit and revitalization of the grassroots concept has yielded fruit. ”We use words like desire, respect and trust to convey our values and the centre and our methods have become an ex-

ample for all of Sweden,” We get study visits from Rosengård in Malmö, Hammarkullen in Göteborg and Boo Community Centre in Nacka.” “We educate young people about culture and provide a venue where people can feel comfortable about talking.” Emelie says. Sustainable Solutions

An ecosmart society for all S

GUEST COLUMNIST: JOHAN ROCKSTRÖM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STOCKHOLM ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE

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even billion people share the earth, and together we are facing a new reality – a new era in which people are the dominant force for change on our planet. ’’For the first time, we have scientific evidence that we have used almost all our environmental space on the globe. No longer can we rule out dire, dire consequences if we continue on the same path. This presents us with a huge social justice dilemma. The way I commute to work in Stockholm directly affects whether a Kenyan farmer can produce food for his family. The way companies and communities manage the Amazon rainforests affects

rainfall patterns and temperatures in Africa. My consumption affects the rate that ice melts in Antarctica. This determines how the Inuit live – and it also affects weather patterns for you and me, because Antarctica is a key regulator of global climate. All countries face the challenge of cooperating in a global shift towards an eco-smart society for all: now and in the future. What is certain is that science today shows there is no competition between environment and progress. Quite the opposite: a sustainable environment is the basis for development and wellbeing, for rich and poor economies alike.” 57

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Malmö aims to be Sweden’s most climatesmart city Sweden’s third largest city has set ambitious targets to help it become the most climate-smart city in the country. The municipal organisation is to be completely carbon neutral by 2020 and by 2030, the city will use only renewable energy sources. Text: Mikael Söderlind

n the 1970s a series of crises hit Malmö. The city’s largest employer, Kockums Shipyard, reduced its workforce, people moved away from the city and several other types of manufacturing jobs disappeared in short succession. Even worse, in the early 1990s much of what was left of the manufacturing industry was shut down completely. In 2002 the dismantling of the famous Kockums Crane, a well-known landmark in the old shipyard, clearly marked the end of the city’s industrial era. In recent years Malmö has slowly but surely transformed itself into a knowledge-based city with a new sense of optimism. At the same time there has been a significant increase in the municipality’s and private stakeholders’ commitment to environmental issues – so Sustainable Solutions

much so that Malmö now aims to become Sweden’s most climate-smart city. A number of environmental goals point the way forward. ”We don’t have many goals, but achieving them will require broad-ranging solutions. We are breaking down our environment programme into action plans that extend over one election cycle at a time. The action plans also define responsibility for the various measures required to achieve the goals,” says Malmö’s Director of Environment, Katarina Pelin. The vision for 2020 is that the city will be more compact, greener and more diverse. Flexibility, multi-functionality and area efficiency are key words spearheading the city’s concentration. Public transport, particularly rail transport, must be expanded; the range of sustai-

nable goods and services must increase; and Malmö residents need to conserve more resources in their day-to-day lives than they do at present. One of the most ambitious of Malmö’s comprehensive environmental goals is making the municipal organisation carbon neutral by 2020. What’s more, by 2030, it is planned that 100 per cent of the city’s energy will come from renewable sources. To achieve this, city residents will also have to do their part. By 2020, each person must reduce their energy use by 20 per cent, followed by another 20 per cent by 2030. ”Reducing energy consumption is a huge challenge, but we have calculated our need for different energy types and the size of the facilities required. Based on current technology, wind and biogas will be our 59

main resources,” explains Pelin. There are already several examples indicating that Malmö is a leader in green technology and sustainable development. In 2008, the world’s third largest offshore wind farm, Lillgrund, opened just outside Malmö. The park supplies enough electricity to power more than 60,000 ordinary houses. In the long-term, electric cars are expected to consume a large percentage of the 60

park’s electrical production. Currently, charging points are being installed at strategic locations and the municipality is investing in both electric vehicle and bicycle fleets. Today, the city has about 400 km of bicycle paths and bicycling makes up 30 per cent of all transports. The city plans to expand this network further in the future. For those who are unable to use two-wheeled transport, another opportunity exists to travel in a relatively

environmentally friendly way: Skånetrafiken’s green city buses use a 50-50 mix of biogas and natural gas. Malmö has also provided two good examples of sustainable construction. The Bo01 neighbourhood in the Western Harbour district combines contemporary architecture with ecological sustainability, while eco-neighbourhood Augustenborg is one of the largest initiatives in Europe to convert an existing residenSustainable Solutions

tial area into an eco-neighbourhood. Locally generated energy will eventually provide all of Bo01’s energy needs. This will come from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and waterpower, and from energy generated from the area’s refuse. There is even a refuse suction system installed, which transports refuse to collection points on the outskirts of the area. Another important element Sustainable Solutions

is the neighbourhood’s green areas. These include alder marshes, oak and beech groves and a variety of biotopes. Large green areas also help to further promote biodiversity. The design of the neighbourhood includes an environmentally friendly transport system that makes it easy to get to and from Bo01 by bus. The city offers few opportunities to grow plants – rooftops, however, are an untapped resource. Malmö is home to the

largest botanical roof garden in the Nordic region, the Augustenborg Botanical Roof Garden, with mosses, sedums and herbs covering 10,000 square metres. ”Lots of plants in the city help us deal with two of the consequences of climate change – more rain and a warmer climate. The plants can absorb large amounts of rainwater. When this water evaporates, it cools down the surroundings,” says Louise Lundberg, Project 61

Manager for the Roof Garden. Lundberg looks forward to the day when it will be possible to produce food on the city’s rooftops. The idea could possibly contribute to Malmö’s efforts to use only organically produced food in its own operations by 2020. To achieve this, 1,500 cooks, educators and other staff have been trained in food and sustainable development. There are clearly many examples of ambitious environmental projects under way in the city. Malmö mayor, Ilmar Reepalu, explains that there are several reasons for Malmo’s environmental focus. ”When Malmö’s private sector more or less collapsed in the mid-1990s, we were forced to begin a comprehensive transformation of the city. This coincided with the requirements that came out of the UN Rio ’92 Conference, where the agenda for the twenty-first century was developed. These visions fit well with our visions for Malmö. At the same time, the Swedish government announced it intended to focus on creating a green welfare state. The support and help of the central government made it possible

to start this great transformation,” he says. The fact that Reepalu is Chairman of the EU Committee of the Regions’ Environment Committee, and will also be part of the Swedish delegation travelling to Brazil to attend the UN summit Rio+20, demonstrates that his commitment to the environment has gained international recognition. However, he won’t be talking much about Malmö’s environmental efforts at these meetings.

”As chairman of the CoR’s Environment Committee I will talk about the role of cities in general in reducing climate impact, more than just Malmö’s role, but where Malmo’s solutions can be used as good examples, I will highlight them. I will talk about the roles of local governments in Europe and the world and what needs to be done in terms of planning, transport and building requirements in order to reduce climate change,” says Reepalu.

Comprehensive enviromental objektives for the City of Malmö 3 Reduce energy consumption by at least 20 per cent per person by 2020 and by another 20 per cent by 2030. 3 Provide 100 per cent of energy needs for Malmö’s municipal operations from renewable energy by 2020. The ambition is for as much of this energy as possible to be produced locally. 3 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent from 1990 levels. 3 Prepare Malmö for changes in temperature, increased sea level and increased precipitation. 3 Massive expansion of rail-bound and other electrically powered public transport. The bicycle path network will also be expanded and the opportunities to tranship goods by sea and rail will also improve. 3 Supply 100 per cent of Malmö’s energy needs from renewable energy by 2030. 62

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nam ibia

colom bia

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Managing waste a step towards renewal ”This area has become very much better” says Allan Jensen with a broad smile on his face. “We were always scared before, and were only able to be here in pairs. Since 2005 it’s no longer a problem. I’m not afraid to walk around alone. Everywhere, even in the basements.” Allan Jensen is deputy landlord at Egeparken in Vollsmose. The change that he is talking about is a truly impressive story.

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his housing estate just outside Odense in Denmark is very like the monotonous suburban areas that were often constructed in Europe in the 1970s. Foursquare tower blocks up to 10 storeys high in long rows and complemented by long rows of just as foursquare terraced houses. Like many of these suburban areas, as time passed a numbers of people of various nationalities moved in. Vollsmose soon became known as one of the worst housing estates in Denmark. Segregation, high unemployment, violence, fires and criminality were terms that crossed people’s minds when Vollsmose was mentioned. In 2001 Odense’s Andelsboligforening (private residential society), Fyn’s Almennyttige Boligsellskab (public residential society) and Boligforeningen Höjstrup (the Höjstrup reSustainable Solutions

sidential society), the three owners of the housing estate contacted Envac Denmark to discuss a better waste collection system. The system was to be part of a general improvement of the environment and also of the surroundings, including playgrounds, shops and workplaces. Vollsmose was to undergo a complete facelift. The waste disposal problem in Vollsmose had become urgent. It had been necessary to close off the refuse chutes in the blocks of flats on account of health risks to the caretakers of the buildings. Rubbish bins had instead been grouped on so-called waste disposal islands in the car parks and the aim was for residents to dispose of their rubbish there. This did not work out. Rubbish was dumped here and there and as a consequence there were problems with foul odours, rats

and other vermin. The bins gave rise to fires which contributed to increasing social problems in Vollsmose. The situation got out of hand and the Odense waste disposal team no longer wanted to operate in the district. The decision was taken to open the refuse chutes and connect them to a system of underground pipes. It was also decided to install outdoor refuse inlets for a second fraction in front of the buildings: paper and newspapers for recycling. Vollsmose is still the only vacuum waste collection plant in Denmark to handle more than one refuse fraction. Residual mixed recyclables from the refuse inlets and the paper fraction are sucked separately in the same underground system of pipes at a speed of 70 km/h to a terminal in the district. ”We were rather dubious about whether or not the 65

sorting of household waste would work in this district”, says Niels Erik Pedersen, MD at Envac Danmark. ”But the results have far exceeded all our expectations.” ”Immediately after the vacuum waste collection system was taken into use in August 2005 we had a spot of trouble with discipline”, remembers Allan Jensen. ”But since the Environment Ambassadors got started and the children here have gone through training as Environment Detectives there have been very few problems.” ”The quality is so high that we have no problem in getting the papermill to accept the collected paper”, affirms Jensen. Odense Renovation who are responsible for refuse collection in Vollsmose are very satisfied, and not only because costs of refuse collection have been reduced. The collection of skips from the Envac termi-

nal takes very little time and only occurs twice a week, which means saving costs for staff and time. All the safety risks that staff were previously exposed to have been eliminated. The difference between the past and the present when it comes to the handling of refuse is like night and day. ”Refuse is no longer unhygienic, and nobody needs to touch it.” ”We used to be 6 people working for 7 hours on Mondays, 6 hours on Thursdays and 3 hours on Fridays, just with cleaning and dealing with the rubbish bins”, Allan Jensen tells us. Nowadays the responsibility is mine alone when it comes to the handling of refuse in this district, and I only need to spend about one hour a day on it to see that everything is in working order.” And that it certainly is. The district is very clean and well

cared for. No litter or rubbish, no discarded furni- ture, vacuum cleaners or mattresses etcetera dumped anywhere. Bulky refuse, glass, metal and electronic apparatus are disposed of at a recycling station in the area which is open daily. ”We’ve had a fantastic amount of help from women from the Environ- ment Ambassadors”, Jensen points out. ”Without their contribution we would never have succeeded in achieving all this.” Vollsmose has become a model and an inspiration to many. Visits by other municipal districts from Denmark and abroad have been frequent. ”Amongst other things study visits here are part of the training course for caretakers”, Allan Jensen tells us, and he can proudly testify to the fact that this type of housing district really can be changed for the better.

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The underground solution for a sustainable waste handling

Envac’s automated vaccum waste collection system removes waste in residential areas, public spaces, largescale catering establishment as restaurants and airports, city centre and hospitals in over 30 countries. Instead of being transported by lorries through the city, waste travels by air via an underground pipe network. At speeds of up to 70kp the waste transports over distances as long as 2km to a central collection point. This invisible solution freeing up space and contributes to a better environment on a local and global level. !"#$%&'$(&)*#*+,-*)&$"&."/*0"$/.,"$+&-0*(*"%*&1./'&23&,45%*(&$%0,((&67&%,8"/0.*(& in Australia, Europe, North and South America, the Middle East and Asia. Envac a sustainable contribution to the city environment

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New Neighbourhoods are built with sustainability in mind When constructing new residential areas, the builders can plan for sustainable environments from the beginning. Hammarby Sjรถstad and Norra Djurgรฅrdsstaden in Stockholm are two examples of developing urban neighbourhoods where developers planned for this from the outset. Text: Mikael Sรถderlind

Sustainable Solutions

Many people want to live in Stockholm. By 2030, the city is expected to attract 200,000 new residents, for whom there currently is no available housing. In expectation of this growth, the construction boom is unprecedented. The neighbourhoods of Norra Djurgårdsstaden and Hammarby Sjöstad are being built to the north and south of the city centre. In both cases, the creation of sustainable environments was planned from early in the process. The area just south of the city centre, now known as Hammarby Sjöstad, was formerly a run-down, slum-like industrial port with a bad reputation. In 1994, the first residential buildings were completed and the following year, efforts to build a wholly new neighbourhood began. In 1996, city politicians decided to rebuild the area as an example of environmental adaptation. Since that time, technical installations, buildings and traffic environment have been made greener. By 2017, when Hammarby Sjöstad is expected to be completed, its residents will provide 50 per cent of the fuel required for their energy needs. The household waste currently collected within the neighbourhood is already used as an energy source to produce district heating and electricity, and waste water is used as fuel for the production of both district cooling and heating. The energy company Fortum has developed the systems used. Waste management in Hammarby Sjöstad is divided into three different levels – property-based, block-based and area-based. The waste that is 70

heaviest and generates the biggest volumes – household waste, food waste, newspapers and paper – is sorted and placed in different refuse chutes inside or adjacent to the properties. Residents dispose of this waste in waste chutes close to their buildings. A large number of these chutes are linked by underground pipes to a central collection station, to which the waste is carried by vacuum suction. An advanced control system sends the various fractions to the right containers. Rubbish trucks then collect the waste at a central location, thus avoiding having to travel into and around the residential area, which reduces environmental impact. Waste that does not belong in the property-based refuse chutes can be left in the blockbased recycling rooms. This category includes packaging, bulky waste, electrical waste and textiles. Less common waste items (that are also especially hazardous to the environment) such as paint, varnish, glue residue, nail polish, solvents, chemicals and batteries, are left at an area-based environmental station, known as ”GlashusEtt”, which also serves as an environmental information centre. The average Stockholmer uses approximately 180 litres of water a day. The aim for Hammarby Sjöstad is to reduce this figure to 100 litres per person, per day. Thanks to eco-friendly installations, they have already reduced usage to 150 litres per day. Another goal is to significantly reduce the level of environmentally hazardous chemicals in waste water that is returned to the

archipelago and to create a cleaner residual product in the form of sewage sludge. One of the intentions behind this is that 95 per cent of the phosphorous should be extracted and returned to farms. At present, four different treatment lines for waste water are being tested in the neighbourhood, in the new Sjöstadsverket waste water treatment plant. Water equivalent to that used by 600 people will be purified using chemical, physical and biological processes. To, in order to minimise the amount of pollutants, storm and waste water from industry have been excluded. The sewage sludge formed in the treatment plants is a resource in itself. It is biodigested to produce biogas – that is, one of the most eco-friendly fuels – can be produced. Biogas is used in cars and buses and in the 1,000 gas stoves used in Hammarby Sjöstad. Road storm water – that is, rain and melted snow from roads –contains a lot of pollutants, something that has also been taken into consideration in Hammarby Sjöstad. This water is channelled into two closed settling tanks, where it is allowed to stand to allow pollutants to sink to the bottom. Afterwards, it is released into the archipelago. Other storm water from the different neighbourhoods is either filtered through soil or is channelled directly to Sickla Canal, Hammarby Canal or Danvikskanal Canal. The sun’s rays are especially appreciated in Hammarby Sjöstad. They are captured by solar panels erected on numerous façades and roofs. Some Sustainable Solutions

of these supply electricity to the buildings’ public areas, while others heat water. Several roofs in Hammarby Sjöstad are in full bloom. Not because they are uncared for, because, in fact, their greenery is entirely planned. Here, sedum plants grow with the aim of collecting rainwater and slowing its downward fall to allow it time to evaporate. In 2011, ground was broken at the site of the four first blocks to be built in the Norra Djurgårdsstaden neighbourhood, which lies directly adjacent to the northernmost part of Stockholm’s city centre. This has been described as one of Europe’s most extensive urban development areas and is expected to be completed in 2025. By that time, 10,000 homes and 600,000 m2 of office space will be ready for use. In total, the district will cover an area of 236 hectares. Project Manager Staffan Lorentz says that they will build several hundred apartments a year. ”About 500 apartments per year will be built and so far the city has designated land for Sustainable Solutions

3500 dwellings. Twenty-five building contractors are involved in construction in the Gasverket area. At Södra Värtahamnen, it has been zoned for offices and other facilities, and planning is also under way for SEB bank’s new head office and a large shopping centre. In addition, Värtapiren pier will also be expanded and a new ferry terminal for Stockholm’s harbours will be built,” explains Lorentz. There are many similarities between Norra Djurgårdsstaden and Hammarby Sjöstad, not least of all when it comes to environmental planning. Norra Djurgårdsstaden will also extract nutrients from waste water and return them to farmland, and in the Hjorthagen area, the goal is that all food waste will be converted into biogas. Additionally, all apartments will be fitted with garbage disposal units. A system that uses three different rubbish chutes and vacuum suction will also be introduced. Money will be invested in renewable energy, in particular

(both solar and wind power), which sometimes provide lots of energy and sometimes, nothing at all. Together with a number of other stakeholders, Fortum is conducting a research and development project related to a smart electricity grid in Norra Djurgårdsstaden. The grid will even out variations in consumption. For end-customers, smart electricity grids offer a host of advantages. ”For example, they will experience increased comfort thanks to home automisation, the ability to influence possible emissions of carbon dioxide and increased control of the energy system. The latter means that they can be more active consumers and can react to price fluctuations at Nordpool, as well as exercise greater control over consumption,” explains Marie Fossum, Vice President for New Business at Fortum. Fossum also mentions that there are a number of other interesting energy innovations in the pipeline. ”Among other things, we 71

will focus on new solutions for network monitoring, the use of electronic vehicles and charging solutions, as well as the integration of local power production through solar panels. We also have plans to investigate the possibility of creating energy depots for customers and networks. Stockholm’s comprehensive city plan stipulates that all planning should promote walking and bicycling, and this philosophy will be followed diligently in the planning of Norra Djurgårdsstaden. The area will include numerous walking and bicycle paths, but also a wealth of other sustainable transport options in the form of subways, buses, trams, boats and car pools. There will also be facilities for charging electric cars throughout the area. Proximity to the majority of amenities, combined with eservice solutions, are expected to reduce the need for transport. Outdoor settings should be

green. Urban wetlands act like sponges, absorbing rainwater that falls during heavy downpours and this evens out water flow. When trees are planted, preference will be given to oaks, because they comprise their own ecosystem and contribute to a great biological diversity as they age. Staffan Lorentz feels that the neighbourhood’s many green areas are particularly exciting. ”In Norra Djurgårdsstaden, both roofs and walls will be able to be used in the same way as gardens, parks and artificial wetlands. The green area factor should promote both biological diversity and social recreation, and should prepare the neighbourhood to manage climate change. Comprehensive planning has been taken to a new level in planning for the construction of Norra Djurgårdsstaden,” adds Lorentz. The vision for Norra Djurgårdsstaden includes three overarching goals, the first of which aims to make the neigh-

bourhood completely fossil fuel-free by 2030. This is a significantly tougher target than what has been set up for Stockholm as a whole, which has a deadline of 2050. By 2020, the area must also be adapted to weather changes in climate, such as increased precipitation and elevated sea levels, and the idea is that each resident will emit less than 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. This can be compared with the average for a normal Swede today, which is 4.5 tonnes. Moreover, Norra Djurgårdsstaden is one of 17 projects around the world included in the Climate Positive Development Program – a global climate programme initiated by the Clinton Climate Initiative in cooperation with the U.S Green Building Council. This is one of the reasons why the neighbourhood will serve as a test site for research projects within sustainable energy systems, with local production of electricity and heat.

Facts: Hammarby sjöstad

Facts: Norra Djurgårdsstaden

3 Construction period: 1995–2017 3 Area: 180 hectares 3 Dwellings: 11,000 3 Office space: 150,000 square metres 3 No. residents at completion: 25,000 3 Total investment: SEK 35 billion

3 Construction period: 2011–2025 3 Area: 236 hectares 3 Dwellings: 10,000 3 Office space: 600,000 square metres 3 No. residents at completion: 25,000 3 Total investment: SEK 50 billion

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The vision is for operations to require no fossil fuels. Swedavia has already come far in this effort – the company has achieved a sixty per cent reduction in emissions over the past seven years. Text: Mikael Söderlind

perating a well-functioning airport requires many things to fall in place. Baggage handling and infrastructure have to run smoothly, and travellers and goods must be inspected to maintain a good level of security. Several airports also require a certain range of shops, restaurants and cafés. State-owned Swedavia is responsible for all of this as both owner and operator of eleven of the country’s airports. In recent years the company has distinguished itself for its ambitious environmental efforts. The primary objective of Swedavia is to eliminate all types of fossil fuels, something they hope to achieve by 2020. In fact, the company is already well on track to achieve this. Since 2005 it has reduced emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels by 60 per cent, and in 2006 it became the first major Swedish company to be totally carbon neutral. Remaining emission are offset by purchasing carbon credits that reduce emissions in developing countries. Lena Wennberg, sustainability manager at Swedavia, has a clear plan for meeting the 2020 target. ”We will achieve this by using green electricity, using only renewable energy and replacing fossil fuels in our vehicles to renewable fuels. Even our fire drills now mainly use renewable liquids,” she says. Sustainable Solutions

Contaminated water can be a major source of environmental contamination, but Swedavia’s airports collect waste water from vehicle washes, fire drill sites, workshops and plane toilets and send them to treatment plants. Oil separators and control of chemicals minimise environmental impact. Among other things, we ensure that the highly hazardous glycol used for de-icing aircraft is sucked up by means of special vehicles and then recycled. Of all the environmental initiatives undertaken over the past few years, Lena Wennberg is most proud of the fact that Swedavia has five airports that have received the highest level of Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA). Only nine airports across Europe have reaching this level. Airport Carbon Accreditation means that an airport has calculated its own carbon emissions, set targets, reduced emissions and engaged relevant stakeholders. Lena Wennberg is also proud of the company’s energy efforts. ”Our goal is to decrease energy use by 30 per cent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. To succeed, we are involving all our employees, investing in new technology, optimising existing systems and making a number of environmental investments. Total energy consumption has declined by 28 per cent since 2005, and in 2011 alone it decreased by 11 per cent,” says Lena Wennberg.

Swedavia, together with the Air Navigation Services of Sweden (LFV), initiated what is called green approaches. A green approach means that the aircraft descends continuously from its cruising altitude to the runway. This eliminates almost any need for engine thrust, which saves fuel and reduces emissions. Calculations show that carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by between 150 and 450 kg per approach. The goal is for eight of ten approaches to be green by 2012. ”We collaborate with airlines and air navigation services to improve the potential for green approaches. To succeed with these efforts, predictability and cooperation among all the stakeholders are required. More than 50 per cent of all landings are green landings, which in 2011 reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 13,000 tonnes,” says Lena Wennberg.

Facts about Swedavia 3 Owner: Swedish state 3 Turnover: SEK 4.7 billion in 2011 3 No. of employees: 2,500 3 Owns the following airports: Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Lulea Airport, Ronneby Airport, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Umeå Airport, Kiruna Airport, Bromma Stockholm Airport, Åre Östersund Airport, Sundsvall Härnösand Airport, Malmö Airport, Visby Airport. Swedavia is also a co-owner of Göteborg City Airport.

Airlines look for a new landing strip… Text: Kaj Embrén . Blog: www.kajembren.com. Twitter: twitter.com/#!/kajembren

ust before Christmas 2011 the European Union Court of Justice successfully upheld EU law to include foreign airlines in its Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). From 2012, the EU Aviation Directive will force all airlines to buy carbon credits for flights in and out of Europe. The response from large parts of the aviation industry has been hugely disappointing. As the world’s only mandatory programme to address emissions from aviation, the Directive’s measures have provoked a chorus of criticism from India, China and, in particular, the US. Many airlines outside Europe have reacted angrily to the decision as it will increase the cost of flying to the continent. True, if they cannot increase their

efficiency or absorb this expense it will have to be passed on to customers, but this negative attitude towards a progressive policy is sadly reminiscent of the wider ongoing climate negotiations. Whilst airlines may not be the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (2-4%), this figure will rise significantly if action is not taken. Global urbanisation means we now have more than 400 cities with populations over 1m, in a system already served by 1700 active airlines across 44,000 airports. These airports are increasingly important hubs and the burgeoning size and interconnectivity of cities, especially in Africa, China and India, can only worsen the damage caused by airlines. But this growth also re-

presents vast commercial potential for the aviation industry and serves to strengthen its opposition to change. Sector-based interest organisations (in this case airlines) and national government representatives are almost always the biggest threat to attempts to solve the issue of climate change. The stronghold of lobbyists in Washington (a total of about 25,000) ensures that commercial interests influence decision makers in both Congress and Senate, drastically curbing the impact of environmental concerns. True to form, the voices of the aviation industry were heard the loudest after the EU ruled against them. In a letter to the EU that was undoubtedly the result of pressure from lobbyists,

Hillary Clinton criticised the ETS and portrayed Europe’s forward-thinking approach as a sign of its increasing isolation. This marks a sad departure from the approach taken by her husband, Bill Clinton, whose Climate Initiative encouraged airlines to work together with city airports to build more efficient (and therefore sustainable) transportation hubs. His C 40 network, along with the European Committee of Regions, is working on new agreements between governors and mayors in Europe, India, US and China. Cities there are beginning to build new networks and sustainable strategies, including the use of publicprivate partnerships. This innovative approach (which also promotes cooperation on emission trading) represents a better platform for a new type of dialogue. There is also compelling evidence in Europe that these solutions can benefit the airlines and the planet. We can look to Sweden for evidence of just how successful these collaborative models can be. Swedavia, which owns and operates 11 of the country’s

airports, was the first major Swedish company to become climate neutral. Since 2003 the company has reduced the carbon dioxide emissions from its airports by a staggering 73 percent. The target is to achieve zero emissions by 2020 through a comprehensive set of measures that expand year-on-year. Both Swedavia and SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) have been working with voluntary cap-and-trade agreements to help keep emissions in line with Kyoto targets. It is this cooperation between airline and airport that has impressed the most. Take Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, for instance, which now uses a carbon-neutral aquifer (a groundwater reservoir that acts as a thermos) to cool all airport buildings during the summer, including the terminals. What’s more the aquifer also stores heat that can be used in the winter for ground heating systems at aircraft parking stands and to pre-heat ventilated air in buildings. There are many similar opportunities lying around the corner. The Joint Implementation (JI) project,

for example, aims to involve the airlines in projects that will stimulate technology development in partnership with the airports they serve. But as well as the power of collaboration, Swedavia’s example shows the power of localised initiatives. Air traffic largely flows in and out of cities and it may be at this level that meaningful change can be implemented. Rather than relying on international sanctions or national governments regulating from under the thumbs of aviation lobbyists, we should be encouraging each city to find its own solutions and work with local governments and businesses on sustainable city models. Mayors, not ministers, are best placed to find pragmatic and imaginative solutions. Airports and airlines may not like Europe’s attempts to cut emissions, but the ETS is here to stay. So instead of embarking of futile attempts to stop the EU in the courts, they should work towards developing new partnerships and best practise to support more sustainable cities.

A sustainable society â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a utopia that can be realised if we really want to As members of a sustainable society, we should not constantly focus on what we cannot do. On the contrary, we should be seeing the opportunities for improvements these changes lead to.

magine a cityscape where the buildings minimise the energy required to maintain the right temperature, whether it is a cold winter night or hot summer day. Visualise walking through a lush park in the city, breathing fresh air and visiting a local farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market with fresh food, all within walking distance from your home. Continue this thought experiment, seeing yourself taking a quiet and comfortable ride in your car, without the rumbling noise of a combustion engine burning fossil fuels. Instead, you only hear a quiet whistling of the wind outside as you

make your way to work or travel through the countryside on a longer journey. See yourself taking advantage of an infrastructure that allows you to cross a continent with highspeed trains while sitting comfortably and enjoying the landscape, the lakes and the rivers. Imagine a manufacturing industry that has less impact on our climate and that can take advantage of natural resources while increasing profitability, all the while offering a safer workplace. Imagine that this is possible today.

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technology can improve efficiency and reduce the energy consumption of our homes radically. This, in turn, reduces our carbon footprint and lowers costs. Car manufacturers have come a long way in improving the efficiency of their powertrains. Today, pure electric cars and plug-in hybrids have even better range than many conventional cars while they have significantly less impact on the climate. With increased use of recycled materials, the manufacturing industry can reduce its consumption of natural resources and its environmental impact. Sustainable Solutions

Respect Sustainable Business is not an ordinary environmental consultancy

e play a key role in developing a brighter future for our customers, for the environment and for humanity. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in sacrificing what is good, just the opposite. We believe that impro-

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ving our daily routines by making them sustainable, we can all have a richer and more enjoyable life. We work closely with our clients and in networks to make global behaviour patterns sustainable.

Respect provides a wide range of services, such as sustainable development, carbon offsetting and sustainable communications. We always aim to achieve profitability for our clients by doing good.

Sustainable development in schools

ourses are conducted in collaboration with researchers at Linköping University, government agencies, businesses and municipalities. Students work in teams to expand their knowledge of social studies, biology, sociology, the environment, economics and leadership. The programme connects how people think and act with how society is designed and what consequences this has for the environment. The idea is for pupils to explore problems and find solutions by working across disciplines. With a project-oriented approach, part of instruction occurs outside the classroom, such as through taking samples of watercourses or discussions with policy-makers and researchers. ”The basic idea of this programme is Earth System Science (ESS), where you look at different systems in a holistic context, which systems and processes affect each other and are interdependent. We simply believe this is the best way to understand larger problems,” says 80

Jimi Nilsson, who is part of the programmes administrative group. The scientific method is a common thread throughout the programme. Students should become familiar with approaches from various scientific traditions – both humanistic and social science methods with qualitative and quantitative studies, and natural science methods, such as chemical analysis and environmental surveys. Jimi Nilsson says that a holistic approach is needed with many social issues to allow the students to see the causes, consequences and solutions. This comprehensive approach also allows students to see which actors, political and ethical decisions, and actions underlie the problem. Climate change is an example of a social issue where a comprehensive approach is very important. In these classes, they strive to highlight solutions. Instead of concluding with a focus on the problems, they focus on discussions of how solutions can be implemented.

”I would be extremely happy if we some students become involved in research, the private sector or politics and that they take a positive approach to all the issues they will be resolving in the future,” says Jimi Nilsson. The programme also includes special advanced courses in ecology and ecosystem change, environmental psychology and sustainable urbanisation. Throughout the academic programme, students work with researchers and instructors at Linköping University. Third year students also take an interdisciplinary university course connect with the Environmental Science programme. ”In addition to the educational effect of testing university studies, the purpose of the cooperation with the university is to provide students with researchrelated and relevant instruction. A pillar of education has always been to examine what is being discussed today and to not spend time on outdated studies,” explains Jimi Nilsson. Sustainable Solutions

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GUEST COLUMNIST: MATS DENNINGER, THE SWEDISH GOVERNMENT’S SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR SWEDISH COOPERATION WITH CHINA IN THE AREA OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING.

Great potential for green technology exports to cities I am Special Coordinator for Swedish Cooperation with China in the Area of Energy and Environmental Technology and Sustainable Urban Planning. In December 2010, the Swedish government decided to extend and expand my assignment to also include Russia and India. My work is coordinated through the secretariat for the Swedish Government’s International Environmental Technology Cooperation (IMT). My most important task is to help increase Swedish green technology exports to the three countries. The China Statistical Yearbook 2011 puts China’s urban population at more than 50 per cent of its total population for the first time ever. In 2011, an enormous 21 million citizens – or almost 60,000 people a day – were either born in or moved to Chinese cities. At present there no equivalent figures for India are available, but we can be quite sure that more than 10 million Indians moved to cities for work and education. Globally, we’re witnessing urbanisation on a scale of perhaps 100 million per year. Obviously, this places huge demands on the planning of and invest82

ment in different types of infrastructure. This includes everything from water and sewage facilities to housing and transport. Sweden can contribute advanced technology and a comprehensive approach to the development of new, sustainable cities. We work primarily with public sector clients. As such, cooperation with Swedish embassies, consulates-general, the Swedish Trade Council and relevant public authorities is crucial in providing support for Swedish businesses. Our ambition is to lower entry thresholds and facilitate business for commercial players. To do so, part of our work includes conducting market analyses and different types of promotional trips to identify business opportunities, both geographically and thematically. We are also often involved in organising both incoming and outgoing delegations to and from our focus countries. Naturally, being able to be involved in planning and developing a city or a neighbourhood is appealing. It opens up the opportunity to introduce our own, integrated vision – Symbio City – and also to create

the preconditions that will allow Swedish suppliers to compete for business. At times it may be a long road from planning to contract, which is why we also work with different market segments, such as district heating and cooling, waste management and air and water purification. In summary, in 2010, green technology exports to China, India and Russia reached a combined value of just under SEK 4 billion. These markets are growing quickly and are not yet as large as our nearby European export markets. But they are getting closer and the need for smart solutions for sustainable cities will definitely continue to grow‚ not least of all in China, India and Russia.

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The Swedish public sector has an important role to play in the shift towards a sustainable society.

Swedish municipalities important to sustainable development Text: Gunnar Andersson

hrough public procurement, service production and by acting as a key political arena, municipalities and county councils can serve as important players in the process. Each of Sweden’s 290 municipalities is working to achieve the goal of sustainable development. While it is true that each has adopted a different approach, in line with their widely differing circumstances, each also possesses local autonomy that provides a local tax base from which to work. This, in turn, generates significant opportunities to steer activity in favour of sustainable development. ”Swedish municipalities have been working on Agenda21 since 1992, but, aside from that, sustainable development is a natural inclusion in all community planning and in the national environmental objectives that everyone is working to achieve,” explains Peter Wenster from the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), which serves as a political lobby group for Swedish municipalities. Swedish municipalities and county councils have the ability

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to impose requirements that promote sustainable development. One way they can do so is through service production. Waste management, for example, is one area where they can be involved in and contribute to the development of green technology. ”In addition, municipalities also have an important role to play as a political arena for dialogue that can help promote changes in consumption and production behaviour,” Wenster adds. Moreover, municipalities and county councils can quickly and concretely contribute to sustainable development through public procurement. Public procurement comprises approximately 25 per cent of Sweden’s GNP. By including not only environmental requirements in procurement processes, but also social and ethical criteria, they can influence not only the business world’s work in support of sustainable development, but also ordinary people’s ability to choose sustainable solutions. ”Environmental, social and ethical requirements can be included in everything,” Wenster believes.

Tougher requirements in connection with public procurement in Sweden also have a follow-on effect on sustainable development far beyond its borders. ”Because a lot of the goods we procure are imported, even producers who are located far from Sweden are encouraged to improve their efforts in support of sustainable development,” Wenster explains. Wenster believes that work to promote sustainable development is conducted in a kind of symbiosis with Swedish business. Large companies have the ability to invest resources in the long-term development of products and solutions that promote sustainable development. That said, the business community also needs to be spurred to action. Municipalities can be involved and influence development work by refusing to satisfy themselves with existing products and solutions, asking instead for new, innovative options. ”The Swedish public sector is an important customer and business will produce the products and services its customers demand,” Wenster concludes. 83

Kindergarten in China inspired by Swedish model Outside Shijiazhuang south-west of Beijing in China, a private industry group led by the car company Hebei Ronghua Dongfeng has joined forces to build a preschool for up to 550 children. Text: Gunnar Andersson

he preschool can accommodate around fifty children overnight for parents working in another town or on night shift. Two of the buildings are dorms for both children and teachers. There will also be four compulsory school classes in the area.

Even in Chinese terms, this is a large preschool. Even so, the size of the individual childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groups will be smaller than in Sweden and staffing levels higher. The industry group hired Swedish technology consultancy Sweco to design and build

the preschool. There is an ideology behind the basic idea for the project, according to Jonas Kjellander, project architect at Sweco. â&#x20AC;?It is about instilling an obvious and concrete sustainable approach in these young children. This has far greater and Sustainable Solutions

more long-term importance than the measurable effects on the environment and energy consumption in this particular facility. So the design should also present a sustainable approach in as clear and educational manner as possible,” he says. Local conditions also supported taking an ecological approach for the pre-school. Transportation options to the site 20 minutes outside the city of Shijiazhuang are limited. ”On the positive side, this also means that there is room for local energy solutions, such as geothermal, solar and the production of biogas from the school’s own waste. There are also plans to have small scale animal farming and the roofs are mostly grasscovered,” explains Jonas Kjellander. In general, a balance has been found between technical solutions and local building expertise and tradition. For example, the small-scale biogas production is a simple Sustainable Solutions

and proven local technology. However, some technical solutions have been brought in from Sweden. ”Geothermal heat using boreholes is a typical Swedish technology applied here locally and using storm water, grey water, and sewage are also typical Swedish solutions,” says Jonas Kjellander. The goal is a preschool setting achieving an international standard that is adapted to a school with high educational aspirations. This approach can make Xian Xian preschool a leading model in the development of kindergartens in China. Sweco has taken inspiration and ideas for the pre-school project from different places. ”We have taken inspiration from previous projects where we have expanded on some basic concepts. We have also been inspired by the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy. In addition, we draw on local building traditions, such as the

open-air, fully enclosed courtyards on a small scale,” says Jonas Kjellander. The preschool has two of these courtyards enclosed by one-storey buildings, even though the school is predominantly built two to three floors high. ”The façade is characterized by walls of natural stone, which is traditionally used in local buildings and landscaping. Farming terraces in the area already use local stone material,” he says. The complex is about 15,000 square metres, and includes accommodations for staff and children, an indoor swimming pool, conference and research facilities, and office space. The property is mostly mountainous terrain, with up to 60 metres height difference across approximately 11 hectares (27 acres). Construction of the preschool is in full swing. The basic building and the first phase should be completed by the end of the year. 85

From TV personality to sustainability manager Her goal was to work at a publicly traded, international company doing what is personally important to her. As Sustainability Manager at technology consulting firm ÅF, Alice Bah Kuhnke has finally found the perfect job for her. Text: Mikael Söderlind

lthough it has been more than a decade since Alice Bah Kuhnke left her career in television, it is impossible to ignore the fact that she is still best known for her work on the children’s programme Disney Club and her own acclaimed talk show Alice Bah. One hundred and fifty episodes of Alice Bah were broadcast in 1998 and 1999 before gave up working in television.

Much has happened since then, and Alice’s focus is now on sustainability issues. In fact, as Sustainability Manager at technology consulting company ÅF, she now devotes all her time to this cause. She does not miss working in TV. From Alice’s perspective, her TV job was just one amongst many she has had. While it taught her a lot, she has not desire to pursue it further. Her commitment to the environment and

sustainability are all too important, and these types of issues have always had a place in her life since childhood. ”I was lucky to have parents who made sure I understood that the world was bigger than our little village in the heart of the Swedish province of Småland and that – as someone who had everything in the way of peace, freedom, food on the table and a roof over my head – I had a responsibility toward Sustainable Solutions

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the world in general and, more specifically, to those who have so much less.” Before becoming Sustainability Manager at ÅF, Alice also served as Operations Manager for the Idéer för Livet (Ideas for Life) foundation started by Skandia, Secretary General of the Rättvisemärkt organisation (now Fairtrade) and Director of the think tank Sektor3. She describes her time at Rättvisemärkt as wonderful and dynamic and says that she came into her own in working to engage, build up and rally support. Even so, she has difficulty saying whether she is able to influence sustainable development more now than she could then. ”My current job at ÅF is so much more difficult and the circumstances are so very much more complex. It’s a publicly traded company with many influential stakeholders – not least of all the owners – who want a return on their investments. It is an organisation made up of people from many parts of the world with different corporate cultures. Everything is more difficult and therefore – from my perspective – also much more fun.

I honestly don’t know at which of these two places I have made the most difference. They can’t be compared, but I do know that I should be here at ÅF right now.” Even before Alice began working as Sustainability Manager at ÅF, she had decided that she wanted to work at a publicly traded, international company. She had lots of different plans, but ultimately chose to take the job at ÅF. ”When ÅF offered me the job, I was thrilled to have the chance to work at an organisation with thousands of talented engineers who daily work to solve problems for every possible type of company all over the world. It is a dream come true for anyone wanting to work in support of a more sustainable world. Name a challenge, we have it!” A typical workday begins no later than 6 AM. Alice is at the top of her game between 6 AM and 9 AM, when she solves all the major problems. This is the time of day when all things are possible, as she puts it. Next come a lot of short meetings and replying to e-mail. She also spends a lot of time establishing and developing the

company’s processes and procedures so that they meet the sustainability requirements the company wants to achieve. Her duties also include training staff, reporting to the company’s owners and supporting the organisation in its everyday work. Alice is upfront about the fact that the ÅF Group primarily works with sustainability in order to make money and not just because it looks good in the public eye, which might be a sensitive issue in some cases. ”We can’t spend our time doing something that doesn’t make money. It’s simply not possible. But it would be insane to do these things just because it gives good PR – surely there have to be cheaper ways to build a good profile.” When asked if she herself is living a life that could be considered sustainable, she replies: ”To a certain extent, but you can always do more. But I have a biogas car, I use the train, I actively choose the type of electricity I buy, I eat lots of fish and I make other active choices with sustainability in mind.”

Facts about Alice Bah Kuhnke 3 Born: 1971 in Malmö, Sweden 3 Home town: Horda in the Swedish province of Småland 3 Currently lives in: Nacka, Sweden (just outside Stockholm) 3 Family: Husband and three children 3 Education: Degree in Political Science 3 Professional career: TV host, Operations Manager for the Idéer för Livet foundation at Skandia, General Secretary at Rättvisemärkt (now Fairtrade), Director of Sektor3 3 Current position: Sustainability Manager at technology consulting firm ÅF 3 Other: Serves on the boards of Doberman, the Royal Dramatic Theatre and other organisations. Has been elected to the assembly of the Church of Sweden. 88

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GUEST COLUMNIST: SUNITA NARAIN COMMENTS ON SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS OR NOT:

Flush and Forget – not the way to the future O

ur cities must re-invent and re-work the methods and technologies of conveying water and disposing of waste. This system of water-waste management, first invented in the water-and-money-rich industrialised world and imitated mindlessly here, can work well only for some. We know India is urbanising fast, literally exploding at the seams. Currently, some 340 million people live in cities; by 2030, as estimated, this number will double. Such impinges directly on water use and waste discharge. At the same time, even by 2030, as much as 60 per cent of Indians will continue to live in rural areas. They will continue to depend on agriculture. How, then, will the water be shared? Life is about re-inventing the water-to-water cycle. It would not be wrong to say the technology of toilets—an equipment to handle human excreta in a safe and hygienic manner—has been the least researched in the world. But we are not learning lessons from cases where sewage systems are failing to keep up with the excreta challenge. The problem is the current sewage collection and conveyance paradigm Sustainable Solutions

is based on centralised systems. These rely on using a large quantity of clean surface water to transport a small amount of human excreta through expensive sewer lines to an expensive sewage treatment facility, which cannot cope with the amount of waste generated and releases it untreated into the environment. In this way, this system has become part of the environmental problem and not the solution. Toilets need to be re-engineered, so that they are affordable and can function to reuse and recycle the excreta generated. This is a technology challenge we have to work on, using the most advanced science and the most traditional knowledge. We know frontier technologies for toilets exist in space programmes. We also know traditional water systems were engineered in our villages to optimise use of scarce resources. We need the ingenuity of science to take us to the next generation of sanitation technologies. But all this requires a major change in mindset so that the rich cities of poor India find innovative answers in their water and excreta management. Modern technologies for

cleaning waste are out of the financial reach of the waste-accumulating societies of the poorer world. They are too expensive to install and even more expensive to run. It is here that the challenge lies: to reinvent the paradigm of waste treatment by reinventing the paradigm of waste generation itself. Cities must look at their waste economy and invest in reuse. For instance, Singapore uses expensive membrane technology that completely cleans up wastewater, making it potable new water. This is at the expensive end. The other alternative is our cities leapfrog to minimise on generating waste or ensure the waste is segregated—household waste from industrial waste—so that what is relatively less toxic can be cleaned up and then used to recharge groundwater or irrigate fields. This is the win-win formula for the future.

SSG makes sustainability a standard Developing common standards within industry leads to greater availability, operational reliability, personal safety and thus also increased sustainability. SSG Standard Solutions Group has so far drawn up more than 450 technical standards.

“W

hatever the area in which we produce a standard, the key is to achieve energy efficiencies and use as few resources as possible in production,” explains Jonas Berggren, CEO of SSG Standard Solutions Group AB, and continues: “Our owners and customers have amassed enormous experience in making investments. Our task at SSG is to refine that knowledge and transfer it into standards that can be used to support procurement, planning and design,” says Jonas Berggren. Where there have previously been a number of different standards – since manufacturers have been able to set their own – it has been difficult to compare and contrast products with each other. SSG’s standards have enabled the industry to put pressure on suppliers more easily. Those who want a chance in the procurement process need to meet the requirements set. 90

“And here it is important to stress how significant the concepts of sustainability and lifecycle economy are. Whatever the area in which we produce a standard, the emphasis is on meeting a need, but naturally with an eye on creating energy efficiencies and using as few resources as possible in the production process. In addition, the number of stock items can be reduced. In other words, common standards are a key stop on the necessary road towards increased sustainability,” says Berggren.

Facts: SSG 3 SSG is owned by the seven biggest forest industries in Sweden and the company’s services are used by several of the large industries in Europe, such as Akzo Nobel, Atlas Copco, Billerud, Boliden, Borealis, Holmen, Korsnäs, LKAB, Mondi, M-real, Northland Resources, Nynas, Outokumpu, Perstorp, Sandvik, SCA, Scania, Shell, Siemens, Smurfit Kappa, SSAB, Stora Enso, Södra and Vattenfall. Sustainable Solutions

Safer life for the contractor

aunched five years ago, SSG Entre – interactive safety training for industry contractors – is taking Nordic industry by storm. SSG Entre is helping to make major savings out at the industrial facilities, while also ensuring safer workplaces. SSG Entre continues to grow and is now well on its way to becoming an industry stanSustainable Solutions

dard. At the current time, 129 of Sweden’s industrial plants require their contractors to have completed the SSG Entre Basic Training Course and to be equipped with an Entre passport. Almost 90,000 contractors have been approved since the start in late 2006. SSG has also devloped an interactive, web-based envi-

ronmental training course adapted for and aimed at all personnel in the forest industry. It is called SSG Personal Environmental Certificate. The purpose of the course is, at a low cost, to give all employees a basic level of environmental knowledge as well as an insight into the environmental effects of the plant’s activities. 91

Sweden in action Environmental technology is an industry undergoing brisk development both in Sweden and globally. At many locations all over Sweden new innovations are being created, technical solutions are being developed and smart systems are being packaged. We are here offering a selection of what is taking place in the environmental-technology industry in Sweden.

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FOCUS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY Momentum is a company that sells building systems that handle the control of energy expenditure and reporting in a simple and user friendly way. The system provides answers to questions such as which properties have the highest consumption per square meter and the consumption l this year compared to last year. Property managers, controllers and finance managers can themselves produce expense reports and make comparisons between different buildings. The system also allows benchmarking between the various real estate companies in the market. President and owner of the company is Bengt Ostling and the company is headquartered in Falun. www.momentum.se HYPER BUS Hyper Bus stands for Hybrid and Plug-in Extended Range Bus system. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about a concept with entirely new technology that allows the plug-in hybrid to run on battery power longer than earlier models, and about charging stations where it can recharge its batteries in just a few minutes while waiting at the end of the line. It can be divided into four sub-areas; t EFNPOTUSBUJPO PG QMVH JO UFDIOPMPHZ GPS hybrid buses t SBQJE DIBSHF TUBUJPOT t UFTUT JO SFBM DJUZ FOWJSPONFOUT PO FYJTUJOH CVT routes, and the publication of results and eperiences from the project. Business Region GĂśteborg, GĂśteborg Energi, City of Gothenburg Traffic & Public Transport Authority, Volvo Buses and VĂ¤sttrafik are behind the demonstration project. Hyper Bus receives EU funding through the Life+ program. www.hyperbus.se GREEN CHEMISTRY The Gothenburg region is the hub for the chemical and petrochemical industry in Sweden. It includes the refining industry gathering the full national production of transportation fuels. Large investments have improved competitiveness, increased exports and developed a stronger contribution to a more sustainable society. The companies in the Chemical Cluster has joined together in a shared vision â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2030 Stenungsund industry park will be the hub for the manufacturing of sustainable products within the Swedish chemical industryâ&#x20AC;? This includes a Sustainable Solutions

major shift towards renewable feedstockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and energy suppliers, continued product development towards sustainable applications and a step change in energy efficiency and integration. The operations are based on renewable feedstock and energy, contributing towards a sustainable society. An important focus is strengthening the network between industry, society, and research. CLIMATE SMART CITY DISTRIBUTION This is an initiative to develop more efficient and climate-friendly solutions for city distribution. The aim is to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases from freight transports within the city of GĂśteborgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental zone by 50 percent. Freight delivery companies, vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers and governmental organizations demonstrate the potential of new and existing technology, renewable fuel use and freight transport coordination. Focus areas for Climate Smart City Distribution: t .PSF FGmDJFOU DJUZ EJTUSJCVUJPO t 3FOFXBCMF GVFMT t &OFSHZ FGmDJFOU WFIJDMFT Another important goal is forming a model that could be exported to urban areas around the world, dealing with the challenges of an expanding transport sector. www.klimatsmartcitydistribution.se FLEXIFUEL DEMONSTRATION PLANT In Kalmar you find a demonstration plant for a combination of heating systems with new technology, where different system concepts and control strategies are measured and evaluated. The plant contains solar panels, air / water heat pumps, geothermal heat pump, pellet boilers and storage tanks for low-and high-grade heat. 93

In a web-based control and data system, the performance of various components is being determined individually. The plant heats an industrial building with a maximum power demand of 120 kW. The plant is operated by Euronom AB. www.euronom.se KVILLEBÄCKEN In Kvillebäcken an entirely new district will be built – the first to be built by the new environmental standards set by the City of Gothenburg. Besides being an attractive area meeting residential, commercial and recreational needs, the New Kvillebäcken is also meant to provide an innovation platform and a test bed for new technology solutions in practice. Kvillebäcken will become a showcase for applied technologies and smart solutions in a vibrant urban environment. It also provides opportunities to demonstrate how environmental technologies can be integrated into the urban planning process. The new district will serve as a demo site where the co-operating companies together can new develop new solutions and this altogether will attract new clean tech companies to the Gothenburg region. DISTRICT HEATING MOSKOGEN CHP plant Moskogen produces district heating for Kalmar city and suburbs as well as renewable electricity equivalent to 1/3 of Kalmar’s electricity needs. The plant is fed with biomass 94

from the forest in the form of wood chips, bark and residues from forestry and wood industries as well as a small amount of peat. In a CHP plant electricity and heat are produced. In this way the energy content of the fuel is better utilized. The CHP plant resembles a giant pressure boiler, where steam from boiling water runs turbines, which in turn are running generators that produce electricity for transport into the electricity network. The residual heat of the steam is transferred to the district heating system, which in turn heats our homes and hot water in the taps. The heat is passed to customers through insulated pipes buried in the ground. CHP is both more efficient and more environmentally friendly than many other ways to produce electricity and heat. www.kalmarenergi.se THE ICE ARENA HEATS THE SWIMMING POOL Arena Oskarshamn consists of an ice rink, gym and office space, swimming pool, leisure pool, café facilities and an outdoor artificial frozen bandy rink that in summertime is the football field with artificial turf. The fact that everything is located in the same place means that the condenser heat from coolers for the ice rink and bandy rink can be used to heat the entire facility – the pool water in the three basins, air, and almost all tap water - in hockey and bandy season. One of the coolers is Sustainable Solutions

also used as a heat pump when the bandy rink is not in active mode and heats the domestic hot water, bathing water and the water for heating the premises of the plant. The heat in the shower water is utilized in a heat exchanger before the water goes into the sewer system and heats so incoming water in a first step. The heating system is also connected to the district heating in Oskarshamn in order to be able to buy the heat if necessary. ” Currently, we saved about 1 000 000 kWh per year. That means a reduced carbon dioxide emission by more than 600 tons per year” says Olof Eriksson, Plant Manager Arena Oskarshamn.

Wetland Park – For a cleaner Baltic Sea When arriving at Kalmar city from the south entrance you can see the Wetland Park Kalmar Dämme, a constructed wetland of great natural beauty. The facility with low-tech purification methods includes several basins that are drowned by Törnebybäckens water, a creek loaded with nutrients from the airport and from farming. The wetland park reduces nitrogen and phosphorus that otherwise would have been added to the Baltic Sea. Kalmar Airport is a supplier of nitrogen from urea which is used to keep the runways free from ice. Farmers in the area also add a significant proportion of nutrients into Törnebybäckens water. Thanks to the plant, the water is largely purified. In connection with the construction of Kalmar Dämme an accessible area for recreation was created, that provided a very good development of a rich flora and fauna of the wetland dependent species in favour. It is nature’s own cleaning system, where series of natural processes occur that reduce nitrogen and phosphorus. Kalmar Dämme has a Sustainable Solutions

total water area of about 18 hectares. Vatten och Samhällsteknik AB has developed the basic concept, engineering consultancy, environmental impact assessment and project planning. Read more at www.vosteknik.se

Rapid Chargeable Electric Buses Hybricon offers the world’s first Rapid Chargeable Electric Buses with unlimited range and built for the Nordic winter climate. A public transportation system with CO2-zero driving, noise reduction. The Ultra Rapid Charging stations with slide-in charging technology offers a high efficient, sustainable and energy saving model for tomorrow’s city buses today. www.hybricon.se

Energy effective aerators Sorubin sells energy effective aerators for the water utilities and process industries. Customers make substantial electricity savings in an energy intense industry. An experienced management team leads the way to continued growth in Sweden and abroad on a 5bn market. Sorubin has issued new shares yearly and went public 2012. www.sorubin.com 95

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CITIES Umeå have created a sustainable city in close collaboration with two universities and the business world. Kompetensspridning i Umeå AB was therefore founded with the purpose to export the knowledge of building sustainable cities. Kompetensspridning i Umeå AB is happy to share the experience with technical visits, education, trainee and feasibility studies. www.technicalvisitsumea.se

DISTRICT ENERGY Mittel Fjärrvärme is specialised in building and maintaining qualitative systems for district energy. Mittel’s unique and patented Mittel TSC system is an advanced method for case jointing of pre-insulated pipes with welding sleeves that makes the joints as strong and durable as the pipes. Joints often corrode, resulting in huge energy losses and expensive repairs, but with Mittel TSC this can be kept at a minimum. Mittel contributes to higher quality district energy systems, energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. www.mittel.se THE INTERACTIVE RECYCLING ROOM A monitor is placed in the local recycling room to give information about how to recycle, to display the total amount of recycled waste and how this can be used to create new products. With help of IT the dull recycling room is turned into a more interesting place that motivates people to recycle more. www.faltcom.se

A FAN THAT QUIETS ITSELF Did you know that even extremely low decibel levels can result in hearing damage? The company RotoSub has an exciting invention that changes the sound picture radically. Their technology makes it possible for fans and turbines to silence themselves. RotoSub was founded in 2004 with a clear target: create a new market based on their own invention. In brief, their smart invention means that noise from fans and turbines can be significantly reduced. This is interesting in many contexts, such as aircraft engines, ventilation drums or gas turbines. Lars Strömbäck founded and runs the company together with Mårten Oretorp. The patented RotoSub technology has a function that allows a fan or turbine to act as a loudspeaker. This function can be used to create very high sound pressure at low frequencies This has particular interest in the processing industry where products need to be massaged or shaken by sound. “An anti-sound is then created, which Sustainable Solutions

absorbs the noise. The advantage is that no extra components are needed — the fan or turbine quiets itself. The technology also facilitates use of more efficient fan solutions with greater effectiveness, without the sound problems that are otherwise associated,” Lars explains. AIR FILTER SAVES ENERGY The times are very good for Dinair. Their new air filter has increased sales by 30 per cent. Customers find it appealing that the filter is environmentally sound – but also that it lowers energy costs. Fredrik Särnehed is CEO and part owner of Dinair together with Patrik Ödling. Dinair’s newest product is the GreenFlo filter, made from more than 50 percent PLA fibres rather than petroleum-based fibres. PLA is short for polylactide and is produced from lactic acid extracted from corn starch or plant residue. Air flows very easily through the filter, which means that energy consumption in a ventilation system can be reduced by up to 20 percent. “Our primary market so far is in Scandinavia. The plan is that our production unit in Riga will become a bridgehead to Eastern Europe and Russia. All markets with a climate like Scandinavia require ventilation with heat recycling. The need for our filter products will increase strongly in these markets in the years ahead,” says Fredrik Särnehed.

It all started two years ago, when Kristian Eriksson and Erik Lindén took the big step of starting their own business, Enbio. Now these two young entrepreneurs are eager to succeed in the business world. Through software support, Enbio works with customers looking for quality, economical biofuel and biomass — a completely new and unique service. They are currently assisting a number of district heating plants from north to south with fuel acquisition. The customers have established specific requirements of quality and price for fuel selection. Enbio’s mission is to serve as a kind of procurement support, making sure the customers find what they are looking for. Enbio operate primarily in Östergötland, which is a region where a strong knowledge base has developed in biofuel and biomass, with Holmen Paper, E.ON in Norrköping and Tekniska Verken in Linköping.

SOFTWARE PROVIDES BIOFUEL Two young, hungry entrepreneurs have taken a great leap into the biofuel arena. With a new kind of software they help their customers identify the best, most economical biofuels. Sustainable Solutions

FRESH AIR Air Star produces and sells ventilation units to improve the indoor climate and reduce energy costs. The ventilation units are based on tried and tested technology that has been developed using new innovations. Supply and exhaust air alternate every 30 seconds; the heat in the exhaust air is recycled in a heat exchanger and then reused in the supply air. The units also have an additional heating function, which means they don’t only provide ventilation, but also heat. They also have dust and particle filters that clean the air. The basic principle is that a ventilation unit takes care of a room’s ventilation and heating; each unit has a capacity of around 20–35 sq. m. of living space, depending on the model. http://airstar.se

TORREFIED FORESTRY WASTE By roasting biomass, the company BioEndev has managed to produce a new type of energy raw material – a powder, a kind of ”green coal”, which has a high energy content and can be used both for heating/electricity generation and for future production of chemicals and fuels, as it can be refined into biosynthetic gas. The technique behind the roasted and powdered biomass is called torrefaction. This involves roasting biomass - wood from forestry thinning out and clearing operations, for example - at 250-300 degrees in the absence of oxygen. The torrefied product has a high specific energy content and can be easily and cheaply ground into powder. It is particularly cheap when compared to traditional biomass. www.bioendev.se WATER TREATMENT The patented solution, Järven Ecotech floating baffles/walls, is a cost effective and natural way to treat surface water in the recipient.

Järven Ecotech floating baffles/walls are an alternative to surface water basins and sedimentation tanks, and they melt naturally into the surroundings and efficiently clean surface water with the help of nature. The solution is based on Järven’s tried and tested float walls, which direct the surface water through a natural purification process. Surface water purification with Järven Ecotech does not require any land and it can be adapted for construction alongside marinas, bridges, gangways etc. www.jarven.se SYNTHESIS GAS FROM BIOMASS The Swedish clean-tech company, Cortus, has succeeded for the first time, in a 500 kW gasification plant, to produce synthesis gas from biomass without traces of hydrocarbons. It has previously not been possible to produce completely pure biogas from biomass without generating impurities of hydrocarbons. This has been a problem for both producers and users of biogas. ”With a synthesis gas, free of hydrocarbons from biomass gasification, new opportunities open to produce bio-based chemicals and fuels in conventional synthesis processes with a much simpler, and therefore cheaper, initial gas-cleaning system,” says Klas Engvall, professor in Chemical Engineering at KTH, The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. ”Our test results are extremely encouraging. Producing syngas from biomass without any traces of hydrocarbons, even methane, is unique. We have shown that the process can deliver the gas composition that has previously only been seen in theory. This is great news,” says Rolf Ljunggren, CEO of Cortus AB. www.cortus.se

YOU ARE WE. Cleantech is the name weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve

given to solutions and products that are conducive to a sustainable society and a better environment. At ssg, we work on the industrial aspects of a number of projects and ideas that lie at the cutting edge of development.

MEET US AT SPCI 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; STAND A21:20. WWW.SSG.SE

Everything we do is aimed at reducing environmental impact and the waste of resources. Our unique services help to optimise resources and this in turn leads to more efficient production. Together we can make things greener. WE ARE ALL TOGETHER.

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