How can a minor community
come tot playl a major
j role?
l ?

Björn Zethræus
Professor Bioenergy technology
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 20081

1: Identify something simple to go for

Everybody knows that we have to do something
about global warming
So Växjö decided to go for “Fossil-fuel-free Växjö” –96
Important:

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 20082

1: Identify something simple to go for

Everybody knows that we have to do something
about global warming
The political decision was unanimous
Important:• All political parties must agreeTsukuba 3E Forum June 20083

1: Identify something simple to go for

Everybody knows that we have to do something
about global warming
The fossil fuel resources are limited
Important:• All political parties must agree• The underlying facts must be undisputable

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 20084

1: Identify something simple to go for

Everybody knows that we have to do something
about global warming
The global warming is a long-term problem
Important:• All political parties must agree• The underlying facts must be undisputable• It must be in line with current and long
long-term
term trends

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 20085

1: Identify something simple to go for

Everybody knows that we have to do something
about global warming“Fossil-fuel-free” is a simple phrase to use
Important:• All political parties must agree• The underlying facts must be undisputable• It must be in line with current and long
long-term
term trends• It must be simple to communicate
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

6

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Assume – for simplicity that
this world is a little sphere.
We all remember from schoolthat itit’ss 40 000 km aroundaround.
So – with 40 000 = 2.π.r – we

40 000 40 000 2≈= ⋅10 000 = 6 667
readily estimate the radius r =2 ⋅π
63This is overestimated, since π is a bit bigger than 3, so let’s say
6 500 km for an estimate...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

7

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

So – what
what’ss the area of thatlittle sphere?
We all remember from school
the equation A = 4 ⋅ π ⋅ r 2So – with r = 6 500 km – we222
estimate the area as A = 4 ⋅ π ⋅ 6 500 ≈ 12 ⋅ ( 6.5) ⋅1000
6.52 has to be in between 36 and 47 – so let’ say 42...
Thus 12.42.1 000 000 ≈ 500.1 000 000 = 500 million km2.
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

8

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

How much land is on thatlittle sphere?
We all remember from schoolthat itit’ss about 70 % sea on
this planet – so land is 30 %Thus the total land area is about 30 % of 500 Mkm2.
That is 150 Mkm2....

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

9

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

How many will share theland on that little sphere?
Let’s us use six billion people
for the estimate – just to makeit simple...
Thus the total land area is 150 million km2; or 0.15 billion km2.
0.15 billion km 20And we are 6 billion people. So that’s
6 billion people
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200810

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

So whatwhat’ss the final result forthat little sphere?
0.15 billion km 2
0We had that
6 billion people
0.15 km2 = 150 000 m2 per 6persons – that’s 25 000 m2 each...
Thus the land area per six persons is 0.15 km2 which finallyyields about 25 000 m2 per person...
personTsukuba 3E Forum June 200811

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

A football field is about 100.70 m2 or 7 000 m2, so 25 000 m2
is about three-and-a-half football field...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

12

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

One is covered with deserts, ice or is high-alpine – so this isuseless for any type of organic production...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200813

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

The second is forested with boreal softwood, temperate
hardwood and tropical forests...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200814

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

FForesttland
The third one is covered with poor grass – this is the dry
steppes and savannahs of inner Asia, Africa etc...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200815

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

FForesttland
The half one is mainly covered with good grass – this is themid-west, the Pampas and those areas...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200816

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

FForestt

Cattle!

land... and a bit more than the penalty area is good enough toprovide all our food and all our fibre without irrigation...
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200817

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”
These facts are undisputable...

Splitting the world land area equal between us all, yields
about three-and-a-half football fields per person:

FForestt
landCattle!
Cotton, coffee,
potatoes, rice,corn, wheat, flax
and everything…

So – this conclusion cannot be disputed!!
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200818

2: Engage outside expertise

Environmental action requires environmental
expertise – and this is usually not at hand
So Växjö decided to engage the Swedish Association for
Nature Conservation,Conservation started -97
97
Important:

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200819

2: Engage outside expertise

Environmental action requires environmental
expertise – and this is usually not at handA special advisory office was inaugurated to provide
input to the political planning process
Important:• The experts must be allowed to work independently

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200820

2: Engage outside expertise

Environmental action requires environmental
expertise – and this is usually not at hand
The community supported a research centre at theUniversity and an EU Energy Agency
Important:• The experts must be allowed to work independently• First-classFirst class expertise is needed on a local basis

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200821

2: Engage outside expertise

Environmental action requires environmental
expertise – and this is usually not at hand
The budgeting process includes also ecological factors
in the bookkeeping since 2003
Important:• The experts must be allowed to work independently• First-classFirst class expertise is needed on a local basis• The administration must follow-up the progress
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200822

3: Concretize your goals

The goals must be possible to quantify:• Reduce the fossil CO2 emissions by 50% per capita until 2010 and 70% per capita
until 2025 compared to 1993
• Reduce the use of electricity by 20% per capita until 2015 compared to 1993
• Stopp using
g oil in the cityy administration byy 2010.

Important:• The
Th goalsl mustt comply
l withith ththe bbookkeeping
kki systemt

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200823

3: Concretize your goals

The goals must be possible to quantify:• Reduce the fossil CO2 emissions by 50% per capita until 2010 and 70% per capita
until 2025 compared to 1993
• Reduce the use of electricity by 20% per capita until 2015 compared to 1993
• Stopp using
g oil in the cityy administration byy 2010.

CCurrentt VäVäxjö
jö goalslImportant:• TheTh goals
l mustt comply
l withith ththe bbookkeeping
kki systemt• The statistics office must be able to collect data

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200824

3: Concretize your goals

The goals must be possible to quantify:• Reduce the fossil CO2 emissions by 50% per capita until 2010 and 70% per capita
until 2025 compared to 1993
• Reduce the use of electricity by 20% per capita until 2015 compared to 1993
• Stopp using
g oil in the cityy administration byy 2010.

CCurrentt VäVäxjö
jö goalslImportant:• TheTh goals
l mustt comply
l withith ththe bbookkeeping
kki systemt• The statistics office must be able to collect data
• TheTh goals
l mustt b
be simple
i l tto communicate
i t

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200825

3: Concretize your goals

The goals must be possible to quantify:• Reduce the fossil CO2 emissions by 50% per capita until 2010 and 70% per capita
until 2025 compared to 1993
• Reduce the use of electricity by 20% per capita until 2015 compared to 1993
• Stopp usingg oil in the cityy administration byy 2010.

CCurrentt VäVäxjö
jö goalslImportant:• TheTh goals
l mustt comply
l withith ththe bbookkeeping
kki systemt• The statistics office must be able to collect data
• TheTh goals
l mustt b
be simple
i l tto communicate
i t• Individuals must be engaged – local contests
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

26

Example: Go for “sustainable footprint”

Ecological footprints can be calculated for:• Textile supplies• Food supplies• Energy supplies• Sea-based resources• ...

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200827

4: Follow-up...

Olika länders
utsläpp av koldioxidekvivalenter
Total
COequivalents
equivalents,
ton/capita -04
04
2
Ton per capita, 2004
USA
Australien
KanadaN d lä d
Nederländerna
BelgienFinlandRyssland
Norge
TysklandDanmark
SydkoreaJapan
Sydafrika
Storbritannien
Nya Zeeland
SpanienÖsterrike
Italien
PolenFrankrike
Sverige
Schweiz
Världen totalt
Kina
Brasilien
IndienVäxjö

So far, the reduction
has been more than
30 % and Växjö isnow below the world
average - decreasing

05

10152025ÅrKälla: EIA, International Energy Annual 2004

Hämtat: 2007-06-29
Tsukuba 3E ForumJune 200828

Conclusions

Växjö achieved its world-wideworld wide reputation by:• Adopting a goal that could not be disputed

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200829

Conclusions

Växjö achieved its world-wideworld wide reputation by:• Adopting a goal that could not be disputed• Engaging expertise for long-term advice

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200830

Conclusions

Växjö achieved its world-wideworld wide reputation by:• Adopting a goal that could not be disputed• Engaging expertise for long-term advice• Adopting the administration to the goals

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200831

Conclusions

Växjö achieved its world-wideworld wide reputation by:• Adopting a goal that could not be disputed• Engaging expertise for long-term advice• Adopting the administration to the goals• Following the development actively

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200832

Conclusions

Växjö achieved its world-wideworld wide reputation by:• Adopting a goal that could not be disputed• Engaging expertise for long-term advice• Adopting the administration to the goals• Following the development actively

And this has lead to:• Technical visits• International co-operations• Awards
Tsukuba 3E Forum June 2008

33

The end...

Tsukuba 3E Forum June 200834