Sweden leads the way in sustainable living, but what does it do that leaves the rest trailing in its wake?
Five Scandinavian countries feature in every top ten best performers list when it comes to CO2 emissions, climate change policy and mitigation, energy transition, green society and innovation.
Top of the league Sweden maybe - and there are innovations the UK could follow - but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.
Ups: Half of Swedes have access to a holiday home, they receive 480 days shared paternity/maternity leave per couple and, though taxes are high, care is free and wages way above average.
Downs: Gun death rate in Stockholm is 30 times that of London and there is a huge drugs problem.
Interesting fact: The settlement of Kiruna (population 22,500) is being moved three kilometres to avoid it being swallowed by subsidence caused by the world’s largest iron ore mine, which is located underneath the town and is cracking and sinking the ground.
Innovations: Sweden aims to eliminate fossil fuels by 2045.
More than 60 per cent of Sweden’s electricity production comes from renewable sources, with hydropower the most prominent (41pc). Nuclear power and wind energy are other significant contributors.
The government is aiming for 100pc renewable electricity by 2040.
Sweden aims to achieve negative carbon emissions by capturing and storing biogenic CO2.
Several cities have introduced emission-free electric buses to enhance urban sustainability.
The country’s abundant forest resources are used to construct high-rise buildings from renewable and recyclable timber.
Sweden leads the way in electrified roads that allow vehicles to charge while driving. The world’s first public electric road was launched between Gävle and Sandviken and there are plans to expand the network, potentially adding 3,000 km by 2045.
Problems: Excessive nutrients from agriculture, wastewater and atmospheric deposition are harming aquatic life and water quality.
Existing hydropower projects, many built before modern environmental regulations, exert significant pressure on lakes and rivers.
The country is experiencing extreme weather events, sea level rise, air pollution and increased temperatures and rainfall. Forest loss, mining activities, and other development projects are also contributing to habitat destruction and biodiversity loss, with numerous species under threat.
- In our next article we look at the rest of Scandinavia.
