The Greenest City in Europe is visiting Seattle

During Sweden Week May 2 -9 the Greenest City in Europe, the city of Vaxjo, Sweden, is visiting Seattle. Vaxjo will also participate in the entrepreneurial days at the Swedish Cultural Centre, 1920 Dexter Avenue N., May 5-6.

The emission of carbon dioxide is our biggest environmental challenge. Most of the industrialised countries have an emission of approximately 10 tons per capita. The US is topping the league with more than 20 tons per capita. Sweden in total has an emission of 6 tons per capita and the city of Vaxjo only 3,8 tons per capita.

The City of Vaxjo in southeast Sweden is an area where climate protection and renewable energy is in focus. Every year more than 100 international groups are coming to study the strategies. The main driving forces are the City of Vaxjo, the Energy Agency South East Sweden, a number of regional companies and Linnaeus University.

Between the years 1993 to 2007 Vaxjo reduced the CO2 emissions by 35 % per capita and this with a GDP growth of 63 % during the same period.

The fossil fuel initiative
Växjö is a mid-sized city located in the south of Sweden, in the county of Småland. In 1996 the city took the decision to be a fossil fuel city and the work accelerated to a new level. All work is done on market conditions. The backbone of the reduction of the CO2 emissions is the use of biomass for heating houses and producing electricity. Almost the whole city is connected to the district heating system

The work with the environment and climate protection is on many levels. The municipality is engaged in finding and promoting "new" building materials, building techniques and the latest technology as ways of creating a sustainable city with sustainable systems to further reduce the CO2 emissions. The tallest low energy wooden houses in northern Europe are built in the city. Climate protection is also about changing people’s attitudes and behaviours of the tenants in apartments or individual households, etc.

Linnaeus University
Research and development is of great importance. Therefore the municipality is working close with Linnaeus University. Research is being made as regards bio energy, civil engineering, environmental protection etc. Research is also going on concerning the 2nd generation of bio-fuels for vehicles by gasification of biological waste (food, sludge, grease). Plans are now being drawn for a full-scale production plant in Vaxjo.

Very welcome to visit us May 5-6 at the Entrepreneurial Days at the Swedish  Cultural Centre, 1920 Dexter Avenue .N., or call us whenever it is convenient!

Thomas Karlsson
Director of Business Support

For mor information, please contact:
Thomas Karlsson                      + 46 703 251 402
Britt-Marie Svensson                +46 733 687 143
Goran Fremrot                           +46 470 678 33