Swedish pioneer: Energy conversion requires leadership

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Catherine Ouvrard

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1243 Last modified by the author on 22/06/2016 - 11:47
Swedish pioneer: Energy conversion requires leadership

Although we are up against sizeable economic interests, unwilling governments, and the fear of unemployment, a green conversion is not impossible, says Professor Thomas B. Johansson.

He points to sustainable housing in cities and new sources of energy as essential if we are going to solve the challenges brought about by climate change.

He recently stood on stage in Malmø at Climate-KIC’s Nordic Cities Workshop and explained why it is important to talk about energy in the context of city planning.  Sustainable cities need not only sustainable energy but sustainable housing, where the energy will assist in solving the challenges. But this requires big changes.

”Currently, two thirds of the world’s CO2 emissions originate from fossil fuels and they represent 80 percent of the worlds energy supply. Many of our energy sources are either perishable, unsafe, or contaminating,” says Thomas B. Johansson, professor at Lund’s University and a pioneer within the studies of sustainable energy and efficient energy utilisation.

Climate-KIC strives to create a correlation between private, public, and academic initiatives on the climate. The goal is to find solutions to environmental challenges through cooperation with all these actors – while green startups receive assistance in the startup phase.

Green conversion starts within the home’s four walls

Thomas B. Johansson sees the field of energy-services as a good starting point; namely, the utility we get from heating a meal or lighting a house during the evening. These are the primary sort of energy-services the broader population considers. They rarely think about oil, electricity and so on, he says. However, what comes before the service and the efficiency of the service is what is most important. It involves energy-efficiency – which is something most people are familiar with, but have a tendency to forget.

“One of the best examples is to construct houses that require less energy to keep a steady temperature. Approximately one third of our energy is used to heat or cool houses. Starting out in this field will have a large impact; it should be possible to decrease energy-utilisation by 90 percent in newly constructed houses and by the same amount when renovating older houses,” he explains.

The challenge of energy-services will only grow in the future due to the rising global population, which is why it should be addressed as soon as possible. However, it is not that easy. The energy source which must be found has to be safe, sustainable, and cannot conflict with the health of the population or the environment. According to Thomas B. Johansson, that is not unfeasible:

“From a resource-based and technical point of view, it can be done. But it needs support from governments and organisations to spread it throughout the world and this is the outstanding question,” he says.

The economic interests should be addressed

Because of job creation, fear of unemployment, and the vast amount of money streaming through the system, there are many forces which help to retain the status quo.

“Look at, for example, the USA. Here, people struggle to keep coal-production because it is their jobs and livelihood. This is something that will have to be considered. And if you look at fossil-fuels, there are supporting interests with economic resources in the billions of dollars. It is these interests we have to address,” explains Thomas B. Johansson.  

Just like the tobacco-industry in the 60s, the big organisations buy themselves influence and power in local societies. They create jobs and donate money to universities. These organisations are, according to Thomas B. Johansson, tough opponents.

Cities should be at the forefront

“The people need to riot. They must pressurise governments and force them to act,” says Thomas B. Johansson.

And this is exactly where Scandinavian countries can lead by example. The rich, advanced countries, as he calls them. That was the reason for being on the scene in Malmø, where Climate-KIC with their Nordic Cities Workshops are helping to promote focus on cities and the buildings inside them. This is where we, ourselves, have a form of co-responsibility.

“We have the chance to set an example for other countries. This would not only improve our countries in relation to general health and security, but will also generate income in the future, because we would have a product, the experience, and knowledge, that would be of significant use to other countries as well,” says Thomas B. Johansson, and concludes:

“But it requires leadership. It requires that someone takes the first step. Cities are the core players here.”

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