{news} Fw: USGP-INT: "SWEDEN PLANS ON BEING THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO BE FREE FROM OIL"

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "juliawillebrand" <julia.willebrand at verizon.net>
To: <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 8:37 PM
Subject: USGP-INT What our Swedish cousins are up to


> Swedish Press Dec 2005
>
> SWEDEN PLANS ON BEING THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO BE  FREE FROM  OIL
> IN 2020
>
> Minister for Sustainable Development Mona Sahlin has declared that Sweden
> is going to become the first country in the world to break  the dependence
> on fossil energy. Sweden will stop using oil by 2020 and eventually the
> energy supply of the country will be based on renewable energy only.
>
> The goal is to gradually rid the country of gasoline-run cars and
> oil-heated homes. This is going to be achieved through tax discounts, more
> efficiency in energy and by large-scale investments in renewable energy 
> and
> in research. Already next year there will be tax incentives for single
> family
> homeowners to switch from oil to renewable energy to heat their homes.
>
> Such financial incentives are already available to libraries, aquatic
> facilities and hospitals that want to switch to more efficient renewable
> energy.
> The expansion of distant heating continues to be an important tool in this
> process. The Swedish government also wants to make environmental cars more
> affordable. One of the ways it is doing this is by not subjecting fuel 
> that
> is free of carbon dioxide to the energy tax or 10 the carbon dioxide
> emission tax. Environmental cars will also not have to pay  the congestion
> tax that will be introduced in Stockholm in January and  many 
> municipalities
> allow free parking for such cars.
>
> Swedish industry and the economy as a whole are already benefiting from a
> lower dependency on oil in an international comparison.  Since 1994 the 
> use
> of oil in residences and in the service sector has  dropped by 15.2 TWH. 
> The
> consumption of oil in industries has remained at  the same level since 
> that
> year, even though industrial production has  increased by 70 percent. A
> growing number of households make use of the  advantages of distant 
> heating
> as well as of pellets.
>
> Minister Sahlin's latest statement on the abolition of oil in 2020 is
> actually just a confirmation of a goal set a long time ago. Sweden has 
> been
> a pioneer in the environmental field and has introduced many innovative
> measures through the years to achieve its goals.
>
> Already in 1990 Swedes implemented a "green tax shift". Taxes  on energy 
> and
> on carbon dioxide emissions were raised, while other taxes,  such as those
> on payroll were decreased by an equivalent amount. Sweden  also invested
> heavily in its cities and towns. Municipalities receive grants to conduct
> long-term
> climate research and make investments in  environment-friendly technology.
> Not only has this helped cut local pollution,  it has also raised the 
> level
> of public awareness of environmental issues.
>
> In 1999 a unanimous national goal was established for all the country's
> major environmental problems to be solved within one generation, by the 
> year
> 2020. The Swedish Parliament gave unanimous approval to 15 national 
> targets
> including a phasing out of all use of hazardous chemicals by 2020; 
> ensuring
> that all lakes and watercourses are ecologically sustainable,
> their habitats  and ecological and water-conserving function preserved;
> providing a safe and  sustainable supply of drinking water and 
> contributing
> to viable habitats  for flora and fauna; pro-lection of the value of 
> forests
> for biological  production, while biological diversity, cultural heritage
> and recreational  assets are safeguarded, and a healthy living environment
> to be provided by  cities and towns where buildings and
> amenities must be located and designed  with sound environmental 
> principles.
>
> There are interim objectives for each target, regional and  local 
> objectives
> to match, and an Environmental Objectives Council to  monitor progress
> towards the goals. Progress is charted through 70 national indicators,
> which track results and verify whether the country is heading in the right
> direction.
> --
>
> Rainforest Information Centre
> Box 368, Lismore 2480 NSW
> (02) 66213294
> http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/
> ruthr at ozemail.com.au
>
>
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