Girl at lake in Växsjö, Flickr Creative Commons
Case

Växjö: Fossil Fuel Free City

In 1996 Växjo, a small town in Sweden decided to be fossil fuel free. The municipality engineered a partnership with local firms, industries and transport companies to achieve this goal. They created a policy commitment “Fossil Fuel Free Växjö” to stop using fossil fuels and reduce CO² emissions in heating, energy, transport, businesses and homes. Rigorous planning and close monitoring of all CO² emissions is their recipe. They have been particular successful in using biomass for district heating.

When Växjö decided to be fossil fuel free in 1996, the city had already good experiences with using biomass in their district heating. When the municipality asked the transport companies, industries and firms in Växjö to join them in their mission, they liked the challenge too. Together they created a policy commitment “Fossil Fuel Free Växjö” to stop using fossil fuels and reduce CO² emissions in heating, energy, transport, businesses and homes. They wanted to take responsibility as a city and show that it is possible also to do something for the climate even if in a small city.

The city is now ahead of its goals in the majority of these commitments. 51% of its energy comes from sources such as biomass, hydro power, geothermal and solar energy. In little over a decade, emissions have been reduced by 24% per person to 3.5 tons of CO² annually - well below the European (8 CO²t/a) and world (4 CO²t/a) averages. With this track record, Växjö may well be the world's first fossil free city by 2015.

 Växjö power plant, Flickr Creative Commons

To achieve the impressive results, the municipality has rigorously planned and closely measured all CO² emissions. CO² emissions and energy savings have been monitored in three categories - heating, electricity and transport. In areas where improvements are necessary - the city adapts its policies accordingly. One of the main reasons for Växjö's progress is the massive expansion of its district heating system along side greater use of biomass. High oil prices and favourable subsidies have also encouraged households to change their heating systems. As a result, nearly 88% of heating came from renewable energy sources in 2005 (858 GWh).

The largest share came from biomass, with some use of peat, oil and geothermal energy. The biomass used is woodchips, a waste product from the forest industry. A very small proportion of solar energy was also used. Due to an earlier municipal failure in implementing solar energy in district heating, households is still using wood chips boilers in their homes instead of solar panels. To reduce energy consumption, the municipality has installed metering systems in student houses and recently built houses. Furthermore the Municipality of Växjö has put energy use restrictions on properties they sell and has started investing in passive houses etc. Improving electricity efficiency and transport matters has been more difficult and will be in focus the next couple of years.

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Making the Change

Key Learning Points

For a city to be able to have a real effect on reducing CO² emission it is important to create project ownership among local industries and transport companies 

Detailed planning and monitoring is necessary to create results

Process

  1. Optimizing the co-generation power plant in Växjö, fired by bio-fuel
  2. Conversion from electric heating to district heating
  3. District heating in the villages of Lammhult, Braås, Rottne and Ingelstad and the extension to older areas of Växjö
  4. Municipal subsidies for installation of small-scale biomass boilers or solar panels in households
  5. Renewable energy on public buildings - biomass boiler at Växjö Airport and solar panels at the swimming hall
  6. Biogas used for electricity production at the sewage treatment plant
  7. Supplying free energy advice to citizens
  8. Energy use restrictions on properties sold by the Municipality of Växjö
  9. Installation of more efficient light bulbs in street lamps
  10. Construction of energy efficient houses – passive house started
  11. Individual metering of energy consumption in apartments

How to

  • Measuring CO² emissions: By collecting CO²emissions data across all sectors, Växjö has been able to identify, understand and target areas that are falling behind. They have also been able to measure successes of projects and assist policy-making
  • Strict targets: The emissions data has enabled the City to set clear targets into the future based on known outcomes. The targets have also helped to make projects a reality.
  • Maintaining political will: Although Växjö has a strong history of sustainability and political will to remove its reliance on fossil fuels - it has maintained this determination and taken the community, business and stakeholders with it.
  •  Energy efficiencies: Finding energy efficiencies has been crucial in reducing emissions. They focused first on the sectors where immediate reductions could be made - the heating and electricity sectors.

Facts

City Facts

Inhabitants: 79 562 (dec -07)

Size: 1,925 sq. km.

Inhabitants/sq. km: 41 (2006)

Country: Sweden

Continent: Europe

GDP: USD 36,500 (per capita 2007 est.) 

Project facts

Biomass: Refers to living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Biomass may also include biodegradable waste that can be burnt as fuel. In the case of Växjö, the city mainly uses woodchips, a waste product from the forest industry.

Geothermal energy: Is the energy coming from the ground – either as hot water from deep below the surface or by using the heat coming from the soil heated by the sun.

Co-generation power plant: Cogeneration (also combined heat and power, CHP) is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat. Instead of wasting heat by electricity production, this proves a more energy efficient system.

According to many international newspapers and magazines, Vaxjö is the greenest city in Europe. Among other nominations, Växjö won the Best Environmental Practice in Baltic Cities Award 2007 in the category Sustainable Energy Management.

In 2006, 51% of the city’s energy came from sources such as biomass, renewable electricity, geothermal and solar energy.

The goal is to reduce the fossil CO2 emissions by 50% per capita until 2010 compared to 1993 and by 70% per capita until 2025.

The policy, A Fossil Fuel Free Växjö, is committed to:

  • reducing CO2 emissions per capita in heating, energy and transport, with at least 50% by 2010, and with at least 70 % by 2025 compared to 1993
  • reducing the use of electric energy per capita by at least 20% by the year 2015 compared to 1993
  • increasing cycle traffic in the City of Växjö with at least 20% by 2015 compared to 2004.
  • increasing the travels by local public transport with at least 20% and the travels by regional public transport with at least 12 % by 2015 compared to 2002
  • stopping the use of oil in municipal operations, other than for complementary uses, by 2010
  • reducing the fossil CO2 emissions from municipal operations' transports and services with at least 30% by 2015 compared to 1999

Media

YouTube

Fossil Fuels and The Climate: Time is running out

Google Map

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Case: Växjö: Fossil Fuel Free City

Local public-private partnerships, rigorous planning and close monitoring of all CO² emissions is Växsjö's recipe.

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Fact/Quote

"We need parks and cycle ways to minimize car use. Cities should be places where the public good prevails over private interests.”
Enrique Peñalosa

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