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Road to 2045
Road to 2045
Finding Uncommon Solutions to Common Problems By Jakob Lagercrantz
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t was in December 1987. Birgitta Dahl, the hard-nosed Environment Minister of Sweden, visited the port and refinery area close to the city of Gothenburg. She noted the high hydrocarbon emissions and named the area the “Vestibule of Hell” because of high pollution levels. Being branded as an area close to hell was a negative eye opener. The local politicians were shocked – a minister visiting the industrial center of Sweden who had the gall to challenge them on their home turf. But the Gothenburg politicians, led by the long-term strongman of Gothenburg Göran Johansson, acted differently. Gothenburg is the industrial center of Sweden, with several clusters of industries, including refineries. Instead of opposing his party colleague, Göran Johansson looked inwards. It was decided to form the Environment Secretariat of Gothenburg, tasked with working with industry to improve emissions. A manager was recruited
from Greenpeace, and a small secretariat was set up to identify new ways to work with industrial companies in western Sweden. 1988 was the year of the devastating seal epidemic that resulted in sick harbour seals being washed up dead on the beaches of western Sweden. Half of the western European harbour seal population was lost to the virus, and public reactions were fierce. We were only two years after Chernobyl. This was the year the Green party won entrance to the Swedish Parliament. It was a good time to promote sustainability. The newly formed Secretariat looked for ways to involve industry in finding solutions to problems, rather than relying only on pressures coming from the legislative bodies of the city and the county. This way of working was innovative and untested. Industry was used to fight in the courts for permission to pollute. Now a group from the city, with good knowledge of the issues, wanted to discuss possible solutions. The end result would be the same: less pollution, but now dealt with by a mixed group focused on a common challenge.
The informal way of working of the Gothenburg Secretariat was another important success factor. This was not a political body, nor was it part of the control authority of the city. It was built on seeking a common interest to find solutions and was staffed by people who really understood the industrial processes. The focus was more on action than on producing reports. The Environment Secretariat launched a number of projects that proved to be catalytic. The Secretariat asked Volvo to allow them to review the means of transport to and from the plant in Gothenburg. With external experts they suggested the emissions could be halved in ten years. Volvo looked at the figures and achieved the same goal in half the time. The catalyst was a perspective from the outside. The same happened when the Secretariat brought in external expertise to measure the diffuse emissions from the refineries. They proved to be 10 – 20 times higher than expected, and the refineries themselves got engaged in stopping the leaks. The industry saved money by plugging the leaks – and decreased emissions at the same time. Establishing alliances to find uncommon solutions to common problems has been a feature in Swedish societal development for a long time. It can build on and multiply the energy and innovation of the parties, with a view to discovering innovative solutions. Route EL16: Gothenburg’s new fully electric high-capacity buses for extra services on route 16. Photo ©.goteborgelectricity.se
The Swedish 2030-secretariat was formed to support the decarbonization of the transport sector in Sweden. The secretariat is independent from political parties and technical solutions.
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Swedish Press | November 2020 26
