”There is group of countries which have done remarkably well in the face of the challenges to our modern, democratic societies… Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden might just hold the clues to solving the security, social, political, environmental and technological threats and challenges of the 21st Century”.
– These are the words of Project Director András Simonyi in the foreword to a book of essays, “Nordic Ways”.
Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges is a joint initiative by the Prime ministers of the Nordic countries. We want to invite the world to share Nordic knowledge and experiences of six priority flagship projects. These Nordic solutions will be effective tools in our common work to reach the United Nations Sustainability Goals before the year 2030.
Sustainia is a think tank and consultancy headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. We identify readily available sustainability solutions across the world and demonstrate their potential impacts and benefits in our work with cities, companies, and communities.
By focusing on innovative breakthroughs, inspiring alternatives and new opportunities, Sustainia is shaping a new narrative of optimism and hope for a sustainable future that seeks to motivate instead of scaring people with gloom and doomsday scenarios.
With Sustainia, we are creating a vision of what a sustainable future could look like. Not a Utopia or distant dream. By building scenarios where available solutions, innovation and technologies are implemented at large scale, Sustainia shows the exciting sustainable societies we could live in.
This information comes from the website of Sustainia.
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra has teamed up in 2016 with the Nordic Council of Ministers and distinguished institutions from all the Nordic countries to answer a simple question: how far could we go simply by scaling up already proven Nordic low-carbon solutions? The Green to Scale project has combined innovative analysis with active communication.
By scaling up just 15 proven Nordic solutions, countries all over the world can save 4 Gt of emissions every year by 2030 which is as much as the EU produces today. The costs for this scale-up equal the amount spent in just 9 days on fossil fuel subsidies.
These results come from the Nordic Green to Scale study which was launched during the UN Climate Conference in Marrakech.
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra has partnered with the Nordic Council of Ministers and distinguished institutions from all Nordic countries to answer a simple question: how far could we go simply by scaling up existing Nordic low-carbon solutions to a level of adoption in 2030 that has already been achieved by one or more Nordic countries today…
Read the whole article by Christian Bjørnæs in CICERO.
The Wavestar machine draws energy from wave power with floats that rise and fall with the up and down motion of waves. The floats are attached by arms to a platform that stands on legs secured to the sea floor. The motion of the floats is transferred via hydraulics into the rotation of a generator, producing electricity.
Waves run the length of the machine, lifting 20 floats in turn. Powering the motor and generator in this way enables continuous energy production and a smooth output. This is a radical new standard and a unique concept in wave energy; it’s one of the few ways to convert fluctuating wave power into the high-speed rotation necessary to generate electricity.
Environmental and climate issues, as well as uncertainty about energy supply, demand that we diversify our energy supply to multiple renewable and clean sources. With enough space for wave energy machines but little exploitation thus far, Wavestar is not just developing a wave power device, but energizing a whole movement.
Energy production with wave energy is more predictable than wind because waves come and go slowly and can be forecast 24 hours ahead. The Wavestar machine could also be installed together with a wind turbine which would further increase efficiency and reduce set-up costs. Wavestar understand that we need many renewable energy solutions, not just one, so it makes sense to harness the power of waves.
This information comes from the website of Wavestar.
In 1997 Samsoe became Denmark’s (first) Sustainable Energy Island and achieved self-sufficiency in sustainable energy within 10 years.
100% of Samsoe’s electricity consumption is generated by 11 land-based windmills, and 70 % of the heat comes from sustainable energy sources.
“More than half the private oil-fired boilers in the island’s 2000 households have been replaced by eco-heat, solar heat plants and heat pumps.
10 offshore windmills south of Samsoe produce so much energy that they compensate for the heat, which is still generated by e.g. oil-fired boilers and the islanders’ private transportation in petrol and diesel-powered vehicles.
The island is therefore proud to be 100% CO2 neutral.
One of Samsoe’s offshore windmills produces electricity covering 2000 households’ electricity consumption. A land-based windmill covers the consumption of 600 households.
The wind power on Samsoe has demanded an investment of 40 million EURO. 3700 local citizens have personally invested 70 % of the total 58 million EURO in sustainable energy.
The Energy Academy has a solar heat plant, solar cells and reuses rain water.
Media from all over the world have visited Samsoe to document the great story.
This information comes from the website of Visit Samsoe.
