Newsletter #7: Bioeconomy, Sustainable Cities, and Green Transition Summit 2023

Welcome to the seventh edition of our newsletter, where we share updates to GTI’s work and the ongoing green collaborations between Sweden and the US!?

In this issue, we explore topics including bioeconomy innovations, sustainable cities, electrification, and critical minerals. GTI participated in the 2023 Biorenewable Development Consortium (BDC) conference, focused on sharing knowledge and advances within the forestry and biomaterials industry. Circular and resource-efficient processes can reduce the overall environmental impact of biofuels, biochemicals, and other products derived from natural materials. GTI also had the honor of interviewing of Ryan Freed , Climate Action Officer for the City of Alexandria. Ryan Freed discussed the importance of city leadership to foster community-driven climate action, emphasizing how Alexandria is expanding local outreach and workforce development linked to climate goals.?

This newsletter also includes articles on the Green Transition Summit, which has held on October 2nd at the House of Sweden. Prior to the speaker's series, GTI led two roundtable discussions on sustainable cities and EVs and charging infrastructure. The event then transitioned into a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions which explored a variety of topics in sustainability, policy, industry, and the green transition. The team at GTI extends our thanks to all who shared impactful insights during the?roundtables and the summit’s main activities. ?

GTI is also proud to announce the new consortium between Atlas Copco Group , Husqvarna Construction , and 沃尔沃建筑设备公司 to showcase fully electrified construction of green infrastructure in the United States. This first-ever consortium will initially focus on the construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in the United States, utilizing exclusively electrified machines. We look forward to?advancing this visionary development alongside Atlas Copco, Husqvarna, and Volvo. ?

Additionally, GTI is excited to celebrate the 6 Swedish companies entering Berkeley SkyDeck , a start-up accelerator program designed to scale innovative enterprises. GTI is supporting a cohort of Swedish start-ups including Tructric , CommuteSaver , Elonroad , Echandia , Emulate , and Polar Light Technologies . We look forward to following these fantastic Swedish companies and sharing their successes throughout SkyDeck.?

GTI also extends an invitation to SACC SAN DIEGO ’s upcoming event: Green Connections 2023 November 6th. Green Connections will focus on two main themes, Grid Stability and Energy Storage, focusing on California’s ongoing efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote energy security. We encourage all to attend this exciting event!?

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Best regards,?

The GTI Team?

Washington DC | Palo Alto?

Swedish Bioeconomy Innovations?on Display at the BDC 2023 Fall Forum??

A strong Swedish presence gathered at the BDC 2023 Fall Forum to share innovations for the future bioeconomy, including Valmet, Lignin Industries, FineCell Sweden, Head Engineering and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden??

The Biorenewable Development Consortium (BDC) includes some of the world's leading companies working in the forestry sector with a focus on biofuels, biochemicals and other byproducts that increase the value extracted from every tree. GTI attended the BDC 2023 Fall Forum in Boston to network with some of the largest pulp and paper companies from Sweden and the United States.??

Highlights from the Forum included presentations from Swedish companies such as Valmet who presented their lignin extraction technology solution, LignoBoost?. Lignin is the natural glue that holds the cellulose fibers together in most plants including tree wood. In addition to its energy uses, Lignin is now becoming a valuable and renewable raw material used in bio-based alternatives to fossil-based materials. Sweden and specifically Valmet is a world leader in technology to recover and utilize lignin from the pulping process for producing biochemicals, bio-based plastics and biofuels.? This gives opportunities for pulping mills to create new and more valuable and renewable revenue streams as well as increasing the efficiency of their operations.??

Moreover, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden delivered an impressive presentation on the Swedish bioeconomy ecosystem:?the RISE Bioeconomy Arena. Launched by the Swedish government with an investment of SEK 350 million across two years, RISE is strengthening its testbeds for developing new products and solutions based on refining a variety of biomasses. New advancements will be made in chemical conversion, lignin-based materials, wastewater management, electrochemistry and the capture and use of carbon dioxide (CCU and CCS).??

FineCell Sweden also presented on new processes for producing dry dispersible nanocellulose.? The new material is used to produce bio-based alternatives to fossil-fuel based plastics, cosmetics and paints. Finally, HEAD Engineering AB presented its patented BLiSS (Black Liquor Soap Seperation) system which will be installed at Green Bay Packaging mill in the USA, using 阿法拉伐 equipment, instrumentation and control systems.??

Overall, the BDC Conference gathered a fine showcase of Swedish innovations leading the emerging Bioeconomy to?enable the Green Transition.?

“Our Greatest Strength is Our Community,” –?Interview with Ryan Freed from the City of Alexandria?

Cities are integral to the green transition, especially given how vulnerable urban centers are to climate-related ecological and economic shifts. To begin understanding how cities can become more resilient, GTI had the pleasure of interviewing Ryan Freed , the City of Alexandria, Virginia ’s Climate Action Officer. In our conversation, we discussed the role of local government to engage the city community in tangible, visionary action. Cities must transition infrastructure, energy systems, and economies towards a more sustainable future, but they can rely on local strengths and competencies to advance climate goals. Mr. Freed emphasized that although cities face many challenges, urban communities can re-frame such challenges as opportunities for creativity, growth, and change.??

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1. Tell us about Alexandria’s Climate Action Office. Why are cities, and Alexandria in particular, at the forefront of climate resilience??

Cities are at the forefront of climate resilience because we have to be. National leaders and state leaders get to talk about the big picture of environment and climate. However, in cities and local government, we don’t just see the environmental impact but also the people that it is hurting. We know the people suffering from the heat, who can’t find cool spaces to rest, who are trying to cover costs of utility bills. We know the kids who are suffering from asthma because of unhealthy air. It’s not something we can turn away from because it is all around us. It is something we must deal with and that is the job of local government.?

Additionally, Alexandria is in an interesting climate situation because of our location. First, we are seeing an increase in days above 90° Fahrenheit which is a big climate problem. We are also facing more numerous and intense storms which strains our infrastructure. We also experience coastal flooding because of rising tides, which?backs up into the Potomac and floods the city’s riverfront. We have three unique impacts of climate change that we get all in a little over 15 square miles of Alexandria and that’s a lot to deal with a very small space. Ultimately, climate must be at the forefront of our minds because it is impacting the normal function of our city.?

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2. Earlier this year, Alexandria released the Energy and Climate Change Action Plan outlining goals such as developing green buildings, increasing electrified transportation, and expanding renewable energy. What challenges is the City currently facing while advancing these sustainable development goals??

Rather than focus on the challenges, let’s focus on optimism since there is a lot of opportunity here. The reality of our situation and our governance structure means we cannot just pass a lot of policies which mandate actions. However, what the Energy and Climate Change Action Plan did is show how we have to do these things as a community, together. We need 53,000 housing units upgraded to be energy efficient by 2030, to retrofit 13 million square feet of office space, and ensure almost every new car purchase is electric by 2030 in order to meet our goals. These goals cannot be required or easily incentivized. So, to achieve this plan, we need to go out and talk to people. We need residents, businesses, and visitors to work with us. Really, this is all about helping folks understand where their impact is and taking climate action. We are fortunate in Alexandria to have a community that cares a lot about the climate and they want to mobilized, so this is about pointing everyone in the right direction.?

We are launching a new outreach program for businesses, where we recognize “Eco-City Businesses,” or businesses which have met sustainability goals. We will give them certifications to help show consumers where to shop more sustainably. We will be doing this with homeowner associations, civic associations, apartment groups, and other communities to talk about what it takes, what neighbors can do, to take action, such as increase charging infrastructure.??

Overall, we have a lot of climate goals that interest everyone, so all Alexandrians have some way they can be contributing to the Energy and Climate Change Action?Plan. It is about helping people understand they can make a big change. As a city, as a collective, we can have an impact on our community. We can take action to improve air quality and reduce the cost of utility bills. We need to take the climate messages and link them to tangible action. Many of us are brought into climate work with the idea of “saving the world,” but that is such a daunting task. If we can connect the broader message to the goal of strengthening our community, it becomes more tangible and understandable to people.??

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3. At the federal level, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and American Climate Corps program are expanding jobs in climate and energy. How are city leaders promoting workforce development at a local level??

Alexandria has a group called the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership that is doing a great job attracting more companies to our growing climate hub, a place for people who want to develop, build, work towards climate solutions. It is a great opportunity to present Alexandria as this hub because we have a highly educated, highly motivated, politically inclined workforce. We are also well positioned with regards to regulatory landscape – with a business-friendly approach always looking for mission-driven organizations that care about making the world a better place.?

On the other hand, there is a sector in energy and climate that has really been ignored. We are currently working on a new workforce development partnership with Alexandria City public schools, Virginia Tech graduate school, trades groups, and others. The idea is to train tradespeople in high performance buildings because for years we have been training architects, designers, and engineers: the people who sit in the offices to design better buildings. However, the people who are swinging the hammers, laying the pipe, running the conduit, have yet to be trained in this work. Oftentimes, the success of the building relies on these people, not necessarily a building’s beautiful design. We are trying to re-focus development to create new certifications for tradespeople which also creates a whole set of high-road jobs. Our goal is to bring in this group of people who are crucial to driving the? green building movement but have been taken for granted in the past.?

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4. What is the role of equity in advancing climate resilience and Just Transition? Why is equity an important element of urban climate action??

We know that communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, and it is time to fix that. Given the unevenly distributed impact of climate change, equity needs a core focus of mitigation and resilience. This is a problem across the world, not just in the United States. The affects of climate change are not just a new layer of inequity since they exacerbate existing structures of disparity. Another important aspect of this discussion is that climate and conservation have been a concern for decades, yet equity has not been a core focus. Climate messaging has stayed relatively the same over time, promoting solutions like driving less, reducing fossil fuels, and building better buildings. Now we have new technologies and new solutions, but the message is being delivered in the same way by the same people. Part of equity is seeking out underrepresented perspectives, which oftentimes come from communities of color. We need to know what they are facing and how we can make new changes. We need to ask: what are the solutions and messages they need to hear from us???

Equity is important because we cannot solve the problem with the same old approach. We will not have new approaches without new perspectives, so bringing in those new perspectives is a priority.??

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5. Alexandria's Energy and Climate Change Action Plan notes: “our greatest resource is our community.” How does community engagement foster climate resilience??

My job is not to solve the climate crisis, it’s to help people understand how they can solve the climate crisis. Give them the tools, resources, opportunities, incentives, because solving the climate crisis is everyone’s responsibility. I can help people understand what their role can be. We, in Alexandria, are an incredibly diverse community. One of the things I love about walking down our streets is hearing dozens of languages being spoken. You can find authentic food from other cultures and enjoy all kinds of music. I think our ability and willingness to see issues from multiple viewpoints is what gives us the ability to rethink the old ways and come up with new solutions as a community.??

Our community is our greatest resource, which is an easy line to say, but here we have so much untapped potential within our community. We have so much diversity, knowledge, brilliance, and lived experience, in our city. Many people have immigrated to this country, taken refuge in Alexandria, and those are real experiences we can leverage to solve problems our city is facing. I can’t solve the climate crisis, but I can help others understand how they can. This is what I come to work to do, where I find joy in my role. If I can help someone realize how important their contribution is, I feel pretty good about the day.??

Roundtable Discussions to Catalyze Sustainable Cities and EV Infrastructure?

As policymakers and business leaders seek to decarbonize, multi-stakeholder coordination becomes ever more crucial to enact impactful solutions. To launch the action platform component of the Green Transition Summit, GTI led two roundtable discussions on cities and electrifying the construction industry. Participants represented government entities, private sector actors, non-profit, and research organizations from both Sweden and the United States. The roundtables are intended to replicate a quadruple helix collaboration model which links academia, industry, government, and the public in transformative discussion. As such, discussions leveraged the diverse array of perspectives to identify challenges and craft actionable solutions.??

The Roundtable on Cities focused on exploring tools, approaches, and policy frameworks to build resilient and economically prosperous urban communities. Participants identified two key themes of interest for stakeholders: urban development and energy transition.??

The discussion first explored the efforts of Viable Cities , a Swedish Innovation Program, to establish mechanisms to drive sustainable urban development. In Sweden, 23 cities have signed a "Climate City Contract” which brings cities together to help accelerate reaching the sustainability targets set by individual climate portfolios. The Climate City pledge aligns with the cities’ Climate Investment Plans, which encourages private sector investment to advance urban development. From an American standpoint, the United States is home to many cities of varying economic strengths, demographic characteristics, and ecological landscapes. Climate-centric urban development must be adjusted to fit each city – leveraging local strengths while also addressing key challenges. Furthermore, economic and workforce development is a crucial factor for cities to enable both a Just Transition and facilitate the construction of urban, energy, and climate infrastructure. Economic development programs also require stakeholders to be practical while evaluating current policy frameworks as funding certain initiatives must involve state-level support.?

Participants then discussed the clean energy transition, focusing on decarbonizing urban energy consumption while also improving efficiency in anticipation of increased demand for energy. Cities face both energy and utility inertia, which will require new creative approaches and regulatory framework to break through. However, new infrastructure and policy is also expensive to establish at a city level. Only certain cities will be able to afford to participate in the necessary regulatory dialogue, prompting the important matter of equity in the energy transition. In the Roundtable the LA100 project was mentioned, which is a study into delivering 100% clean energy to Los Angeles by 2045. The study demonstrates that increasing renewable energy usage from 85% to 100% becomes exponentially more difficult. Despite the many obstacles cities face to transition energy and infrastructure, leaders can rely on local resources, economic strengths, and emerging research to foster more sustainable communities.??

A second discussion, the Roundtable on EVs and Charging Infrastructure, explored how Sweden and the United States can expand electrification of various sectors. Notably, GTI, in collaboration with 沃尔沃建筑设备公司 , Husqvarna Construction , and 阿特拉斯·科普柯 is pioneering a pilot project to identify a construction site for sustainable EV infrastructure. The core of this initiative is to showcase the possibility to build the charging infrastructure with electrified equipment.??

The discussion first examined global EV markets and policies, focusing on Western Europe and the United States. First, participants identified a common disparity in regulations when comparing transportation and construction vehicles. Emission-reduction targets tend to focus on mobility and transportation sectors, whereas construction vehicles and equipment have looser regulations. Policy evidently shifts depending on the industrial sector and the country. Although current EV adoption in the US is modest, projections indicate a surge as the first wave of EVs saturates the market followed by a second wave. The United States’ regional grid is already susceptible to shocks, prompting the concern that increased charging will strain the grid. Additionally, notable policy differences exist between the European Union and the United States. The EU tends to enforce through taxes and penalties (“stick”), while the US often promotes change through incentives like tax credits (“carrot”). The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), for example, includes provisions for tax credits linked to the purchase of EVs, contributing to the growth of EV purchases in the United States. The IRA’s success in boosting green industry and development may also support future shifts in policy to support EVs.??

Transitioning from global markets and policy, the roundtable also explored key challenges and opportunities to expand EV usage. On the construction side, many have voiced concerns of using electrified equipment such as the need for grid connectivity, robust energy storage and the capacity for off-grid electricity generation. Addressing these concerns and finding solutions takes time, and as such many industries prefer incremental change over abrupt transitions. Additionally, in rugged construction scenarios, many have voiced skepticism towards fully electric solutions. Hybrid models may emerge as a pivotal bridge to support the ongoing electric transition. However, incentivizing low emission construction will greatly depend on prospective policies. Regulatory oversights of sustainable construction will slow the sector’s green transition, while being outpaced by the growth of transportation infrastructure in urban areas. Cities' must also push for specific regulations and the initiation of energy usage measurements on construction sites to close this monitoring gap. Overall, factors like industrial shifts, grid stability, regulatory frameworks, and market dynamics will continue to play a role in how EVs are adopted on a larger, international scale.??

The Green Transition Summit’s roundtable discussions explored the topics of cities and EVs through various vantage points, considering policy, markets, consumers, industries, and the public. Notably, sustainable cities and electrification present many common goals, especially with regards to urban transportation, charging infrastructure, and construction. In identifying obstacles and solutions, both roundtables emphasized the many intersections and synergies between aims of the green transition.?

Green Transition Summit: Binational Collaboration for Sustainable Cities and Industrial Sectors

On October 2nd, the GTI team launched the first Green Transition Summit – an action platform to advance sustainable solutions for cities and industries. The event welcomed speakers, panellists, and attendees from Sweden and the United States, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration to accelerate the green transition. The Embassy of Sweden in USA and the Atlantic Council co-hosted the Summit, which was held at the House of Sweden in Washington, DC. Additionally, the event partners Volvo and Atlas Copco provided crucial industry perspectives and insights during the panels and the electric construction equipment demonstration.?

The Summit exemplified the mission of the Green Transition Initiative: to strengthen Swedish and American collaboration to advance the green transition. The speakers, panellists, and attendee discussions emphasized the invaluable role of partnerships to exchange knowledge, leverage strengths, and spread awareness of existing green tech solutions for a greener future – ready to be implemented, but also the importance of putting the hard questions around obstacles for implementation on the table. ?

The Summit began as Urban Ahlin, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States, introduced the day’s first keynote speaker: Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Ebba Busch. As the Minister of Energy, Business, and Industry, Ebba Busch offered crucial insights into the ongoing challenge of energy transition. The Summit then welcomed the second keynote speaker: Reed Blakemore , Director of Programs and Research at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center . He emphasized how Sweden and the United States’ shared commitment to promoting democracy and international security strengthens the countries’ ability to advance a cleaner, more resilient energy system. The day’s keynote addresses later transitioned into the panel portion of the summit, where accomplished panellists shared insights into advancing sustainable cities, electrifying the construction industry, and critical minerals mining. The speakers represented both Swedish and American industries, policy organizations, and advocacy groups, all with an interest in advancing sustainability goals and energy transition.?

GTS’ first panel explored the role of cities to advance sustainable economic development and green energy transition. Maia Sparkman , Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, opened the panel noting that cities consume nearly 75% of the world’s energy. Over half of the world’s emissions are found in cities, cementing the pivotal role of urban leaders and communities to transform energy systems. Panellist Peter Engelke , Atlantic Council, noted that over 80% of Global GDP is produced in cities, underscoring the economic value of urban hubs. Much of the climate challenge lies in cities, but urban leaders can leverage local strengths to build resilient solutions.??

Lars Johansson , Viable Cities , also participated in the panel, noting how national leaders can support localities to advance systems change. Viable Cities is a Swedish Innovation Program (SIP), aiming to boost the ecological, economic, and social sustainability of cities. Johansson echoed the importance of leveraging local competencies like civil society, businesses, and other stakeholders to collaborate over solutions. Ryan Freed , City of Alexandria, Virginia offered first-hand insights into how local administrators are advancing climate goals. He discussed the importance of direct civic engagement, calling on cities to evaluate the impact of climate on human health, wellbeing, and livelihoods by engaging with community members. As cities pursue urban green transitions, leaders can leverage local competencies, public-private sector collaboration, and targeted economic development to boost resilience. ?

The Summit’s second panel explored the electrification of the construction industry, focusing on reducing emissions during the development stage. GTI’s Marcus R?nngren Liu moderated the discussion between Helena Lidel?w , Volumetric Building Companies , Dr. Ray Gallant , 沃尔沃建筑设备公司 , and Maarten Vermeiren , 阿特拉斯·科普柯 . The panellists noted that reducing the environmental impact during the construction phase is challenging but also has immense value to companies, consumers, and products. Helena Lidel?w discussed how modular housing reduces waste and emissions compared to standard housing development, boosting the sustainability of a project’s life cycle. However, even if the total transport needed is reduced by industrializing the construction – there is more that can be done and next step would be to use electrified transport solutions. Reducing emissions during construction requires evaluation of each stage of development to craft strategic solutions. ?

Dr. Ray Gallant outlined Volvo Construction Equipment’s goal of expanding battery electric, alternative fuel, and clean hydrogen resources. Given the range of construction equipment, not all vehicles are suitable for electrification. However, quiet, electric construction equipment can perform in many environments unfit for combustion vehicles. Maarten Vermeiren noted that low-carbon solutions can be durable in a variety of conditions, but many consumers are not aware of the full range of abilities. Showcasing the capabilities of battery electric technology greatly contributes to its market adoption. Collaboration between industry stakeholders allows for knowledge sharing on the strengths and applications of innovative technologies. ?

The expansion of green technology, including electric construction equipment, is heavily reliant on critical minerals and mining. These topics directed the Summit’s third panel as speakers questioned why rare earth metals and minerals like lithium and cobalt have immense economic and geopolitical value. Maria Brogren from the Embassy of Sweden in USA led the conversation between Reed Blakemore , Atlantic Council Global Energy Center , Maria Sunér , Svemin , and Jeremy Bedine , Volvo Energy . A mineral becomes critical due to market demand and strategic application, as noted by Reed Blakemore. Batteries, solar photovoltaic panels, and other green technology require critical minerals to manufacture, however supply chain constraints can hinder production output and affordability. Maria Sunér emphasized that “the green transition starts in the mine,” and noted that Sweden is Europe’s top nation for mining. Sweden is also a global leader in improving the sustainability of mining by electrifying operations and boosting environmental protections.??

However, given the immense value of critical minerals, and their supply constraints, many industry leaders call for greater mineral circularity. Jeremy Bedine from Volvo Energy noted how maximizing the battery’s life span encompasses three stages of use, creating a more circular economy for minerals. A battery’s first life is often inside a vehicle, which requires optimal performance. Next, effective remanufacturing systems can re-purpose the battery in new contexts, for example as grid storage. Lastly, minerals can be extracted from the battery to responsibly recycle the technology. Overall, the panellists affirmed that the value of minerals, combined with supply chain realities and sustainability targets, underscore the need for a circular, minerals economy. The repurposing and recycling of minerals will fundamentally restructure how mining and manufacturing is conducted, laying a critical foundation for the global green transition.?

GTI is proud to have launched the first Green Transition Summit, with the support of the Embassy of Sweden and Atlantic Council and our partners Volvo and Atlas Copco. The insights shared at the Summit call attention to the importance of ongoing international knowledge sharing and coordination. As the cities panel outlined, collaborative urban leadership can leverage local advantages to create an actionable roadmap towards city resilience. Additionally, although decarbonizing construction is an ongoing process, many tools and processes are being under-utilized, so far, but can have a great impact on emission reduction. Finally, the development of a robust, circular mineral supply chain will determine the future of global energy transition. The Summit’s diverse topics show how expansive the green transition truly is, linking policymakers, business leaders, academics, and the public. Ultimately, as the speakers echoed, strategic collaboration and impactful partnerships are at the centre of the ongoing, global, green transition.?