Sweden is aiming to become the world’s first fossil fuel-free nation

Sweden has kickstarted their goal in producing an infrastructure that is completely independent of fossil fuel by taxing petroleum and diesel fuel. Also, in their 2016 budget, Sweden will be investing an addition $546 million into a variety of renewable energy production methods. These methods include smart grids, an electric bus fleet, renewable energy storage technology, solar panel technology, subsidies for green cars, climate adaptation strategies and renovating residential buildings to make them more energy efficient.

Source

The $58.4million that will be invested specifically in solar power technology each year between 2017 and 2019 is 8 times larger than the budgeted amount currently allocated to it.

 

At the moment, two-thirds of the country’s power is derived from wind and nuclear energy. As the country continues to increase their wind power output drastically, the government has established that several of the ageing nuclear plants will eventually be shut down and will not be replaced.

Source

Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, told the press that “Sweden will become one of the first fossil-free welfare states in the world;” and continued “when European regulations do not go far enough Sweden will lead the way.”

Växjö, Sweden is one of the greenest cities in the country.