Mundus Nordic Green News – 24 September, 2020

Swedish firm plans for commercial electric flights from 2026

Heart Aerospace, which develops electric aircraft in Gothenburg, has a goal of commercial flight by a Swedish airline in 2026. According to the CEO, Anders Forslund “The technology is here, now it is a period of four to five years where we will take this technology and make it certified.” Heart says that with today's batteries, it will be possible to fly 400km with taking 19 passengers. That is enough to make shorter domestic trips, for example between Visby on Gotland and Stockholm. The Minister of Infrastructure, Tomas Eneroth, believes that the debate on flight shame has driven the development of airplanes, but says that the tax on all flights needs to be changed so that it only taxes the flights using fossil fuels. In its recent budget, the Swedish government has proposed an additional SEK 50 million in support for fossil free aviation.

 

Finnish companies and designers adopt bio-materials

Finnish companies are increasingly using sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics. One of the pioneers in the field is Helsinki-based Sulapac, with its biodegradable and microplastic-free material made from wood and plant-based binders. Sulapac’s initial focus was on cosmetics packaging, but it has widened its offering to include packaging solutions for jewellery items and foodstuffs, as well as to produce a renewable and fully biodegradable straw in co-operation with Stora Enso. Woodio is setting out to disrupt the ceramics industry, producing fully waterproof wood composite washbasins and bathtubs. Another is Paptic. Established in 2015 as a response to the banning of plastic bags in numerous countries, Paptic has developed a renewable, reusable and recyclable material based on wood fibre. The solution is now in high demand among sustainability-oriented brands and retailers.

 

Nordic corporates rush to sustainability

SKF's goal is to achieve a completely carbon-neutral production by 2030. The company announced that it is joining the Renewable Energy 100 (RE100) initiative, which brings together the world's most influential companies that have committed to using 100% renewable electricity.

 

Skanska and E.ON have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on Sweden's first climate-neutral office property, which is certified according to the new Zero CO2 standard. Hyllie Terrace, which will be built in Malmö, will receive a climate-positive energy solution from E.ON Next, using locally produced and renewable energy.

 

ROCKWOOL will switch to biogas to reduces its climate impact at the Danish factories. According to ROCKWOOL Nordics CEO, it took over 50 development engineers, in close collaboration with the factories, ten years of technology development and large investments to get to this point.

---