Fossil Free Sweden and Roadmaps towards Net-Zero Emissions

How can transition increase competitiveness?

In 2015 the Swedish Government committed to the Paris agreement with the ambition to become one of the first fossil free welfare nations in the world. Fossil Free Sweden was established shortly after, with the aim to accelerate the climate transition and to create a strong industrial sector, more jobs and export opportunities, whilst going fossil free. A very important part was the 22 roadmaps created, owned and run by industries themselves, who have set more competitive goals for themselves than the goal set by the Swedish Government.

The idea to present a webinar about Fossil Free Sweden came up during a (SACC) Sustainability Committee meeting. This dynamic and progressive sustainability group, with representatives from a broad range of Swedish companies and business organizations, wanted to hear more about the work of Fossil Free Sweden. They wanted to learn all about the bottom up approach towards net zero for the industry in Sweden with a hope to inform and inspire change in Australia.

Under a Team Sweden flag, the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce together with Fossil Free Sweden presented on the 7 September webinar:

” Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Challenges and Opportunities Towards Net Zero Emissions”.

Fossil Free Sweden and the Roadmaps were introduced to a broad Australian audience that joined, listened and contributed with many great questions in the Q&A discussion.

The engagement was an important aspect, we wanted to create a rapid and flowing conversation and we had the pleasure to invite David Leitch, principal, ITK Services Australia and author at RenewEconomy, to moderate the discussion. With his deep knowledge of renewable energy and economics, he applied an Australian angle, skillfully layered the conversation to cover many angles and questions on decarbonization and introduced Fossil Free Sweden to Australia.

H.E Henrik Cederin, Swedish Ambassador to Australia opened and welcomed the audience to the webinar. Delivering a strong message; “The need we face, to speed up the transition from the dependence of fossil fuel to create a society and economies that run on renewable energy. We now have a critical decade ahead of us”

Svante Axelsson, National Coordinator then set the scene of the current situation in Sweden regarding CO2 emissions per capita, energy mix and emissions by industries. Inspiring, with a positive message that industry can set the tone with the right narrative and a can-do-mentality. He instils confidence in leaders and decision makers to be brave and make the right decisions. The big surprise has been that industry has seen the possibilities and now talk about how they can increase their competitiveness by being fossil free. The success of the roadmaps lies in that the industry sectors own their own roadmaps and together, create a needed interface between industry and politicians in suggesting how to remove obstacles to accelerate the transition.

The voice from industry and the 22 roadmaps would be pivotal to our discussion so two roadmap representatives were invited to our webinar. Marianne Hedberg, Swedish Construction Federation, representative of The Construction and Civil Engineering Sector Roadmap and Ellen Einebrant, from the Swedish Recycling Industries, representative of The Recycling Sector roadmap were integral to a layered conversation.

Marianne Hedberg told us that the construction sector’s largest challenge is how to decarbonize, in particular, the largely used material cement. There are ways for the sector to lower their emissions, for example, by adding fillers to cement that does not add carbon emission and by investing in carbon storage/capture. To reduce the climate impact of materials and a building as a whole is important, a climate calculation for every new building will be introduced at the end of the year.

Ellen Einebrant spoke about the Swedish Recycling Industries and that they represent private recycling companies, which cover about 80% of the sector and handle 10 MTons of waste and recycled material. The sector works to increase recycling and resource efficiency, still its main challenge is how to reduce their emissions, where the biggest emitter is landfill. The recycling roadmap has made a call to politicians to introduce a methane capture requirement.

The interface between government and business is important to create adequate policy and procurement. The next, and a very important, step is to provide the infrastructure so that it will be possible to phase out fossil fuels. Today we have an industry that is dependent on fossil fuel, that currently cannot use electricity or hydrogen widely. Therefore, we need interim solutions, like biofuel instead of fossil fuels, in order to strengthen the value chains and enter into this new industrial revolution.

Together, the Embassy of Sweden, the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce, its Members and the SACC Sustainability Committee are important Ambassadors, representing change, informing of great examples, sharing best practices and solutions for a faster transition.

VIEW SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTATION HERE

VIEW THE ONLINE RECORDING HERE: Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Webinar 7 September 2021 – YouTube

SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – Feature 5 Swedish Films

 

Highlights of the Scandinavian Film Festival 

 

The Scandinavian Film Festival returns exclusively to Palace Cinemas this July with a specially curated programme of films and events, showcasing the best in new Nordic cinema.

The Festival will open with WILDLAND (Kød & Blod). Set in Denmark’s underbelly, Jeanette Nordahl’s striking Scandi-noir follows an impressionable teenage girl who is placed in the care of her estranged aunt, (an incredible Sidse Babett Knudsen), the head of a family crime syndicate.

From Finland comes the GAMES PEOPLE PLAY (Seurapeli). A group of old friends gather at an idyllic Finnish seaside villa to celebrate a surprise birthday, where old feelings and power struggles rise to the surface, starring Laura Birn and Christian Hillborg.

At the Centrepiece of the Festival is THE COUNTY (Héraðið), Grímur Hákonarson’s eagerly anticipated follow-up to the global hit Rams. THE COUNTY is a rousing, David-and-Goliath comedy about a dairy farmer’s wife (Arndís Hrönn Egilsdóttir) who takes on the corrupt local co-op in her remote Icelandic valley.

Rising Norwegian star Josefine Frida Pettersen (Skam) shines in Jorunn Myklebust Syversen’s provocative new drama DISCO about a young evangelical dance champion whose faith is tested, prompting her to search for radical solutions.

 

This year’s Special Presentation is the Swedish film TIGERS (Tigrar)

 

TigersAUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
TIGERS
SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Crowned Best Nordic Film at the Göteborg Film Festival 2021, Tigers is the enthralling true story of Martin Bengtsson, a former Inter Milan player, who lifted the lid on a world where everyone has a price tag. Festival Director Elysia Zeccola said: “We emerge from hibernation with a stunning selection of the best Nordic cinema, including award-winning films direct from the 2021 Göteborg Film Festival featuring the brightest stars from the region.”

 

Other featured Swedish films 

The EmigrantsTHE EMIGRANTS
CLOSING NIGHT

Celebrating its 50th anniversary and featuring Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann, The Emigrants follows a struggling farming family in mid-19th Century Sweden who decide to embark on the arduous journey to new hope in America.

 

 

A Piece of My HeartAUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
A PIECE OF MY HEART

Based on music by legendary Swedish artist Tomas Ledin (ABBA), this musical comedy follows successful businesswoman Isabella’s (Malin Akerman) return to her hometown, where she learns that her teenage love (Christian Hillborg) is getting married.

 

 

Call Mum!AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
CALL MUM!

Niki has just turned 35 and is suddenly forced to come to grips with all her relationships and past choices in life in this charming comedy about mother-daughter relationships.

 

 

Psychosis in StockholmAUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
PSYCHOSIS IN STOCKHOLM

The deeply moving 2020 Göteborg Film Festival’s Opening film is a surreal drama about a mother and daughter who embark on a trip to Stockholm, yet their plan is derailed when the mother begins acting strangely.

 

 

The SACC will organise pre-movie networking drinks in each Chapter city (highlighted below) if covid restrictions allow:

Sydney: 6 – 28 July, Palace Norton, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas
Canberra: 7 – 28 July, Palace Electric
Melbourne: 8 – 28 July, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema
Adelaide: 13 July – 4 August, Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas
Perth: 14 July – 4 August, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX & Palace Raine Square
Brisbane: 15 July – 4 August, Palace James St, Palace Barracks
Byron Bay: 16 July – 1 August, Palace Byron Bay

Stay tuned as we roll out event details for each city once dates become available.

For more information, visit scandinavianfilmfestival.com and follow us on Insta/Facebook @ScandiFilmFest.

Hilma af Klint – The Secret Paintings – Visionary Swedish artist works showing at Art Gallery of NSW

Hilma af Klint – The Secret Paintings – Visionary Swedish artist works showing at Art Gallery of NSW

Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings at the Art Gallery NSW 12 June-19 September 2021

 

 

 

 

Left to right: Hilma af Klint The Ten Largest, Group IV, No. 5, Adulthood 1907 HAK106; Group IX/UW, The Dove No. 2 1915 HAK174. By courtesy of the Hilma af Klint Foundation. Photos: The Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden.

 

On the 12 June the doors opened to the ‘Hilma af Klint – The Secret Paintings’ at Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. This is the first time the incredible works of Hilma af Klint are shown in Australia with the exhibition open until 19 September 2021. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to discover the extraordinary artistic achievements of this trailblazing artist who stood for too long outside the accepted story of European modernism.

Graduating with honours in 1887 from Stockholm’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Hilma af Klint was recognised as a talented naturalistic painter but in 1906 chose to pursue a radically different path as an artist – one that was deeply engaged with spiritualism, with new developments in science and with the natural world. When af Klint began creating her ambitious new works in 1906, no one had seen paintings like hers before – so monumental in scale, with such radiant colour combinations, enigmatic symbols and other-worldly shapes. Influenced by the spiritualist practices of her time, af Klint believed that her paintings contained messages for humanity communicated to her through the visions she received from spirits.

Hilma af Klint was the visionary Swedish artist whose paintings were stored away and scarcely known for decades. The re-discovery of her ‘secret paintings’ has taken the international art world by storm – to find out more and how to book your tickets please visit Art Gallery of NSW website Hilma af Klint | Art Gallery of NSW

Thursday 29 July, Embassy of Sweden together with University of NSW will host the screening in Paddington, Sydney, of the documentary ‘Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint’. More information about the screening will follow.

 

Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW and presented with the cooperation of The Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm in association with Heide Museum of Modern Art, Melbourne.

Visit the AGNSW links below for more information;

Hilma af Klint Events

> Art Gallery NSW

> Media release

Join the conversation
#HilmaAfKlint

Gemini Rising: The Cinema of Mai Zetterling, 1 – 20 July 2021, Melbourne

 

ACMI presents Australia’s first retrospective on the multi-faceted career of Mai Zetterling, 1–20 Jul 2021

As part of our film program in July 2021 we aim to celebrate one of the most unappreciated talents to emerge from a thriving, mid-century Swedish film industry, and her empowering transition from acting to directing. Mai Zetterling directed very progressive films for her time and often depicted taboos that are still relevant today, such as female objectification, reproductive rights, and sexual misconduct.

After a working-class upbringing, including growing up for a few years in Australia, Mai Zetterling carved out an unexpected acting career as a movie star and as a stage performer. By transitioning from acting to directing, Mai Zetterling reclaimed power. Of being an actress, she said, “showing my legs and my cleavage, I had been no threat at all: men could fantasise about me”. When she became a director, that changed. Mai Zetterling is a feminist champion. Her feminist films in the 1960s were ahead of sweeping change as the second wave of feminism gathered momentum. Our program shines a spotlight on a strong female voice from the 1960s and asks at a relevant time in contemporary society why Mai Zetterling is not more widely recognised. When many people think of Swedish cinema, Ingmar Bergman will come to mind, but at the height of his career, another director was directing a fresh crop of films, sometimes banned, frequently ignored, often undervalued, that heralded a new wave of feminism.

 

Film titles will include (subject to change):

  • The War Game, dir. Mai Zetterling, UK
  • Loving Couples (aka Älskande par), dir. Mai Zetterling, Sweden
  • Night Games (aka Nattlek), dir. Mai Zetterling, Sweden
  • Dr Glas, dir Mai Zetterling, Sweden & Denmark
  • The Girls (aka Flickorna), dir. Mai Zetterling, Sweden
  • Scrubbers, dir, Mai Zetterling, UK
  • Amorosa, dir. Mai Zetterling, Sweden

Program title: Gemini Rising: The Cinema of Mai Zetterling

Dates: 1 – 20 July 2021

Location:  ACMI Cinemas, Fed Square, Melbourne Background

acmi.net.au

The films are unclassified (18+). Viewer discretion is advised.

Song Cycle Celebrating Daniel Solander 12 Feb 2022 Sydney – NEW DATE!

Experience the World Premiere of an exciting new Australian composition. SOLANDER, a musical celebration of the great Swedish botanist, Daniel Solander (1733-1782) who accompanied Cook on his first Pacific voyage. It will be performed by the Sydney Chamber Choir directed by Sam Allchurch. Composer Kate Reid, text and lyrics Rodney Fisher and Kate Reid, narrator John Gaden.
One performance only.
NEW DATE, SAME TIME & VENUE

SATURDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2022

7.30pm-8.45pm Doors open at 6.30pm

THE GOVERNORS CENTRE,

558 CLEVELAND STREET,

MOORE PARK 2021 

 

Words from Composer Kate Reid

I was first drawn to the story of Daniel Solander, the highly acclaimed Swedish botanist and talented linguist, after many visits to Sweden, where I had the opportunity to appreciate the diversity of its people, the splendid landscape and the extreme winters – vastly different from the world that I was used to on the other side of the earth.   This song cycle is written in celebration of Solander’s important contribution to scientific discovery and the great courage and commitment it demanded from him.  

It begins with Solander’s childhood in the north of Sweden.  It opens with a gentle reference to the indigenous people of northern Sweden, the Sami, singing a lullaby. It goes on to follow him on his two-year journey to Australia on the Endeavour as an assistant to Joseph Banks in 1768.  It concludes with a farewell to Solander, where we hear the same Sami motif return in the final bars.

There are seven movements for a combination of voices, ranging from two soloists to a full SATB choir.  The only instrument is a vibraphone.  The movements are linked by a narrative spoken by John Gaden.  Rodney Fisher has provided the beautiful narrative and many of the lyrics. 

I have been moved to respond to Solander’s life story and to acknowledge, through my music, this extraordinary individual whose work, in spite of its significance and its relevance here, remains relatively unknown in Australia today.

Ett tillfälligt förbud mot resor till Sverige med anledning av covid-19

Read more