Vietexplorer2024

Sweden is leading the way in the global transition to carbon neutrality, with ambitious plans to eliminate the use of fossil fuels by 2045. This remarkable journey began decades ago and was fueled by a global oil crisis, which forced the country to rethink its energy strategy. The 1970s oil crisis, a result of Sweden’s heavy reliance on oil, served as a pivotal moment. The shortage of oil and soaring prices led to the implementation of oil rationing, similar to food rations. This crisis threatened the economic gains of the previous ‘golden period’, prompting Swedish authorities to take decisive action. A Transformative Oil Crisis Sweden’s response to the crisis was twofold. Firstly, they turned to nuclear power to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Secondly, they invested significantly in central heating infrastructure, constructing large heating plants to supply heat to clusters of households and industrial parks through insulated piping and underground networks. This shift ...

The US Ambassador shared a story about a hotel in Kerala, where he was asked to plant a coconut palm sapling at the end of his stay. | Photo: Bloomberg Addressing a gathering, the Ambassador praised India’s ambitious goals for renewable energy, foretelling that the country will become the global “shop floor” for the sector in the next three decades. “India is setting bold targets and implementing policies that position it as a leader in solar and wind energy capacity, not just for its own needs but also to manufacture cost-effective solutions for the world,” he asserted. “Mark my words, India will, in the next 30 years, be the epicenter of the renewable energy revolution,” he emphasized. The outgoing Ambassador’s remarks came at the South Asia Women in Energy Leadership Summit, hosted by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). Recounting his experience in Kerala, the Ambassador shared, “They asked me to plant a coconut palm sapling, and I inquired about how ...