A large group of people got valuable advice and information on case studies from both Sweden and California when they attended SACC-SF/SV's Sustainable Innovation Conference on October 5 in San Francisco.

On October 26 the “California Clean Tech Exchange” moves to Los Angeles and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles. A selection of innovative Swedish and international clean tech companies along with representatives for Clean Tech LA, USC and local government officials will offer a broad view of opportunities and possible expansion areas. Call 323.397.2374, 310.734.9686 or see www.sacc-gla.org for further information

The recent conference in San Francisco offered an interesting group of speakers and participants. Karin Widegren, Sweden’s Science/Technology Attaché, pointed out how Sweden went from one of the most petroleum-dependent countries in Europe in the 1970s to today, where Sweden is the only OECD country with less than 50 percent of its energy demand supplied by petro-fuels.
A panel of cities’ comparative practices was introduced to the audience by among others Caroline Dahl from Skåne’s administrative board and Garrett Fitzgerald, Oakland, California

The event's keynote speaker, Commissioner James Boyd, Vice Chair of the California Energy Commission His comparison focused on California as the eighth largest economy (California = $1.6 trillion GDP; Sweden = $385 billion); with 27m motor vehicles for 37m people. And whereas California is the nation’s green leader —the state has the lowest per capita energy use in the U.S. due to its efficiency standards—in contrast to Sweden’s carbon reductions, California is increasingly reliant on foreign oil and is the second largest emitter of green house gasses (GHG) in the U.S. (12th largest in the world), releasing 500m metric tons per year. At 40% of the state total, the transportation sector is the single largest source of GHG emissions, with buildings accounting for another 20% (which is why retrofitting may be one of the easiest fixes). Right behind the U.S. and China as the largest gasoline consumers is California.
More info on SACC-SF/SV, the San Francisco Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, www.sacc-usa.org/sf