The Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo program contains a broad spectrum of activities aimed at improving energy efficiency and increasing the amount of energy clean sources. These activities include biomass-based district heating and power generation, smaller scale district heating, district cooing, biomass boilers for households, energy efficient street lighting, solar panels, cycle paths, and energy efficient buildings.

Over 60 percent of Vaxjo's geographical area is covered with forests and forestry is one of the bigger industries along with wood production as a result Vaxjo has become a pioneer for its use of wooden bio mass. Today two thirds of the city's heating comes this type of fuel and ten years after the the start of fossil fuel free Vaxjo, per capita carbon dioxide emissions are down by 21 percent (their goal is to reduce emissions of CO2 within the entire municipality by 50 percent per capita by 2010 comapred to 1993 levels). To help politicians look further than finances, Vaxjo started using ecoBUDGET, a model for environmental budgeting. The model is designed to show decision makers how to budget natural resources in the same way that they budget fiscal ones. Vaxjo has used ecoBUDGET for a coherent environmental management approach that supports their ambitions of becoming fossil fuel free with clear time-related targets and cyclical evaluations of performance. Additionally they are achieving their visions and targets in ecoBUDGET through construction of new residential areas according to cutting edge energy standards for both heating and cooling.

Individuals:

An indirect benefit of switching to biomass for district heating has been that individuals have access to a domestic fuel sources with makes the energy system less vulnerable, in turn citizens are receiving comfortable, stable and clean heat for a low price. Additionally individuals are now benefiting many of the initiatives meant to address the issue of transportation emissions. For example, the city has worked to make the city centre a pedestrian only zone by replaceing pedestrian crossings with car crossings; it has also set up a cycle campaign amongst municipal employees and offers a bicycle pool for employees at city hall.

Society:

In Vaxjo the greatest benefit to society has been of the political will that was needed to mobilize all of the advances the city has made in the field of clean energy. The Mayor and Vice Mayor have taken the lead and full responsibility for thie project, giving it a very high status both within the municipal administration and in society as a whole. Their contributions to the municipality have been recognized through articles, televiosn programs, and internaitonal awards. The introduction of a local, reliable and clean form of heating energy and the associated job creation and tourism revenue can be directly attribute to the political will and visioning of the local leadership.

Economy:

To help ensure that all Vaxjo resident can use this new clean energy, for homes not connected to the district-heating network, municipal subsidies are offered at the household leve to convert heating systems oil to biofuels. Within the field of solar energy, Vaxjo's municipal housing company is encouraging the use of solar power, with subsidies available to households installing solar panels.

Through the implementation of the Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo program new jobs have been created in the biomass to energy chaing and additional economic benefits are reaped by the community as a result of the draw of environmental tourists and technical visitors to Vaxjo who are drawn by this sustainable energy system.

Environment:

The environmental benefits of the Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo system are clear. Using forest waste collected within 100 kilmetres of the city, the new biofuel-powered combined heat and power plant has reduced fossil CO2 emissions by 20%

By offerring new sources of energy such as biomass and solar, the City of Vaxjo has effectively made these the norm (over 76% of the cities energy supply for heating comes biomass). In addition the method in which the city's program began, linking climate initiatives to broad based participatory planning work, residents, businesses, institutions, and the local government have worked together to achieve their fossil fuel reduction targets. In Vaxjo, greenhouse gas reducing technologies are accessed through industry partnerships, while community partnerships and involvement are vital for implement projects and integrating technologies throughout the municipality. In this way, by using both industry partnerships and community involvement in decisions and initiatves Vaxjo is ensuring that future initiatives (involving transport and biofuel) will evolve to the same successes that the biomass heating has attained.

Individuals / Society:

Politicians in Vaxjo set the ambitious goals of the Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo program with initiatives that were agreed upon through a series of roundtables involving many stakeholders but most notably citizens. As a result the influence of citizens and local community groups is a vital part of local decision making relating to clean energy. By engaging the community Vaxjo City Council has helped ensure that clean energy has become part of the mainstream within their community. The partnership approach of the City Council has lead to increased cooperation in the entire community for CO2 reduction activities. For example, local individuals and small companies are deeply involved in environmental work and more than 200 are represented in the Vaxjo environmental network.

Economy:

During the first three year period, to help ensure that this new clean energy can become more widely used within the community, City Council work to introduce the financial sustainability of solar energy and wood fuel heating for private housefolds through municipal subsidies. Clean energy has become a mainstream in the local economy as can be seen through the creation of the BioEnergy Group in Vaxjo Ltd - the group's mission is to increase the use of renewable enrgy by supporting research and development in private companies. The group is comprised on the main municipal utility company, Vaxjo Energy, and six private firms active in various areas of biomass energy.

Environment:

The mainstreaming of the environment in Vaxjo is evident in all facets of life. For example, in the heating sector it can be noted that in 2003 biomass made up over 76 percent of the energy supply for heating within the community. The following achievements also show how through influencing changes in behaviour, Vaxjo City Council has been able to mainstream positive enviornmental changes:

- carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 24% per inhabitant by 2005 as compared to 1993 levels;

- cycle traffic has increased by 7% in 2005; and

- a decrease in the use of oil 40 percent to 15 percent in the ten years 1993 -2003.

The work for a Fossil Fuel Free Vaxjo has as its primary focus environmental sustainability. The reduction of dependency on fossil fuels is naturally the main goal with wood fuels as the primary substitute. The shift to renewable fuels for heating, however, also has economic sustainability implications, as the wood fuel is a local resource. The use of such a local resources creates local employment opportunities and reduces the vulnerability associated with a dependence on outside resources. The sustainable use of forest for wood fuels has also been considered; an increase in wood usage will not jeopardize biodiversity or the long term productivity of the forests.

Vaxjo is using its accomplishment in the field of clean energy provision to move into cleaner and more environmentally sound transport; the City has turned its cofus on transport and biofuels. By building on the successes of biomass heating, Vaxjo is hosting roundtable discussions on sustainable transport with interested parties. Already several incentives are implemented to foster this clean energy source ranging free parking for enviornmentally friendly cars to the clearing of cycle paths of snow before (or at the same time) as roads.