Swedish forest industry critical about the green paradigm shift according to new thesis

Opposition and Adjustment to Industrial ‘Greening’. The Swedish Forest Industry´s (Re)Actions Regarding Energy Transition. The paper making process is a very energy intensive process. The Swedish forest industry is Sweden's largest, and also one of Europe's largest single user of electricity. Leading representatives of the industry opposed the long policy of greening and sustainable energy according to a doctorate thesis by Mikael Ottosson.

- They were totally opposed to investment in bioenergy, "said Mikael Ottosson and they showed great reluctance to change. The industry representatives opposed Sweden's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and found that the forest industry should be exempted from emissions trading. This inertia is not rare in mature industries where homogeneous oligopoly exists, ie. a few companies dominate, "said Mikael Ottosson. A lot of research has demonstrated an increased rigidity and unwillingness to change in such conditions.

Mikael Ottosson also shows how the new ideas came from outside, from what he calls "industrialists" forest scientists and other experts. They were capable of calculations showing the forest industry could make lots of money to participate in the change rather than resist it. - Yet it will take many years before these ideas begin to shine through.

More than half of the pulp and paper mills did not have a long-term energy strategy in 2007. It is surprising, writes Michael Jensen, the company in one of the world's most energy-intensive industries thus not seem to prioritize the issue of energy efficiency.

Mikael Ottosson doctorate on April 1. The thesis is called "Opposition and Adjustment to Industrial 'Greening'. The Swedish Forest Industry's (Re) Actions Regarding Energy Transition, 1989-2009 ". Mikael Ottosson be reached at mikael.ottosson@liu.se