Speech by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at the launch of Sweden’s action towards the Global Goals

Stockholm, 18 January (Greenpost)–Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven spoke at the Sweden’s action towards the Global Goals. The following is the text in English.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven made the opening speech at Agenda 2030 on Jan. 18, 2016. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven made the opening speech at Agenda 2030 on Jan. 18, 2016. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Your Royal Highness,
Dr Nabarro,
Friends,

A very warm welcome to this launch of Sweden’s action to implement the 2030 Agenda. It is particularly exciting to see so many here from so many sectors of society.

Because if there’s one thing I know, it is that we get results when we work together – the business sector, trade unions, civil society,
researchers, politicians and civil servants at all levels.

One of the success factors for the Global Goals and the 2030 Agenda
is that so many have been involved in developing them.

This gives us strength as we move forward and begin to implement the goals.

Thank you for being here ready to take on this task. I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas about the work that lies ahead of us.

Friends,

“A quiet life on the peak of a volcano is illusory. In today’s world everything concerns everyone.”

These were the words of Václav Havel, formulated when the Berlin Wall fell and the world was in upheaval. Gone was the stalemate of the Cold War and a new era of global cooperation began. It was a time when world leaders and countries came face to face with the completely new challenges and new opportunities that globalisation presented.

The decade that followed was a time when the major future global issues were discussed at a string of world conferences, not least the Earth Summit in Rio, the Conference on Women in Beijing, the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and the Conference on Population and Development in Cairo.

And it was those efforts that resulted in the Millennium Development Goals.

And I know that at the turn of the millennium, there weren’t many who believed that those goals could be achieved.

We were used to the United Nations setting important goals and visions but we were also used to careless implementation of the decisions that were taken.

But the prophets of doom were wrong. We have proved that it is possible to change and improve the world. When there is willingness,
when global leadership is strong and when the opportunities globalisation offers are seized.

At the end of last year, the American magazine The Atlantic wrote that 2015 was “the best year in history for the average human being”.

And much of what was reported there relates to the UN Millennium Development Goals. Poverty was halved – five years ahead of the deadline. Today, nine out of ten girls and boys around the world go to school. Maternal mortality has fallen. Child mortality has fallen.

Billions of people have gained access to clean water. A global middle class is emerging where every second person has access to a mobile phone.

Friends, the world is not worse. It’s better.

But we live in paradoxical times.

Alongside positive developments we see deepening wars and conflicts,
terrorist attacks, an ongoing refugee crisis and serious environmental and climate threats.This adds to our unease.

And despite the huge progress that has been made 800 million people
are still living in extreme poverty. Ninety million children around the world are still suffering from malnutrition. Women across the globe still have less power, and poorer access to the labour market and education.

A lot of work remains to be done.

It was with this perspective – of challenges and opportunities – that the world’s leaders gathered in New York in September last year and adopted the 2030 Agenda and its 17 global goals.

And it was recognising our common destiny that we gathered in December and agreed on a new binding climate agreement.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed it well. “We are the first generation that can eradicate poverty. And the last that can put an end to climate change.”

And the work is not to be done by someone else, somewhere else. It has to be done by all of us together. The goals make great demands on all countries and all actors.It is my ambition to see Sweden take the lead.

And there are two reasons for this.
1. It is morally right.
We have a responsibility towards others, and not just ourselves here and now. We have a responsibility towards people all over the world, but also towards future generations.

2. But it is also economically smart.
I want Swedish companies to be the ones to develop the new technology and solutions that the world is crying out for to reduce carbon emissions. Our country will benefit from being at the forefront of climate adaptation.

Sweden’s strength lies in being an egalitarian and gender equal society,
which not despite, but because of its solidarity and tolerance, is rich, modern and a world development leader. This is the Sweden we are striving to build. This is the Sweden we believe in.

And I know that there are plenty of ideas and solutions in Sweden.

Just over a year ago, I met Mehrdad Mahdjoubi when he was named Technologist of the Year. I’m sure you have heard of him. He has developed the world’s most advanced and efficient shower system, saving 90 per cent water and 80 per cent energy, and the shower water is cleaner than ordinary hot tap water. In addition, he has succeeded in turning his innovation into a business idea and set up a company called Orbital Systems. It is now ready for a global launch.

Many Swedish companies are well ahead. Scania and Volvo, working tenaciously for a low-emission green transport sector. H&M, one of the world’s largest users of organic cotton and working for workers’ rights.

There are more examples: Ericsson’s digital solutions, ABB’s development of smart grids and IKEA’s goal to produce its own renewable energy and make it easy for us ordinary people to live greener lives with LED lights and solar panels.

I could go on because this is what I think is really exciting – when jobs are created through innovations that are turned into business ideas and reach new markets.

Sustainable business models give Swedish companies a competitive edge. This is Sweden’s future. This makes a difference – in Sweden and in the world. And this creates jobs and growth.

Let me give you another example of leadership. Malmö – a municipality that has made the global goals its own. You are showing the way both on innovative environmental efforts and proposals to reduce health inequalities. And there are many more municipalities making important investments in sustainable development – Karlstad, Örebro, Lomma, Östersund and Borås to name but a few.

We have to take advantage of all the available knowledge and experience.

Three government ministers have particular responsibility for implementation. Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi,
Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin and Minister for Strategic Development Kristina Persson.

The Government will soon appoint a national delegation to facilitate and stimulate implementation. It will be tasked with producing a national action plan.

We will be assisted by a large number of government agencies that will contribute their knowledge, such as SCB, which will help to develop
indicators for the follow-up. This will make our work and the results concrete.

But what is most important is all of you here today, the breadth that you represent and the engagement you bring. Your knowledge is essential. Your work is crucial. We will do this together.

And what a historic opportunity to be a part of this process and make a difference.

We have a long to-do list. Let’s get started.

Once again, a warm welcome to you all.

Swedish PM attends the Agenda 2030 conference

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Jan. 23(Greenpost)–Agenda 2030–Swedish Work to reach the Global Targets conference was held in Stockholm on Jan. 18.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven made the opening speech at Agenda 2030 on Jan. 18, 2016. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven made the opening speech at Agenda 2030 on Jan. 18, 2016. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Speech by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at the launch of Sweden’s action towards the Global Goals

Stockholm 18 January 2016

Check against delivery.

Your Royal Highness,
Dr Nabarro,
Friends,

A very warm welcome to this launch of Sweden’s action to implement the 2030 Agenda. It is particularly exciting to see so many here from so many sectors of society.

Because if there’s one thing I know, it is that we get results when we work together – the business sector, trade unions, civil society,
researchers, politicians and civil servants at all levels.

One of the success factors for the Global Goals and the 2030 Agenda
is that so many have been involved in developing them.

This gives us strength as we move forward and begin to implement the goals.

Thank you for being here ready to take on this task. I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas about the work that lies ahead of us.

Friends,

“A quiet life on the peak of a volcano is illusory. In today’s world everything concerns everyone.”

These were the words of Václav Havel, formulated when the Berlin Wall fell and the world was in upheaval. Gone was the stalemate of the Cold War and a new era of global cooperation began. It was a time when world leaders and countries came face to face with the completely new challenges and new opportunities that globalisation presented.

The decade that followed was a time when the major future global issues were discussed at a string of world conferences, not least the Earth Summit in Rio, the Conference on Women in Beijing, the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen and the Conference on Population and Development in Cairo.

And it was those efforts that resulted in the Millennium Development Goals.

And I know that at the turn of the millennium, there weren’t many who believed that those goals could be achieved.

We were used to the United Nations setting important goals and visions but we were also used to careless implementation of the decisions that were taken.

But the prophets of doom were wrong. We have proved that it is possible to change and improve the world. When there is willingness,
when global leadership is strong and when the opportunities globalisation offers are seized.

At the end of last year, the American magazine The Atlantic wrote that 2015 was “the best year in history for the average human being”.

And much of what was reported there relates to the UN Millennium Development Goals. Poverty was halved – five years ahead of the deadline. Today, nine out of ten girls and boys around the world go to school. Maternal mortality has fallen. Child mortality has fallen.

Billions of people have gained access to clean water. A global middle class is emerging where every second person has access to a mobile phone.

Friends, the world is not worse. It’s better.

But we live in paradoxical times.

Alongside positive developments we see deepening wars and conflicts,
terrorist attacks, an ongoing refugee crisis and serious environmental and climate threats.This adds to our unease.

And despite the huge progress that has been made 800 million people
are still living in extreme poverty. Ninety million children around the world are still suffering from malnutrition. Women across the globe still have less power, and poorer access to the labour market and education.

A lot of work remains to be done.

It was with this perspective – of challenges and opportunities – that the world’s leaders gathered in New York in September last year and adopted the 2030 Agenda and its 17 global goals.

And it was recognising our common destiny that we gathered in December and agreed on a new binding climate agreement.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed it well. “We are the first generation that can eradicate poverty. And the last that can put an end to climate change.”

And the work is not to be done by someone else, somewhere else. It has to be done by all of us together. The goals make great demands on all countries and all actors.It is my ambition to see Sweden take the lead.

And there are two reasons for this.
1. It is morally right.
We have a responsibility towards others, and not just ourselves here and now. We have a responsibility towards people all over the world, but also towards future generations.

2. But it is also economically smart.
I want Swedish companies to be the ones to develop the new technology and solutions that the world is crying out for to reduce carbon emissions. Our country will benefit from being at the forefront of climate adaptation.

Sweden’s strength lies in being an egalitarian and gender equal society,
which not despite, but because of its solidarity and tolerance, is rich, modern and a world development leader. This is the Sweden we are striving to build. This is the Sweden we believe in.

And I know that there are plenty of ideas and solutions in Sweden.

Just over a year ago, I met Mehrdad Mahdjoubi when he was named Technologist of the Year. I’m sure you have heard of him. He has developed the world’s most advanced and efficient shower system, saving 90 per cent water and 80 per cent energy, and the shower water is cleaner than ordinary hot tap water. In addition, he has succeeded in turning his innovation into a business idea and set up a company called Orbital Systems. It is now ready for a global launch.

Many Swedish companies are well ahead. Scania and Volvo, working tenaciously for a low-emission green transport sector. H&M, one of the world’s largest users of organic cotton and working for workers’ rights.

There are more examples: Ericsson’s digital solutions, ABB’s development of smart grids and IKEA’s goal to produce its own renewable energy and make it easy for us ordinary people to live greener lives with LED lights and solar panels.

I could go on because this is what I think is really exciting – when jobs are created through innovations that are turned into business ideas and reach new markets.

Sustainable business models give Swedish companies a competitive edge. This is Sweden’s future. This makes a difference – in Sweden and in the world. And this creates jobs and growth.

Let me give you another example of leadership. Malmö – a municipality that has made the global goals its own. You are showing the way both on innovative environmental efforts and proposals to reduce health inequalities. And there are many more municipalities making important investments in sustainable development – Karlstad, Örebro, Lomma, Östersund and Borås to name but a few.

We have to take advantage of all the available knowledge and experience.

Three government ministers have particular responsibility for implementation. Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi,
Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin and Minister for Strategic Development Kristina Persson.

The Government will soon appoint a national delegation to facilitate and stimulate implementation. It will be tasked with producing a national action plan.

We will be assisted by a large number of government agencies that will contribute their knowledge, such as SCB, which will help to develop
indicators for the follow-up. This will make our work and the results concrete.

But what is most important is all of you here today, the breadth that you represent and the engagement you bring. Your knowledge is essential. Your work is crucial. We will do this together.

And what a historic opportunity to be a part of this process and make a difference.

We have a long to-do list. Let’s get started.

Once again, a warm welcome to you all.

UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson sent a televised congratulaitons to the conference.

 

 

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson
Moderator Mia Odabas presides over the meeting. Agenda 30-Swedish Work to reach the Global Targets, photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson.
UN special adviser for Agenda 2030 about Swedish Role to reach the Global Targets. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson
UN special adviser for Agenda 2030 about Swedish Role to reach the Global Targets. Photo by Xuefei Chen Axelsson

 

 

Crown Princess Victoria an Advocate for UN Global Goals

Stockholm, Jan. 29(Greenpost)–United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Crown Princess Victoria as one of sixteen Advocates to promote the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals.

The Advocates’ role will be to “leverage their unique standing and leadership” to promote the messages and encourage partnerships with governments, the private sector and civil society.

Crown Princess Victoria
Crown Princess Victoria has been appointed as one of sixteen Advocates to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Photo: Kate Gabor/Swedish Royal Court

The 17 Global Goals were adopted by world leaders at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September last year. The goals represent a commitment by all nations to work together to end poverty, build peace and secure a life of dignity and a healthy planet for present and future generations.

“It is both an honour and a pleasure for Sweden that Crown Princess Victoria has been chosen for this important role and that she has accepted. This shows that both the Swedish Government and the Swedish Royal Family are deeply engaged in the 2030 Agenda, the action to achieve the Global Goals,” says Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

“I am very honoured to have been appointed as one of sixteen Advocates to promote the 2030 Agenda. The issues that the UN development goals highlight are crucial for the world. I hope to be able to contribute to this important work,” says Crown Princess Victoria in a Royal Court press release.

“Crown Princess Victoria and the other Advocates have a very important role to play, serving both to inspire and press for action. These Global Goals are needed for the countries of the world to work together to stop and prevent conflicts and refugee crises. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace, security and respect for human rights. The Global Goals give us fifteen years of opportunities to build a better world,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed it very well: “We are the first generation that can eradicate poverty. And the last that can put an end to climate change.”

“And the work is not to be done by someone else, somewhere else. It has to be done by all of us together. The goals make great demands on all countries and all actors. It is my ambition to see Sweden take the lead and show the way,” says Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

The Advocates include singer songwriter Shakira Mebarak, renowned football player Leo Messi, actor and filmmaker Forest Whitaker and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

Source:  Swedish government website. www.regeringen.se

Sweden will deport up to 80 thousand refugees

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 28(Greenpost)– Sweden is going to deport 60 to 80 thousand refugee seekers next year. according to a report from Dagens Industri.

DI quoted Interior Minister Anders Ygeman as saying that “60 thousand refugees will be deported, it can also be up to 80 thousand.”

Ygeman said that the government has written to the police authorities and the Immigration office that they will cooperate with each other to deal with issue.

It is estimated that 55 percent of the refugees will be granted the refugee status and get relevant support while the rest of 45 percent will be deported to their own countries.

The countries to be deported to will be Afghanistan and Moracco.

It is reported that Sweden has received 163 thousand refugees last year.

But it is very difficult for the country to cope with this.  Ygeman said they will likely be deported with chartered airplane. But since the work is enormous, the real deportation will be done next year.

According to Timmermans, vice chairman of the European Commission, about 60 percent of the refugee status seekers are not qualified for it. They came for economic motivation, thus has no right to get refugee status.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said on Jan. 9 that those who were rejected as refugees should leave the country.

 

欧盟委员会委员提末曼斯认为大部分难民不够格

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--据瑞典《工业日报》报道,欧盟委员会委员提莫曼斯日前表示,60%来申请难民身份的人不合格。

欧盟委员会第一副主席提莫曼斯说一半以上的难民申请者都是出于经济动机来申请难民身份的,因此,他们实际上没有权利获得难民身份。

文章援引Europaportal报道说,很多人都是出于经济动机来充当难民,而不是因为其他愿意。

“大约60%的难民申请者,如果仔细调查,找不出一条理由可以让他们成为难民。”

这一消息据说源于欧盟尚未发表的一份报告。报告认为,很多来自北非国家的难民申请者就属于这种情况。为了能继续为真正的难民提供帮助,该遣返的或拒绝的应该拒绝。

今日头条:瑞典政府表示将遣返6万到8万难民

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--据瑞典《工业日报》报道,瑞典内政部长于格曼昨天表示,瑞典将遣返6万难民。

“基于现在的统计,将遣返6万难民,但也可能是八万。” 于格曼说。

他说,瑞典政府已经给警方和移民局发函指派这项任务。届时可能派包机遣返难民。具体费用多少不详。

瑞典去年来了16.3万难民。导致接收系统崩溃。到年底不得不收紧难民接收政策。瑞典警察已经在边境加倍警力,严格控制难民涌入。没有身份证或相关文件的不许进入。

瑞典只有980万人,人均接收难民数在欧洲排名第一。但是,抵达的难民也无法全部安置。目前预计有55%的难民可以留下,45%的难民必须遣返。

审批难民身份的工作量巨大。因此,即使遣返也要等到明年了。

25日一15岁少年捅死22岁的黎巴嫩裔女工作人员引发新一轮难民危机的报道和讨论。

于格曼说,难民主要来自叙利亚,阿富汗和摩洛哥。他们打算和阿富汗和摩洛哥商议遣返难民。

另据报道,欧盟总部发布报告表示,很多难民来欧洲的主要原因是经济原因。

Swedish garment giant H & M reports 16 percent profit increase last year

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Jan. 28–Swedish garment giant H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB has reported 16 percent gross profit increase in 2015.

Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M said 2015 has been a very expansive year for the H&M group.

“We have opened 413 new stores net, of which 249 in the fourth quarter, as well as ten new H&M online markets and we have successfully established stores in our new markets of India, South Africa, Peru, Taiwan and Macau. In total, we now have stores in 61 markets and offer online sales in 23 of these.

It published its full year report on Thursday.

Persson said sales have developed well for all our brands: H&M, H&M Home, COS, & Other Stories, Weekday, Monki and Cheap Monday. During the year sales totalled SEK 210 billion including VAT, which is an increase of 19 percent in SEK. In local currencies the increase was 11 percent. Profit for the year after tax increased to SEK 20.9 billion, which is our highest result to date – this despite the fact that the strong US dollar exchange rate has made our purchasing much more expensive.

“Our employees are doing a fantastic job and are decisive for our success. The increase in the financial result for the year means that SEK 75 m has been allocated to the H&M Incentive Program (HIP), which is for all employees in the H&M group. The accumulated value to an employee who has been in the programme since it started five years ago amounts to approximately SEK 45,000 per person*. In 2015 we created 16,000 new jobs within the H&M group and we are now more than 148,000 employees and we plan to employ further thousands of new employees in 2016 since our strong expansion continues.” said Persson.

“Our growth target of increasing the number of stores by 10-15 percent per year with continued high profitability remains intact, In 2016 we plan to open 425 new stores net and open H&M stores in three new markets: New Zealand, Cyprus and Puerto Rico. In addition, H&M plans to offer e-commerce in a further nine existing H&M markets. These countries are Ireland, Japan, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg. We are very pleased with the continued strengthening of our online customer offering and developments within our online operations.” said Persson.

“We operate in an industry that is exposed to a lot of competition and are therefore constantly working to develop our customer offering within our different brands which are all based on the idea of giving customers the best combination of fashion, quality, price and sustainability – from each brand’s unique identity. Among other things, we are making substantial long-term investments in order to grasp the opportunities coming from the increased digitalization.
In addition, we are also continuing to broaden the product range further as well as adding more brands to the group. One example of broadening our range is the successful launch of H&M Beauty, which is now in 900 stores in 41 markets and which will continue to be rolled out to a further 300 stores in 2016.” said Persson.

“Sustainability is something that concerns us all and at H&M we have been working on these matters for a long time. We have made lots of improvements and are constantly working on how to improve even further to meet the challenges that we and our industry are facing. A specific example of what we have achieved in 2015 is that we have switched to 100 percent renewable energy in all markets where this is possible. For the group as a whole, this means that around 80 percent of all the energy that we use globally comes from renewable sources; in 2014 this figure was 27 percent. We have also increased the proportion of cotton that comes from sustainable sources, which now represents 31 percent of our total cotton usage (21 percent in 2014). Our goal is that all cotton in our product range will come from sustainable sources by 2020 at the latest.We closely follow developments in the market in each country where we are present. For 2016 we see many opportunities, but are also well aware of the challenges that exist. We firmly believe that our customer offering and our investments will lead to increased market share and strengthen H&M’s position even further in 2016.” said Persson.

The following is the summery of the yearly report.

  • The H&M group’s sales excluding VAT increased by 19 percent to SEK 180,861 m (151,419) during the financial year. In local currencies the increase was 11 percent.
  • Gross profit increased by 16 percent to SEK 103,167 m (89,052). This corresponds to a gross margin of 57.0 percent (58.8).
  • Profit after financial items increased by SEK 1.3 billion and amounted to SEK 27,242 m (25,895), an increase of 5 percent. The group’s profit after tax increased to SEK 20,898 m (19,976), corresponding to SEK 12.63 (12.07) per share, an increase of 5 percent.
  • The profit increase for 2015 has led to SEK 75 m being allocated to the H&M Incentive Program (HIP), which is for all employees.
  • Very strong expansion during the year with a total net addition of 413 (379) new stores and ten new online markets. At the end of the financial year H&M had 23 online markets and the number of stores amounted to 3,924 in 61 markets.
  • More than 16,000 new jobs were created in the H&M group in 2015. The number of employees amounted to more than 148,000 (132,000) at the end of the year.
  • The Board of Directors proposes a dividend of SEK 9.75 (9.75) per share for the 2014/2015 financial year.
  • Sales including VAT in December 2015 increased by 10 percent in local currencies compared to the corresponding month the previous year.
  • Sales including VAT in January 2016 are expected to increase by 7 percent in local currencies compared to the same month last year.
  • The H&M group plans a net addition of around 425 new stores for the 2015/2016 financial year. Most of the expansion will take place in existing markets. New Zealand, Cyprus and Puerto Rico are planned to become new H&M markets. In addition, H&M plans to offer e-commerce in a further nine existing H&M markets.

The information in this full-year report is that which H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (publ) is required to disclose under Sweden’s Securities Market Act. It will be released for publication at 8.00 (CET) on 28 January 2016. This full-year report, and other information about H&M, is available at www.hm.com
    

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (publ) was founded in Sweden in 1947 and is quoted on Nasdaq Stockholm. H&M’s business idea is to offer fashion and quality at the best price in a sustainable way. In addition to H&M, the group includes the brands COS, Monki, Weekday, Cheap Monday, & Other Stories as well as H&M Home. The H&M group has more than 3,900 stores in 61 markets including franchise markets. In 2015, sales including VAT amounted to SEK 210 billion and the number of employees was more than 148,000. For further information, visit www.hm.com.

Cheap, waterless toilet that turns waste into clean water and power to be trialed in Africa

Hi Lynda, we published this article from your pool because I think it is good article for Green Post and for all the readers who concerns about environment. Thanks.  If any problem, let me know.

Nano Membrane toilet prototype

Nano Membrane toilet prototype (Credit: Cranfield University)

A cheap, easy to maintain, “green” toilet that uses no water and turns human waste into electricity and clean water will be trialed in 2016, possibly in Ghana. Dubbed the “Nano Membrane Toilet” by its creators from Cranfield University, UK, this new approach to managing waste could help some of the world’s 2.3 billion people who have no access to safe, hygienic toilets.

The toilet’s magic happens when you close the lid. The bottom of the bowl uses a rotation mechanism to sweep the waste into a sedimentation chamber, which helps block any odors from escaping. The waste is then filtered through a special nanotech membrane, which separates vaporized water molecules from the rest of the waste, helping to prevent pathogens and solids from being carried further by the water.

The vaporized water then travels through to a chamber filled with “nano-coated hydrophilic beads”, which helps the water vapor condense and fall into a collection area below. This water is pure enough to be used for household washing and farm irrigation.

The residual solid waste and pathogens are driven by an archimedean screw into a second chamber. This part of the design is still being finalized, but the current plan is for the solid waste to be incinerated to convert it into ash and energy. The energy will power the nanomembrane filtration process, with enough left over to charge mobile phones or other small devices.

The only waste product of the whole process is ash from the burning of solids, which is nutrient-rich and pathogen free, and therefore, usable in farming. The toilet can manage the waste generated by households of up to 10 people.

Funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, and winner of the CleanEquity Monaco 2015 award, the nano membrane toilet is to be trialed and tested in 2016, possibly in Ghana.

Currently, more than 650 million people in the world do not have access to clean water, and more than 2.3 billion don’t have access to a safe, private toilet. Researchers around the world are working to help solve this problem, but high-tech solutions, such as adding solar panels, are usually too expensive to be practical.

Sociological issues also play a role. As toilet infrastructure deteriorates, people prefer to go outside rather than use a smelly room inside their house. This makes women vulnerable to rape, and creates further sanitation and hygiene issues.

The nano membrane toilet is clean, odorless and aspirational, and it should be capable of working in environments that lack sewage, external power and water. So it will be interesting to see how it works in the field.

The plan is for the toilet to be rented to households through a local organization, helping to spread the costs to stay within the Gate Foundation’s challenge of keeping the cost of the toilet below US 5 cents per person per day.

If all goes well, the toilet could also find applications elsewhere like the military, construction industry, yachts, or outdoor events.

 

Winter in Sweden

By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Stockholm, Jan. 27(Greenpost)–Hi, I’m a Chinese, but I came to Sweden ten years ago. Why? Because my name is Snow. Xue means snow. I was born in this month 49 years ago. It was snowing and cold.

So actually I feel like at home in Sweden. In winter, the snow makes it feel better. The worst time I tell you is november. But Swedes are used to this kind of weather. Those who cannot tolerate it choose to go to Thailand for a few months.

That is why in 2005 Christmas time, more than 400 Swedes died during the Trunami in Thailand.  Many people go to Spain to have a winter house too. I mean over there it is always warm!

But Sweden is not bad. I mean in winter you can stay inside and the heating is very even. That temperature is better than anywhere else. It is neither too cold nor too warm.

People can go to the north to ski and live in the wooden house.  You can go to skate outside and swim inside a swimming pool. There are a lot of gyms.

To deal with the dark winter, Stockholm city lighted brighter lights in the city center. It hosts international film festival in November.

Christmas makes everybody happy and be busy with presents and food, visiting relatives and friends.

The sun sometimes is too bright because it is low, just hanging above the buildings.

Snow makes it very beautiful and the trees look like paintings. A lot of exhibitions are held indoor.

But this winter has a lot of accidents that make people feel upset. The problem was that a 22 year old girl who worked in an immigration center was stabbed to death by a 15 year old boy who migrant to Sweden.

The boy belongs to those thousands of single boy who has no parents or relatives to accompany them to Swedish border.  Do they really have no parents or relatives? No one knows.

But they came and stay together, sometimes they have problems. Now the police said they need more resources. They got more calls from immigration center and immigrants related issues.

Is this winter different from the previous one? Yes, it gets cold later than before and it gets warmer earlier. Just about lest than two weeks below zero, now it is above zero. The ice and snow all melt.

More people go to gym to exercise and many shops closed. I guess the gym will be a good business in the future.  One can get everything on website but you can’t exercise on internet.

Swedish winter is not too cold, it is around zero, sometimes above and sometimes below.

 

Spotlight: Chinese president starts Egypt visit to synergise development plans

CAIRO, Jan. 21 (Greenpost) — Chinese President Xi Jinping started Wednesday his visit to Egypt, a country to which his last trip dates back to 16 years ago and which now looks forward to boarding the development train of the world’s second largest economy.
Xi’s visit is aimed at aligning the development plans of the two nations.
CHINA’S PARTICIPATION
“My visit to Egypt is to cement and deepen the China-Egypt relationship in an all-round way, and advance practical cooperation between our two nations for new achievements,” Xi said when meeting Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail shortly after his arrival in Cairo in the afternoon.
The Chinese government encourages and supports qualified enterprises to participate in large-scale projects in Egypt, Xi said.
He proposed that the two sides make more efforts to synergize their development strategies and step up cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to translate their consensus into concrete results as soon as possible.
Prior to Xi’s visit, experts from both countries have agreed that as Egypt eyes a series of mega projects, the new Suez Canal for instance, to revitalize the economy, China’s experience could certainly help.
“China stands ready to boost cooperation with Egypt in infrastructure construction and continue pushing ahead industrial capacity cooperation,” the president said.
Words have already been put into practice. China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co., Ltd said it had reached a deal with its Egyptian partner to build a 1,210 km power transmission line at 500 KV in the southeast of the Nile Delta in Egypt.
As the largest project of its kind in Egypt, the line will be used to transmit electricity for three gas-fired power plants and one nuclear power station, the company, which attended the China Science and Technology Exhibition in Cairo on Wednesday, told Xinhua.
Meanwhile, China’s CGC Overseas Construction Group is working to combine China’s agricultural technology, Egypt’s natural resources and global capital to help the North African country develop agriculture on the west side of the Nile, the company told Xinhua at the exhibition.
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with China, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.
The two sides, treating each other with mutual understanding, respect, trust and support, have been developing their ties in a healthy and stable manner, Xi said in his written remarks upon arrival.
Xi recalled the visit of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to China in December 2014 when Beijing and Cairo elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, saying that bilateral relations are at an important phase now, and the pair should well inherit their past traditions and break new grounds for the future.
Xi said he is happy to see that the Egyptian people are working hard to maintain social stability, develop the economy and better people’s livelihood.
“We believe that the people of Egypt, with their diligence and wisdom, can surely overcome difficulties and challenges, and continue to make progress in realizing the Egyptian dream of building a strong country in which people are better off,” he said.
To welcome the first visit of a Chinese president in 12 years, Egypt sent eight fighter jets to escort Xi’s plane when it entered the country’s airspace, and Sisi was also at the airport to welcome Xi.
When meeting with Sisi in the evening at Abdeen Palace, the main workplace of the Egyptian president, Xi also voiced China’s support to Egypt’s greater role in regional and international affairs.
WARM RESPONSE
Sisi told Xi that Egypt admires China’s development achievements and is eager to learn from China’s experience in many aspects.
Ismail also said Egypt cherishes its traditional friendship with China and will bolster cooperation with China in various fields.
Egypt supports the Belt and Road Initiative, will actively participate in the cooperation within such framework and become a corridor connecting trade between China and Europe, the prime minister added.
Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency reported that the country’s cabinet spoke highly of Xi’s highly-anticipated visit, saying it reflected the deeply-rooted relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the country’s official Al-Ahram newspaper in a special report of 20 pages on Wednesday recalled the historical moments in bilateral relations, and expected China and Egypt to sign an array of cooperative documents in such areas as small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, tourism, electricity and education during Xi’s visit.  Enditem

Source  Xinhua

Editor   Xuefei Chen Axelsson

Sri Lankan PM announces to go ahead with China-funded Port City project

COLOMBO, Jan. 21 (Greenpost) — Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has announced that his government will go ahead with a multi billion U.S. dollar port city project in the capital funded by China after it was suspended earlier last year.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wickremesinghe said that his government also invited Chinese investors to Sri Lanka.
When asked by the media about China’s role in Sri Lanka’s development, Wickremesinghe noted that China is one of the largest economic powers in the world, and within Sri Lanka, there is a large number of projects in infrastructure development which were funded by the Chinese government.
“So we are going ahead with many of those projects including the Port City, the further development of the Hambantota Harbour. But we’ve also said we would like to see Chinese investments,” the prime minister said.
He further said that infrastructure development alone is not sufficient and that his government is now discussing of bringing in Chinese investments into Sri Lanka.
“I think the Chinese government has also decided that some of its manufacturing industries should move out and Sri Lankan seems to be one of the locations for their industries to move out,” he said.
“We are looking at the Chinese participation in the logistics hub of Sri Lanka as well as further investments in the real-estate sector.”
The 1.4 billion dollar mega port city project is Sri Lanka’s largest foreign investment and is set to attract millions of dollars as investments upon its completion.
The project was suspended by the Sirisena administration in March due to a review on its agreement and some other aspects of the project, but the government has now said that project will resume by February.
The government has already said that it will include the project in its megapolis development plan in order to develop the capital Colombo. Enditem

Source  Xinhua

 

Beijing reports 6.9-pct GDP growth in 2015

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Greenpost) — Beijing’s GDP growth was 6.9 percent in 2015 and it will maintain steady growth for the next year, the statistics bureau announced Thursday.
Beijing’s GDP was about 2.29 trillion yuan (about 350 billion U.S. dollars) in 2015 and its growth was 0.4 percent lower than in 2014.
“Although growth is among the slowest posted during the last five years, Beijing’s economy has maintained quality growth, with growth in company revenue, people’s income, tax revenue and improvement of the environment,” said Xia Qinfang, spokesperson with the bureau.
The service industry has seen particularly fast growth, at 23.8 percent from January to November. The finance, information, science and technology sectors have seen double digit growth, statistics show.
Per capita disposable income for Beijing residents was 48,458 yuan in 2015, up 8.9 percent year on year.
In the next year, Beijing will continue to face a complex economic situation, Xia said, and the coming period will be critical for Beijing’s economic restructuring. It faces grand tasks to address urban ills and push forward the relocation plans to Tianjin and Hebei.
Nevertheless, Beijing will maintain steady development for the next year, Xia said. Enditem

China ranks first worldwide in PV power capacity

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Greenpost) — China overtook Germany in 2015 to become the world’s number one in terms of photovoltaic (PV) power capacity, official data showed on Thursday.
China added 15 gigawatts of PV power capacity last year, a 40 percent rise year on year, bringing the total capacity to 43 gigawatts, according to China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA).
Many PV companies began to turn a profit last year thanks to the government’s positive stance on green and innovative energy production and investment, said CPIA secretary general Wang Bohua.
Wang said the areas of technology research and development, and company financing needed more attention, and 2016 will see policies related to PV power grid connection and subsidies.
By the end of 2020, China aims to increase non-fossil energy to 15 percent of total primary energy consumption, and sharply enhance the ratio of renewable energy in production, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).
NEA predicts that China’s PV power capacity will hit 150 gigawatts by 2020.  Enditem

Source  Xinhua

 

 

图片新闻--瑞典“好莱坞”电影金羊奖颁奖典礼精彩回放

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--1月18日瑞典“好莱坞”一年一度的电影金羊奖颁奖典礼在斯德哥尔摩著名的Circus举行。瑞典首相勒文和前左翼党党首雷夫都出席了隆重的颁奖仪式。

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为了准备这个隆重的仪式,人们穿出自己认为最美的服装。

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瑞典电视台记者也把自己打扮得和明星一样,采访最佳女主角候选人。

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本届最佳女主角在颁奖前还不知花落谁家是接受采访。

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大碗明星拉斯苟德。曾经在蒙坎尔德犯罪影片中演主角,风靡欧洲。这次在《有个男人叫乌沃》担任主角,得到提名。颁奖前接受电视台采访。

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颁奖开幕式的大厅。

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瑞典电影学会执行主任塞内尔首先致词。

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首先出来提名的是三位年轻演员。

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最佳外语影片奖。

Best Foreign Language Film

 Leviatan
Director: Andrej Zvjagintsev

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最佳化妆奖。

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最佳外国影片奖。

Best Foreign Language Film

 Leviatan
Director: Andrej Zvjagintsev

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表演。

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终生成就奖。

Lifetime Achievement Award    The board of the Swedish Film Institute has decided to give the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award to:

 

Birgitta Andersson

Actress

 

DSC_6027 最佳男主角。拉斯苟德。《有个男人叫乌沃》

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最佳女主角。《小偷》。

Best Actress in a Leading Role

 Malin Levanon
for her role as Minna in Drifters

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Best Actress in a Leading Role

Malin Levanon
for her role as Minna in Drifters

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最佳电影《从此以后》的男主角。这个在影片中经常被打的主角就是这样,他说,影响想要反映的是,我们其实有恶。恶就在我们身边。可是,我们也没什么办法,只能揭示它,也要包容。

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《有个男人叫乌沃》获得三项大奖,最佳男主角,最佳化妆和最高人气奖。

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最佳男演员奖

Best Actor in a Leading Role

 Rolf Lassgård
for his role as Ove in A man called Ove

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最佳化妆奖。 《有个男人叫乌沃》。

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《从此以后》获得最佳电影制片人奖,最佳导演奖和最佳配角奖。

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最佳制片人,最佳导演,最佳配角。制片人Ekman说这是她从事电影制片25年来首次获奖。非常开心。这是一部非常沉重的反映社会问题的影片。这个配角演的是父亲。主角的年轻小伙在从精神病院回来以后,一直受到歧视,欺负,挨打。

Best film The Here After
Producer: Madeleine Ekman & Mariusz Wlodarski

 Best Director    最佳导演 Magnus von Horn

for The Here After

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

 Mats Blomgren

for his role as Martin in The Here After 

 

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获奖人员合影。大部分记者都不让进到大厅,只能在这里守候。

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Best Actress in a Supporting Role

 Eva Melander
for her role as Susanne in Flocking

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最佳男主角。

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终生成就奖。

Lifetime Achievement Award

 The board of the Swedish Film Institute has decided to give the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award to:

 

Birgitta Andersson

Actress

 图/文 陈雪霏

图片专题:北欧室内设计的匠心与精华

北欧绿色邮报网报道(记者陈雪霏)--1月20日北欧春季室内设计展在斯德哥尔摩国际展览中心埃尔湖举行。和往年一样,展览依然是种类齐全,错落有致,从屋里到屋外,从床头到花园,从天使到精灵,应有尽有,全面反映北欧人民既重视实用,又重视审美,脚踏实地,精心设计,不断创新的精神。

DSC_6429这首先要从烛台说起。蜡烛是瑞典人的生命。冬天屋里屋外,人们都喜欢点蜡烛。

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用铁制作的各种漂亮装饰品。这都是瑞典的特色。设计者劳塔对记者说,瑞典的设计理念就是在实用的基础上想让它有美感,不要单纯想美,也要实用。二者有机结合是我们的理念。

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各种花盆。瑞典人喜欢在家里放花,房前屋后都喜欢放,因此,都处都有花店,到处都有卖各种花盆的。

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各种各样的枕头沙发垫。

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不同颜色的容器,玻璃容器。这个产品在NK可以买。

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圣诞节必备的各种星星灯。圣诞用品。

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古典座椅,但很有可能是新绷的面儿。以前,我家附近就有这样的两名女子专门重新制作古典沙发。但后来生意不好还是关门了。这里的冬天日子不是很好过啊!

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但这古色古香还是很吸引人,宁可藏它500年啊。DSC_6185

这肯定是从南半球淘来的。

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华丽古朴的沙发。

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Bolife的100%天然印染技术亮相室内设计展。老板张毓接受记者采访。

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两名瑞典女子开启服装店,这也是保证从源头设计到制作加工都要注意环保的产品。

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一看就知道这是在谈染料问题。

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Lotta 说他们生产这些羊毛制品是在做好事。收集北部羊群的羊毛做成羊毛制品,否则,羊毛都浪费了。不过瑞典人对是不是纯羊毛也不是太在意。他们还是在意时尚和品质相结合。不像冰岛人那样真的使劲放羊毛,织毛衣,然后穿它几十年。

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这是瑞典Bergadala地区的专利和特色,离南方宜家老板的家乡不远。设计者不让我照相。我亮出记者证,才让我照。这个颜色,这个工艺,都是让人情不自禁地要收藏的那种货色。美不胜收。

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看看这包,也象筐。都是塑料制品。但是这颗白树上挂的却是由有机植物油提炼制作的可降解的塑料制成的。是绿色产品。墙上挂的是塑料产品。

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这可以是屋里,也可以是屋外,在后花园货阳台上吊吊花盆。

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这是花园产品,水壶,喷壶,铁锹,耙子应有尽有。

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这些东西可都是瑞典人发明的,因为瑞典在北边的基律纳有个大铁矿19世纪就开采了,那里有铁器博物馆,就在矿井里为证。 DSC_6330

铁公鸡。

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人都说是达拉木马是瑞典的名片。这回也做了布马了。

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圣诞小人儿。

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真正的达拉木马。

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北欧精灵和萨米人。

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这位芬兰大姐专门做木质厨具。这个小木勺是用来舀黄油的。她说,“我发现,我要是在这奶酪铲子上刻上瑞典的字眼,人们就爱买。没有任何字样,人们就不买。”

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各种形状的杯子,各种花样的杯子,都是对准儿童的。

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青花系列瓷器。红色也是很受人们喜爱的。

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小精灵是北欧特产。

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花盆座,盘子,都可以。

当然,展出的还有地毯,羊皮和其他商品。