Energy and environment: Nordic energy scenarios for 2010 and 2030

The concept of a sustainable energy sector has received wide attention since the publication of the Brundtland Report in 1987. This paper analyses the possibilities of establishing by 2010 and 2030 an energy system in the Nordic countries which prevents the critical loads of NO x and SO 2 respectively on the most vulnerable Nordic ecological systems being exceeded. In addition, the present concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere should not be significantly exceeded within a time horizon to around 2050. Different scenarios have been investigated in order to analyse the scope for attaining such a sustainable energy development within the limits of existing technologies and known potentials of renewable energy sources. Data on the technologies are available in a special catalogue.