The Swedish government, consumers, and businesses have joined hands and taken the leap to escape fossil fuels completely by the year 2020.

Already, 26 percent of Sweden’s energy comes from non-fossil fuels sources. There are cars that run on methane instead of gasoline, and heat that comes from wood pellets instead of oil. Currently, most of their non-fossil fuel electricity comes from hydroelectric power and…nuclear. But don’t choke on your lingonberry just yet – the government has committed to get new electricity from clean, renewable sources like wind and wave power, rather than more nukes.

These advances aren’t happening overnight: the Swedish government had to make the policies that brought about these changes, like tax breaks for heating homes with renewable fuel and a green certificate system that requires utilities to get a certain amount of their electricity from renewables. What’s more, motor giant Volvo plans to be the first heavy industry to emit no global warming pollution by the end of this year.

Solid government policies, determined consumers and innovative businesses could catapult the Swedes out of the fossil fuel age. In fact, I’d bet my lefse on it.

BBC: Sweden aims for oil-free economy
Environmental Science and Technology Online: Sweden to kick fossil fuel habit by 2020
MSNBC: Sweden hopes to be totally green by 2020