The Fossil-free and Effective Transport in East-Central Sweden project is helping public bodies reduce their CO2 emissions by 20 % between 2016 and 2020 by changing to transport that is not powered by fossil fuels. This will help the region reach the national goal of a fossil-free vehicle fleet by 2030.
A shift towards fossil-free transport in East-Central Sweden
- 20 November 2019
Sustainable transport is important for enabling Sweden to acquire a fossil fuel-independent vehicle fleet by 2030. The Fossil-free and Effective Transport in East-Central Sweden project has helped the Swedish transport sector become decarbonised and gives feedback about factors affecting means of transportation and fuel choices. The project highlights that political will, strategic planning, and policies to promote sustainable transport are the key factors affecting renewable fuel deployment and thus sustainable transport in Sweden.
Eighteen county administrations and municipal authorities from Västmanland, Södermanland and Uppsala counties are involved in the project, backed by several regional and national bodies.
Participating organisations receive support to switch to procurement of fossil-free vehicles and fuel, optimising their transport use and changing the transport-related behaviour of their staff through activities such as one-to-one counselling, competence development and networking meetings.
Public-sector leadership
Petrol and diesel are still the main fuels used in Sweden and transport is thus one of the sectors in which the country faces the biggest challenges in reaching national and international climate goals. To achieve an environmentally friendly vehicle fleet by 2030, public authorities must take the lead in converting to sustainable transport themselves and help accelerate the shift in the private sector.
Prior to the launch of this project in East-Central Sweden, the three county administrations had already undertaken extensive work to encourage municipalities to streamline their transport use and develop plans for fossil-fuel-free transport. Under the current project, participating institutions have drawn up strategies for making the shift, including promoting public transport, cycling and walking, discouraging car use among employees, or using digital tools for meetings.
Assistance offered via the project on promoting fossil-free fuel encompasses courses covering topics such as vehicles and fuels to prioritise, how to refuel correctly and the benefits of doing so, and public procurement requirements. A guide on public procurement, a film about sustainable transport and help with accessing funding for the purchase of electric charging stations and vehicles are also available.
Activities on energy-efficient transport cover setting up centralised vehicle management systems, digital driving records and carpooling, coordinated distribution of goods and route optimisation. Information material has been published and workshops organised on these themes.
Work on encouraging employees to travel more sustainably includes guidance on making the right choices and incentives to do so, and formulation of organisational travel policies. Good examples of multimodal journey options are highlighted and institutions have the chance to try out electric bicycle fleets.
Economic competitiveness
Investing in alternatives to fossil-fuel-free transport will bring the sector into line with circular economy and sustainable development principles, and foster growth in the clean transport industry in East-Central Sweden, thereby bolstering regional economic competitiveness. Project results will be disseminated by BioDriv Öst, a regional collaboration platform and knowledge resource created by industry and the public sector to support the transition to fossil-free transport.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Fossil-free and Effective Transport in East-Central Sweden” is EUR 903 121 (SEK 9 697 640), with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 459 000 (SEK 4 848 820) through the “East-Central Sweden” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Low-carbon economy.