Air pollution potentially plays a role in increasing the death risk from COVID-19. Transport currently accounts for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. It becomes increasingly imperative for the industry to find climate neutral solutions. With a variety of sustainable mobility solutions readily available, this is the opportunity for the sector to set an example and act, adapt their strategy and set climate priorities accordingly. During last week’s ERTICO Academy webinar, Sweco, Ingka Group and ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, discussed their own ambitions towards sustainability mobility, concluding a green agenda is key for future business success.
Working towards sustainable mobility is an important part of ERTICO’s mission and long-term vision. ERTICO strongly pushes for a reduction of carbon footprint emissions, with involvement in EU funded projects such as ELVITEN, which demonstrates the usefulness of light electrified vehicles for urban transport and SOLUTIONSplus, which assists in the uptake of e-mobility solutions for sustainable urban transport in EU and developing countries. “Working with innovative technologies and helping transport users and providers make smarter decisions are key to achieving better air quality and tackling congestion. The development of electro-mobility and associated services such as electric vehicle charging is high on the agenda of ERTICO’s roadmap towards decreasing emissions. Together with our Partners we promote the development of an ICT network with seamless and interoperable electro-mobility services”, says Aleksandra Maj, Manager at ERTICO.
In Sweden, climate friendly solutions have been on the agenda for some time. By 2045 the country will be climate neutral, the leading Swedish technical consultancy Sweco is to be climate positive already by 2030 and by 2023 Sweco’s own vehicle fleet is to be fossil-free, in line with the government’s definition. Deployment of electric ferries, usage of biogas and other sustainable renewable fuels, and supply of company bicycles for employees are only a few examples of how sustainable mobility is a reality in Sweden. “In the transport sector, transformation towards a sustainable mobility with no emissions is based on the three B’s: Bilen, Bränslet and Beteendet – vehicles, fuel and behaviour”, says Mattias Goldmann, Chief Sustainable Officer at Sweco Sweden. Sweco is Europe’s largest technical consultancy company, focussed on environmental engineering, construction, and architecture. “Being a front-runner in sustainability is business critical. It is not a matter of choice, but rather a necessity to ensure future business profitability”, points out Goldman.
Ingka Group is addressing this issue in several ways, working with both people mobility and last mile transportation. To support customers and co-workers they are committed to provide access to EV charging stations in all their stores and workplaces. As for the last mile they are quite ambitious. “By 2025 our goal is to reach 100% of our transport for customer delivery and services to use electric vehicles or other zero-emissions solutions”, says Angela Hultberg, Head of Sustainable Mobility at Ingka Group. In a test phase, the Group rolled out their electric vehicle strategy in five very heterogeneous markets, aiming to achieve 100% electric deliveries by 2020. Today electric delivery vehicles are deployed in 19 out of their 30 markets. “An engaged transport service operator is vital to achieve our vision. In this cooperation we learned that challenging our current ways of working and entering into partnerships were of great importance to drive the process forward successfully. Once the use of the first few electric trucks had been adopted, growth was exponential”, Hultberg explains.
“Choosing the right level of mobility is an important success factor in the move towards decarbonisation. Business customers, for example, use Enterprise journey assessment tools to ensure their drivers get access to vehicles based on criteria such as trip analysis, driver location or access restrictions. These tools make it easier for people to take a more objective approach towards their choice of vehicle and also measurably reduce journey length and frequency”, says Iain Macbeth, Director of Electric Vehicle Strategy, Partnerships and Innovation, ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS. At this European based rental and mobility provider, creative tools such as journey profiling are already in place that can encourage electric vehicle usage.
The conclusions of this week’s webinar were clear. Low-emission solutions are readily available, although not yet widely accepted and still not perfect. However, it is vital to gain the advantages from starting early using the experience gained to improve solutions, and is essential for industry to avoid the risk of becoming irrelevant. Finally, all speakers agree, making climate-friendly decisions in turn means making profitable business decisions.
To find out more about ERTICO’s activities on sustainability and clean mobility, please contact Aleksandra Maj. To learn more about the ERTICO Partnership and how you can benefit from teaming up with ERTICO, please contact Cordelia Wilson.
Watch the full session below. Registrations for the next webinar on “Connected and Automated Driving Safety Assurance” are open here.
