Nordic Energy Research

Carbon Neutral Nordics

Three Nordic flagship projects funded by Nordic Energy Research present practical, research-based solutions for a carbon-neutral Nordic region. Each project looks at a different aspect of reducing CO2 emissions.

Project highlights

How to reform taxation of road transports for promoting electrification

Shift presents a reformed taxation of road transports that resolves the target conflict between GHG reduction, traffic volume and tax revenues to fund public infrastructure and social costs of traffic. The Nordic countries are global forerunners in the development towards fossil-free vehicle fleets. In the first half of 2019, Norway, Iceland and Sweden were top three leaders with Norway reaching 58 percent of new vehicle sales being electrically chargeable, Iceland 18 percent and Sweden 11 percent. However, electrification generates a…

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One step closer to sustainable aviation fuels?

Today, a new study on pathways towards sustainable production of aviation fuel was released.  Nordic GTL – a pre-feasibility study on sustainable aviation fuel from biogas, hydrogen, and CO2. The purpose of this pre-feasibility study was to identify technological pathways and processes for producing sustainable aviation fuel based on renewable feedstocks of biogas, bio-methane, electro-methane, hydrogen and CO2 and to make a preliminary assessment of their feasibility including their economic/commercial viability. The ability to integrate methane, CO2, electricity, and hydrogen in…

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Reducing transport emissions – Shift research films

Stringent policy, equality in transport planning and new business models. Shift is steering towards its last months of research with new insights and knowledge on what measures we need to reach net zero carbon emissions from transport in 2040. Stringent policy, equality in transport planning and new business models. Shift is steering towards its last months of research with new insights and knowledge on what measures we need to reach net zero carbon emissions from transport in 2040. "The Nordic countries…

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Nordic Energy Solutions for Global Challenges – 31st October 2019 Addis Ababa

NEW! Nordic Energy Solutions to Global Challenges - Seminar Report Nordic Energy Research together with all the Nordic Embassies in Addis Ababa organized a Nordic Business seminar in Addis Ababa 31st October 2019. The seminar was a continuation of the Nordic Prime Ministers Initiative; Nordic Solutions for Global Challenges focusing on the UN Sustainability Goal of providing Clean and Affordable Energy to All. It followed numerous workshops organized in Ethiopia were Nordic companies and experts share lessons learned on having…

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Super-green car premium behind 1 out of 3 plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden

Shift researchers from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and University of Gothenburg have managed to isolate the effects of the super green car premium. Shift researchers from IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and University of Gothenburg have managed to isolate the effects of the super green car premium, introduced in Sweden in 2012, from the effects of other policy instruments in use at the same time. The study finds that the super-green car premium lies behind 1 out of 3…

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Final report: Shift project summary

This report summarises the assessments made in Shift, including main findings. Also included are the policy briefs produced within the project. This report summarises the assessments made in Shift, including main findings. Also included are the policy briefs produced within the project. To capture the opportunities and overcome potential barriers, all Nordic stakeholders need a better understanding of how transport and energy systems interact with each other and with broader economic, innovation, social and political systems. By developing and applying…

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“What about the climate in the Nordics?”

In January 2019, the Nordic Prime Ministers joint declared their commitment to make the Nordic region carbon-neutral. Are we on track? What solutions are at hand? On 23rd October 2019, the Norwegian and Finnish embassies jointly hosted a breakfast seminar organised by Nordic Energy Research and the Finnish Innovation Agency (Sitra) At the seminar two brand-new reports that may contribute to this goal by providing actionable analytical insights were presented. Bo Diczfalusy, Senior Adviser at Nordic Energy Research, presented Tracking…

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Prospects for low-carbon options for on-road freight transport

In studies funded by the Nordic Energy Research project Shift and the Swedish Transport Agency, researchers at IVL Swedish Environmental Institute and DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, have investigated low-carbon technology-based alternatives for on-road freight transport and the likelihood of these becoming reality in the Nordic region by 2030 and 2045/50, respectively. The studies have evaluated different scenario settings and which solutions might be suitable for different types of freight distribution. The alternatives for on-road freight transport include hybrid…

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The role of business models in the transition to Electric Road Systems

Electric road systems (ERS) are road transportation systems based on technologies that support electric power transfer from roads to vehicles in motion. ERS has in the recent decade emerged as a sustainable solution for the long-haul freight sector, which is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize and is projected to grow drastically in coming years. Compared with other alternative technologies, ERS reduces the need for batteries, relies on well-established electricity infrastructure, and has potential to preserve flexibility in…

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How to support the development of MaaS: Implications for public governance

Mobility as a Service (MaaS), sometimes referred to as Combined Mobility, Mobility on Demand, and Integrated Mobility, is considered to have the potential to bring about sustainability gains within passenger transportation. Billed as an alternative to private car ownership and use, with public transport as a ‘backbone’, MaaS can promote more sustainable travel behaviour through, among other things, modal shifts towards shared and active modes. In studies funded by the Nordic Energy Research project SHIFT and the Vinnova project IRIMS…

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Stronger policy measures needed to decarbonize freight transport

Policy measures have started to decrease emissions from passenger cars, but not to the same extent from freight transport. The demand for freight transport in the Nordic countries is expected to increase also in the future, particularly by road. Shift have assessed the potential to reduce CO2 and in some cases other emissions from freight transport by different means but also the effect of different polices for modal shift.   Key findings • In case of no further actions than…

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Examining the nature of technological change

While greenhouse gas emissions from non-transport sectors fell 15 percent between 1990 and 2007, transport emissions increased by 33 percent over the same period and currently accounts for around 40 percent of CO2 emissions from Nordic countries. Several measures and initiatives to decarbonise transport have been introduced in Europe and in the Nordic countries over the years. This policy brief focuses particularly on new vehicle and fuel technologies but it also deals with other transport innovations which can contribute to…

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Smart Mobilities: A Gendered Perspective

Both energy usage and emissions associated with the transport sector can be tackled better if we focus on creating infrastructure design and systems that are in sync with the gendered mobility patterns. This brief presents some potentials and limitations of upcoming ’smart’ solutions in terms of gender equality. The intention is to highlight how smart solutions can be designed to retain inclusivity at its core. Key messages • Prioritise public transport over providing for cars. • Prioritize areas for future…

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