Park your car and use the technology

Technical solutions can reduce transportation, not least work-related travel. This is what Cecilia Carlqvist from Gröna Bilister and Ewa Thorslund from IT&Telekomföretagen write in a debate article in Sydsvenskan on May 31.

Sweden's total climate impact must be reduced by at least three quarters by 2050 if climate change is not to spiral out of control. In Sweden, the transport sector is the key to achieving this, and the most important initiative is to reduce unnecessary transport. With new technology, we can meet the target and increase welfare at the same time.

In recent weeks, many people have had to rethink long-distance transportation as the ash cloud from Iceland's volcanic eruption has cancelled thousands of flights. Could this lead to a change in behavior, with more people replacing travel altogether and using video, web or phone meetings? And could this spill over to shorter trips, which take up so much time and resources?

Just over a third of Sweden's total climate impact comes from the transport sector, and here emissions are increasing while they are decreasing in other sectors. If Sweden is to meet the climate targets set by the Swedish Parliament and Government, the EU and the UN, we must radically and rapidly change travel behavior for ourselves and the goods and services we use.

The technical conditions are there. We don't always have to physically gather around a meeting table and we can work more from home. One day of teleworking a week reduces travel to work by 20%.

Many report increased efficiency when they can be more flexible about where their workplace is located. With high-speed internet access, it is possible for most people in the service sector to switch locations. Meetings are more effective when they take place remotely because everyone is more focused. Many also enjoy a better quality of life as they can cut down on business travel and spend more time with family and friends.

We propose the following measures to governments, municipalities, businesses and other employers to reduce unnecessary travel:

Introduce tax deductions for teleworking, for example for IT equipment and home office equipment. The government will recoup this by making climate targets easier to reach and by reducing travel deductions.

Municipalities should set a target to actively reduce their work-related travel by at least 20% within a three-year period.

Employers should develop a teleworking policy, encouraging employees to work from home one day a week. This pays off in increased productivity and reduced office congestion. In the longer term, such a policy will attract the new generation that requires meetings to be conducted via webcam.

Opportunities to reduce travel have long existed but have not been fully exploited.

It is time for a change of trend. Sweden has long been a pioneer, both in developing and using new digital technologies and in pragmatically solving environmental problems. We should simply be best in class at this.

CECILIA CARLQVIST

EWA THORSLUND