The Swedish Energy Agency recently decided to give SEK 7.6 million to a SustainTrans research project that focuses on a fast transition to sustainable transport and energy systems.

There are more and more goals and roadmaps for transition to a fossil free society, but there are several questions about how it can be done sustainably, coordinated and quickly. And not least how we handle it long-term in an uncertain time with corona pandemic and other acute crises.

– It comes at a very opportune time for us in the research group that focuses on rapid conversion to sustainable transport and energy systems. Now we can follow many exciting regional change projects and accelerate them further, says Henrik Ny, from SustainTrans, who is the project leader.

In the project, Blekinge will be used as a regional case study, with the goal of disseminating knowledge about flexible fast transitions that can be used by other regions in an adapted manner.

– We will develop methods and a tool for an entire region to be able to solve short-term crises such as the corona pandemic in a way that can also lead to a fossil-independent and long-term successful transport sector, says Henrik Ny.

The project develops the methodology and decision-making tool the Roadmapper to handle these challenges – with a focus on the transport sector. All municipalities in Blekinge, the County Administrative Board, the Blekinge Region and several companies are part of the investment, which so far covers more than SEK 13 million over three years.

The project is based on 30 years of research and practice with a strategic sustainability methodology and a comprehensive roadmap for fossil-free and sustainable passenger transport by road.

– Now we are broadening our focus to a region’s entire transport system. Planners from different levels should be able to navigate around short-term disruptions without losing sight of the long-term goal. Key stakeholders from national, regional and municipal levels are therefore actively involved, says Henrik Ny.