Norwegian mobility, between sustainability and long-distance challenges
Written by Maëlys RAPENNE
Norway and Scandinavia are often viewed as models concerning the environment and sustainability actions. Oslo, Norway’s capital, was awarded the European Green Capital Award 2019. Since 2010, this title has been given by the European Commission to cities based on recent progress, current status, and future plans. Applicants are ranked over 12 indicators, covering topics such as biodiversity, citizen health, and public transport. Oslo ranked first in 8 indicators, including energy performance, nature and biodiversity, and public transport.
What was Oslo’s action plan to become a greener city?
With 680,000 inhabitants in 2021, Oslo’s municipality population has experienced a 30% increase since 2000, placing a huge pressure on the environment and air quality. Another 30% increase is expected by 2040. In fact, the Norwegian capital has one of the fastest-growing populations in Europe. As a result, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is at the centre of the city’s preoccupations. To address this, the city council, formed by the AP, SV and MDG parties - labour, socialists and green - set an ambitious objective in 2015 : halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Since transportation accounted for 60% of emission, with 40% from private cars, a new plan was essential, focusing on reducing private car usage and improving public transport.
Reducing traffic and urban Policies in Oslo
To achieve the ambitious emissions goal, Oslo aimed to reduce car traffic by 20% by 2019 and 33% by 2020, compared to 2015. In 2016, the city of Oslo launched the “Car-free Livability Programme”. According to a study by the European Commission, between 2016 and 2023, the city experienced remarkable adjustments. 800 car parks have been removed, several streets have been closed to car circulation, the pedestrian network has been extended and new bike lanes have been created. Areas have been renovated and turned fully pedestrian, like Grønland and Tøyen Torg. [Image1]. The results of this Car-free program cannot be analysed alone. Other measures have been implemented outside this plan, like the toll rings. Oslo’s tolls are divided into three concentric rings where fees vary based on time and vehicle type. It is more expensive during rush hours. It is free for hydrogen, more expensive for diesel, and less expensive for electric vehicles. Together, these measures led to a decrease of 11% in car traffic between 2016 and 2018 within the city centre, and of 19% between 2018 and 2019. As a result, the occupancy rate of vehicles increased. People tend to carpool instead of paying these expensive fees.
What are the next objectives?
In 2022, according to the Mobility and Transport Survey, the modal split in Oslo was as follows: public transport - 31%, walking - 32%, bike - 6%, car - 29%, and other - 2%. This shows that active and sustainable modes of transport are widely used. To go even further, the city plans to reduce the share of cars to 10%, and aim for a fully emission free public transport system by 2028. If we’re focusing here on Oslo, it is not the only Norwegian city with similar objectives and measures. Bergen, the second Norwegian city, set a clear objective of becoming a fuel-free city by 2030. In Stavanger, the third city, all the public transport is free for residents, to increase the modal share of active and public transport to 70%
Long-distance travel challenges
However, if green transitions are launched and established within the cities, issues and challenges are still to be faced for long-distance travel between the different regions. In the study “Nordic transport challenges and climate policy priorities: Expert perceptions of decarbonization in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden” by Benjamin K. Sovacool, Lance Noel, Johannes Kester, and Gerardo Zarazua de Rubens, was ranked second “long distance travels and state of public transport infrastructure challenges”. Norway is geographically long, stretching 1750 km from south to north, with a sparse population of 5.5 million inhabitants heavily reliant on the plane. There are more than 50 airports, making even the northernmost cities easily accessible. Moreover, two of the top 10 lines in Europe are operated within Norway: Oslo-Bergen (4) and Oslo-Trondheim (6). Why is taking the plane such a customary practice in Norway? The major cities are far from each other – 300 km between Oslo and Bergen, 400 between Oslo and Trondheim, as the crow flies. However, the major issue comes from the topography of the country. Norway is one of Europe’s most mountainous countries, with less than 10% of the territory arable and more than 50% covered by the Scandinavian mountains. As a result, building out trains and rail is very costly, and it is not high-speed trains. As an example, it takes 7 hours by train to join Oslo to Bergen or Oslo to Trondheim, and only 55 minutes by plane.
How do Norwegians feel about using the plane that much?
In Sweden, a phenomenon called Flygskam – flight’s shame – is more and more popular, as domestic flights fell by 9% in 2020. This disenchantment with planes has even given rise to another phenomenon, the train bragging. However, this flight shame is not coming to Norway. Planes are seen as the only option, especially in the northernmost areas. Compared to planes, trains are costly and time-consuming, and sometimes just do not exist. A Northern railway line between Bodø and Tromsø to serve many small northern communities has been discussed for decades, but it is still and will probably remain an idea, as it is considered way too expensive, due to the fjords’ density. As a result, there is no train connection from Oslo to Tromsø, the seventh city in Norway. Flying is the only option.
Why is it the only option?
However, if green transitions are launched and established within the cities, issues and challenges are still to be faced for long-distance travel between the different regions. In the study “Nordic transport challenges and climate policy priorities: Expert perceptions of decarbonization in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden” by Benjamin K. Sovacool, Lance Noel, Johannes Kester, and Gerardo Zarazua de Rubens, was ranked second “long distance travels and state of public transport infrastructure challenges”. Norway is geographically long, stretching 1750 km from south to north, with a sparse population of 5.5 million inhabitants heavily reliant on the plane. There are more than 50 airports, making even the northernmost cities easily accessible. Moreover, two of the top 10 lines in Europe are operated within Norway: Oslo-Bergen (4) and Oslo-Trondheim (6). Why is taking the plane such a customary practice in Norway? The major cities are far from each other – 300 km between Oslo and Bergen, 400 between Oslo and Trondheim, as the crow flies. However, the major issue comes from the topography of the country. Norway is one of Europe’s most mountainous countries, with less than 10% of the territory arable and more than 50% covered by the Scandinavian mountains. [Image2] As a result, building out trains and rail is very costly, and it is not high-speed trains. As an example, it takes 7 hours by train to join Oslo to Bergen or Oslo to Trondheim, and only 55 minutes by plane.
Why is it the only option?
The topographic limitations may not be the only factor. For instance, Japan faces similar geographic conditions yet has developed an efficient train system, the Shinkansen, by building an extensive amount of tunnels - 3 800 - i.e. 2 100 km. Those achievements reflect strong political will. As an example, the line Tokyo-Nagoya takes only 40 minutes to travel the 363 kilometres between these two cities, and cost £67 billion, i.e. €80 billion. Why can’t Norway do the same? The answer lies in limited public investment. Between 2018 and 2029, only €110 billion has been allocated to the transport sector, i.e. €10 billion per year. Furthermore, although the railway sector has seen its budget increase by 45%, the majority is dedicated to improving regional lines around Oslo, and not to cross-country connections. Private investments alone are unlikely to fund such developments, as they are not profitable without substantial state support. Evidence from routes like Madrid - Barcelona and Paris - Montpellier demonstrates that high speed rail development can lead to a significant shift from air to rail travel if supported by adequate infrastructure and investment.
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