Transportation is one of the main challenges for any city in the world. With only 350 000 inhabitants in Iceland, we encounter serious problem to navigate in our capital city. Most household in Reykjavík owns more than one car, traffic jams are observed during rush hours and CO2eq emission from traffics represent more than half, with 58%, of the total emission of the city.
Icelandic government launched a new Climate Action Plan in in September 2018 consisting in 34 governmental measures in order to cut net emission to meet the Paris agreement targets for 2030. In this report, it is stated that road transport accounts for 20% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) of Iceland! Governmental actions are on the way to reduce the impact of transport by putting in place a carbon tax or even ban new registration of fossil fuel cars by 2030 and create support and infrastructure in clean transportation system.
A study on Reykjavík revealed that even by taking actions for the city transportation system, Reykjavík will struggle to reach its goal of zero net emission by 2040 according to its Climate Policy. Indeed by banning the use of diesel cars in the city (the most polluting transport cars mode), by electrifying the fleet of the city and by focusing on a better urban planning in order to densifying the city : all these action will not be enough!
Innovative ideas and changes need to happen in order to be carbon neutral by 2040. That is why we must act now and that is why the city needs you!
Today the challenge of the city is: how can we face the increase of population, hence the increase of the mobility by reducing its carbon footprint and become carbon neutral by 2040?
How can we solve our mobility challenge in the city? How can we improve the life in the city?
How can we integrate easy mobility with sustainability?
How can public transport become more efficient and reduce the large use of private transport?
What are the possible approaches to reduce GHG emission from motorized individual transportation?
How can we empower local neighbourhood in order to reduce travels in the city?
What can be done with the pre-existent GHG and valorised it?
What type of project will have a positive impact on the community and the environment?
What kind of financial aspect can help reducing the GHG coming from private transportation?
How can we implement a smart thinking when it comes to transport? What can be the incentive for the inhabitants of Reykjavík?
Solutions should focus on:
-Addressing traffics jams within the city at rush hours
-Improve the urban planning of the city for a better transit from A to B
-Making climate friendly transport modes more attractive-Behavioural changes related to transport
-Having a financial approach to fund climate related innovations
-Using smart city approach
-Taking in consideration the city inhabitants’ growth
-Including the existing policies or data available in the city
-Raising awareness on the impact of transportation in Reykjavik and in Iceland
A successful solution should respond directly or indirectly to the challenge of mobility within the border of the city. It shall be rapidly implementable at the scale of Reykjavik and possibly at the national scale. The solution has to be innovative and with a low carbon footprint and should integrate a social aspect.
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