Record reduction of emissions from heavy traffic

The increased use of biodiesel has greatly reduced carbon dioxide emissions from heavy traffic in Sweden. Total emissions of greenhouse gases from heavy vehicles decreased from 3.75 million tonnes of CO2 to 3.33 million tonnes of CO2 between 2015 and 2016. This is a reduction by 11 percent, accounting for almost half of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden last year.

–The Swedish fuel companies have done a great job together with the transport companies to reduce their climate impact from heavy traffic. It is above all the increased use of HVO diesel that is behind this reduction, says Tomas Ekbom, Svebio’s biofuels expert. But also the use of other biofuels is of importance, like rape seed diesel and ethanol..

Sweden is the forerunner in the EU when it comes to introducing renewable biodiesel and other renewable fuels. Biofuels account for more than 20 percent of all transport fuels in Sweden, and for diesel, the renewable share is over 25 percent. It is this high use of biofuels that affect the emission statistics and significantly reduces Swedish emissions of climate gases. Greenhouse gas emissions declined from all types of vehicles between 2015 and 2016: from cars with 3.3 percent, from buses with 7.6 percent, from light duty vehicles 7.6 percent, from MC and Mopeds with 5 percent.

– The figures show that fuel change from fossil to biofuel is a fast and effective way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from traffic. It’s an underestimated means of achieving rapid climate benefits, said Gustav Melin, CEO of Svebio.

Source: Statistics Sweden’s statistics, greenhouse gas emissions from domestic transport.

For further information contact, Tomas Ekbom +46-70-276 15 78 or Gustav Melin +46-70-524 44 00