Oslo Fossil Free by 2050

The “Climate and energy strategy for Oslo” describes how the city can cut its fossil fuel emissions in half by 2030 and become fossil-free in 2050.

Ramboll has helped the Municipality of Oslo to develop the strategy, which will act as a road map for how the city will accomplish its green change.

A paradigm shift

When developing the strategy, the Municipality of Oslo involved 40 companies from the corporate world, the state, and the municipality. Extensive discussions between these parties focused on the direction of the development and the next steps towards 2030 and 2050 for the transport, buildings, resource utilization, and energy production and distribution sectors.

The climate and energy strategy concerns energy resources, energy production and distribution as well as energy consumption in all sectors.

“The transition from fossil free energy and transport systems is a paradigm shift that will require big investments and powerful initiatives that will affect all parts of society and the city development, says Linn Helland Head of Ramboll’s Energy department in Oslo, who is currently working on the implementation plan.

Ramboll has acted as a field expert, sector manager and has led workshops, whilst also being involved in developing the report.

The transportation challenge

Projections show that emissions in the city will increase unless new initiatives are implemented that not only reduce emissions but also contribute to a change of attitude.

The biggest challenge is transportation, which accounts for 63% of Oslo’s emissions and the goal is therefore to significantly increase uptake of public transport, cycling and walking and to focus city development around transport hubs. From 2020, all public buses and all new taxis will be fossil-free. And from 2025, all new cars sold in Oslo will be fossil free or chargeable hybrid cars.

A new energy system

The strategy proposes the establishment of an overall energy plan (heating and cooling plan) for Oslo by 2020.

“A new energy system will make it possible for Oslo to reach the goal of being a fossil free city by the year 2050, maintain energy security, and efficiently use our available energy resources,” says Linn Helland, who emphasises that both regulatory and organisational changes are necessary to reach this goal.
“This concerns both the local and national level. Municipalities must be given a mandate to select energy solutions. Implementation of intelligent technological systems that interact with each other is also necessary.”
After the strategy was delivered, Ramboll performed cost/benefit analysis for 10 prioritised measures. Rambøll is currently assisting in the development of an implementation plan for 2015-2020 and how to measure obtained cuts in CO2.

Ramboll is assisting the municipality in applying for EU financing, and following the election of a new city council that is seeking to pursue even more ambitious targets, the implementation plan is being updated with a view to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2020 and 95% by 2030.

Copenhagen carbon neutral by 2025

Climate- and energy strategy for Oslo