Sweden to reduce oil use by 50 per cent on transport

Bangalore, Feb 4 (UNI) In an attempt to reduce the effect of Green House Gases, Sweden has set a target to cut the use of oil in transport sector by 50 per cent by the year 2050, Lars Nilsson, Environmental Director (Swedish Road Administration) said here today.

Speaking to newspersons on the sidelines of a seminar on 'Sustainable Mobility-Indo-Swedish Perspectives' organised jointly by Swedish Trade Council and Volvo Group, he said over 25 per cent Green House Gases (GHG) emitted into atmosphere was caused by the transport sector and 75 per cent from the road transport.

The Swedish Government had set a target of 50 per cent cut in oil consumption, the principal contributor for GHG release and it would be achieved through increase in fuel efficiency, new fuel source and transport efficiency.

Gary Kendall, senior energy business and policy analyst of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said transport sector, which rely on a single source of primary energy, represents a unique threat to the world's major environmental challenges.

Stating that Energy efficiency was the key to battle the climate change, Dr Kendall said there was also a need to accelerate the development of low-emission technologies.

''Without a century of 'lock-in' to the liquid hydrocarbon transport model and with huge growth projections in the automotive transport sector, India offers a genuine promise in driving the development of the renascent electric vehicle industry,'' he added.

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