The Race to a Fossil Fuel-Free Transportation Sector: What the U.S. can learn from Nordic countries to accelerate its transition
Hosted by World Resources Institute and Nordic Embassies to the United States
Transportation is the top-emitting sector in the United States, affecting the health, air quality and economies in communities across the country. As the U.S. works to build back better from COVID-19, investments in electric vehicles and green transportation policies could not only help create jobs and tackle air pollution, but also accelerate the auto industry’s transition to zero-emissions. Recent announcements by Volvo Cars and General Motors that they will stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2030 and 2035, respectively, and instead focus on electric, zero-emission vehicles is a major shift for the auto industry.
Nordic countries are leading the way in clean energy transition in the transportation sector as GM recognized in their lighthearted Super Bowl ad. Over 50% of all car sales in Norway and Iceland are electric vehicles. Other Nordic countries are developing pathways to decarbonize the transport sector, including through active and public transportation, electrification, and use of sustainable renewable fuels.
World Resources Institute and Nordic Embassies to the United States plan to host a high-level conversation with U.S. and Nordic government officials, automakers and transportation leaders on how to decarbonize the transportation sector, lessons learned from Nordic countries, and how accelerating the transition to fossil fuel-free transportation can help the U.S. build back better.
Speakers include:
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Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway
- Timo Harakka, Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications
- Gudmundur Ingi Gudbrandsson, Icelandic Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources
- Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO, Volvo Group
- Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO for Mærsk-McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
- Everett Eissenstat, Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy, General Motors
- Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Manish Bapna, Executive Vice President And Managing Director, World Resources Institute (moderator)
- Others to be confirmed