"Privatbilisme er kollektivt vanvidd": En studie av miljøvennlig transportutvikling i to norske byer

Abstract

The increasing emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere from the transport sector contributes to the global environmental crisis and degrades local environments, which in the long run can threaten human existence on Earth. History shows that environmental change is intimately linked to societal development, and the global society is at present debating measures to meet and relieve the consequences of these changes, stressing the need for sustainable development. Effective measures should be implemented on a local level to meet international goals regarding global warming and other environmental issues. Norway is a strong actor on an international level in working towards sustainable development. This study regards the use of private cars in everyday life as a consumption of resources, which has environmental impacts both globally and locally, and elaborates in depth on the measures implemented at the local level in the Norwegian cities Bergen and Trondheim to meet environmental issues. The use of resources in the industrialized countries has been defines as unsustainable by the Agenda 21. As an action towards sustainable development both cities have created strategies in the transportation sector to reduce the use of private cars, and the measures are portrayed in strategy papers. These strategies are elaborated upon in depth and regarded according to environmental sustainability. The study also takes a closer look on the difficulties experienced by those working with environmental issues at the municipality level.