When a progressive political alliance took power over Oslo’s city council in October 2015, they had made one of their first priorities a greener and more liveable environment in the city. With an almost 30% increase in population expected by 2040, the Norwegian capital was worried about its carbon footprint.
It wasted no time, selling off its coal investments, creating a renewable district heating system and firmly committing to slashing greenhouse gas emissions (to 95% of 1990 levels) by 2030.
The biggest bugbear, however, was transport, which accounts for 61% of the city’s CO2emissions – a full 39% of it coming from private cars.
Yet the council presided over a city that already boasted the world’s highest proportion of electric vehicles, and ran a third of its bus fleet on fossil fuel alternatives. What more could be done?
Simple: ban cars. If pulled off, the plan would see Oslo become the first major European city to have a permanent, complete no-car-zone, racing ahead of a long list of cities seeking to do the same.
