As a housing company, we play an important role in the transportation system. We help create the conditions that allow our tenants to get around and be part of the community—and at the same time, we work to enable choices that are good for the climate.
What has Skövdebostäder done so far?
When it comes to mobility, it involves both our own transportation and that of our tenants. In recent years, for example, we have done the following:
- We've expanded our charging stations for electric cars. We now offer private charging stations for rent in almost all of our communities.
- We’ve set up so-called bike service stations in our neighborhoods. Here, our tenants can find tools and a place to park their bikes. We’ve also put up signs in some areas indicating how long it takes to bike to various locations.
- We've started a carpool in our Jupiter neighborhood. Read more here.
- As for our own transportation, we have reduced the number of vehicles powered by fossil fuels to zero. The majority are electric, while a small portion runs on environmentally friendly HVO diesel or biogas.
What should Skövdebostäder do going forward?
We have recently developed a new sustainability strategy. It includes two major long-term goals for reducing our climate impact: to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and to achieve net-zero climate emissions by 2040. Mobility plays a major role in this. The next step is to develop a plan and interim targets for this area.
At the same time, we’re also working on mobility issues both big and small—which might involve, for example, creating better bike parking in a neighborhood. We also need to stay on top of and adapt to changes in society related to mobility.
What can I do as a tenant?
As a tenant, you can make a big difference by choosing climate-smart transportation options. Here are a few tips:
- Choose to ride a bike or take public transportation! That way, you'll get some extra exercise to boot.
- Carpool with neighbors and coworkers. For many car trips, there is one person traveling alone in a car—which can be avoided in many cases.
- Are you someone who rarely needs a car? Rent a car from a car-sharing service —for example, from our location at Jupiter instead of owning one.
- If you still need your own car, an electric car is a good option. Rent a charging station by going to My Pages.
Why is the issue of mobility important?
Our transportation choices have a major impact on the climate. The climate change situation is serious—rising temperatures lead to extreme weather and have many negative consequences for people, animals, and plants. When it comes to our tenants’ climate impact, 80 percent of it comes from transportation to and from their homes. We assess this to be the area with the greatest negative impact in terms of both scope and severity.
