Sustainable Public Transport in Iceland. Drivers and Barriers

• Main Author: Lisanne Melissa Berker 1998-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði; Reykjavík; Draga; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/43864

Transportation is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. One way to decrease these GHG emissions is by increasing public transportation. Therefore, Iceland’s capital area needs to expand and make public transportation more sustainable, as most of the population is in this area. This study dives into the drivers and barriers of sustainable public transportation in Iceland, specifically focusing on public transportation companies. The research methods included using the Five C framework to analyze information relevant to three major public transportation businesses, Strætó, Reykjavík Excursions, and Gray Line. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight stakeholders, such as government and city representatives, company representatives, and other organizations involved in public transportation. The results show that there is a diverse set of drivers and barriers. External drivers include political motivation, which drives the sector forward, while internal drivers, such as personal beliefs and motivation, influence companies' sustainability. However, many barriers remain to overcome, especially regarding funding and financial support to upgrade bus fleets and provide renewable energy and zero-emission fuel infrastructure. Furthermore, while there have been some new developments with the so-called Borgarlínan project, there are still technical and economic barriers to consider. All this indicates that the capital area of Iceland has a long way to go to achieve sustainable public transportation. The study gives an overview of the public transportation sector in Iceland, which was previously an understudied topic. Additionally, it highlights the importance of companies to implement sustainable solutions by emphasizing transparency in the case of sustainability and relevant sustainable development goals and key performance indicators. Samgöngur eru verulegur þáttur í losun gróðurhúsalofttegunda (GHG). Ein leið til að draga úr losun gróðurhúsalofttegunda frá samgöngum er ...