Lund cooperation to change energy systems and travel habits
During two days in January 2024, about fifty representatives from about 25 different organizations in the CoAction Lund project met to discuss how they can implement a large-scale change process to make Lund climate neutral by 2030. Lund Municipality lead the project and actors in the innovation trail around Brunnshög, Ideon and Medicon Village participate, but also Tetra Pak and Alfa Laval from other parts of Lund. In addition to the municipality, academia and government agencies, the actors are from, among others, the energy, IT, industrial and real estate sectors.
The initiative focuses on transport, as these account for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions in Lund, and on energy, as a robust energy system is an absolute necessity for achieving climate neutrality. The idea is that measures may be required for which no one is currently responsible or which one may not have its own mandate to implement. It is hoped that the climate impact will be greater when measures are implemented simultaneously and in a similar way. For all this to work, collaboration and thinking together are of course central. How to do that in CoAction Lund?
- In the project, the municipality and other activities work with the goal of climate neutrality, an issue that those involved see as urgent and that they see a benefit from, which is a good basis, says Markus Paulsson, project manager, Lund Municipality. After that, it is both about making the group dynamics work and knowing each other's challenges. We meet, discuss issues and solutions and help each other create a plan for how we should do it.
Several pilot areas are involved, such as Brunnshög, Ideon and Medicon Village, but also Alfa Laval and Tetra Pak will be test sites for new ways of working with mobility and energy, and Lund will then share its experiences with more European cities. During the days at Råbylund Farm, the actors highlighted their ideas and opportunities — and then the groups together shape what can be implemented and what additional actors are needed to achieve the goals. There is no doubt that the commitment and knowledge of the group are great. There are many ideas to be merged into a common whole and at the same time many want to start as soon as possible.
In the field of energy, major efforts are needed to meet climate targets and avoid power shortages, also to meet a growing need for cooling. At the same time, there is a shift in the energy system through the possibility of new distribution and storage solutions and through, for example, much more efficient solar cells. CoAction Lund plans to work on this by developing a more “internetised” energy system, creating a more efficient and flexible grid utilisation. The system will increase the share of locally produced and stored renewable energy through, for example, solar cells and batteries.
- In this area, the project has a technological edge created partly by the new possibility of sharing energy, and partly by the fact that the project contains two unique new innovations/inventions - the Energy Protocol and Controllable sharing of energy, which Jonas Birgersson is behind, says Markus Paulsson. In the new energy landscape, there will be more and more producers and more cooperation will be required to increase flexibility and controllability.
The second part of the project deals with mobility and transport, and a large proportion of those working in the innovation sector in Lund currently take a car to work. CoAction Lund brings together measures to reduce carbon emissions - what does it take for more people to choose, for example, a tram or a bicycle to work? It could be mobility services, promotions and benefit pots for employees, but also making it easier for electric cars and e-bikes by offering more accessible charging points. If fewer people take the car to work, this can also free up space for safer bike parking, charging stations and pleasant green spaces. Another working group will look at how we can jointly set requirements for carbon-free delivery of goods. Several working groups have been formed around cycling, parking, public transport, mobility services, green itinerary and freight transport.
- There is enormous potential if we all carry out a similar effort and in the same period of time. In addition, many of the measures now proposed can directly benefit businesses, such as the development of a common parking strategy where we co-use parking space,” says Charlotte Hauksson, CoAction.
CoAction Lund is a Vinnova system demonstrator for climate-neutral cities. During the spring, the groups will develop work packages specifying what the participants will do together. No later than May 1, applications are submitted for step three of the project, which will then last for three years with the project starting in June.
Lund Municipality's project recently approved CoPilot, Lund is one of the EU's 79 pilot cities to serve as an innovation hub to test solutions for the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels. Through CoPilot, Lund will share the experiences made in CoAction Lund.
Project Manager: Markus Paulsson: markus.paulsson@lund.se
Partnerschappen: Axis Communications, Academic House, Alfa Laval, Blekingska ationen, Camurus, Coride Sweden AB, EC2B, Energy Opticon, ESS, Future by Lund, Ideon Science Park, Innovation Skåne, Kraftringen, LKF, LKP, Lund Municipality, Lund University, Medicon Village, Modity Energy, Trading, Red Glead, Rise, Skånetrafiken, Tetra Pak, Trafikverket, Trivector, viaEuropa, Wihlborgs.