NVF’s overarching theme, Climate & Environment, serves as a matrix for all working groups for the period 2024–2028. The Climate and Environment: Carbon Reduction and Resource Efficiency webinar was held on 25 November 2025, bringing together nearly one hundred participants from the Nordic countries as well as colleagues from the Baltic region and other parts of Europe. Experts from road administrations, consulting companies, research organisations and industry followed a full-day programme highlighting both strategic and practical approaches to reducing the climate and environmental impact of the road and transport sector.
NVF Chairperson Jarmo Joutsensaari (FTIA) opened the webinar by emphasising NVF’s mission: to share and develop knowledge and best practices within the road and transport sector. This mission was clearly visible throughout the programme, with contributions from several NVF working group experts across the region.
Keynote: From data to decisions – turning carbon frameworks into action
The keynote presentation by Andreas Linnet (Ramboll Transport) provided an overview of global best and emerging next practices in carbon management. Drawing on the FIDIC Carbon Management Framework and Ramboll’s international project experience, he demonstrated how early carbon screening, shared methodologies and digital tools can enable practical, measurable emission reductions.
Case examples showed that reductions of 20–40% are commonly achievable already in the early design phase, when carbon is treated as a design parameter rather than an afterthought.
NordCLIMPACT – Joint Nordic action for climate-aware planning
Representatives from the Nordic road administrations, Bob Hamel (NPRA), Jon Jørgensen (DRD), Åsa Lindgren (STA), Karoliina Saarniaho (FTIA) and Páll Valdimar Kolka Jónsson (ICERA), presented the progress of the NordCLIMPACT project.
The four work packages address:
- integration of life cycle assessment (LCA) climate data into BIM,
- the use of greenhouse gas data in strategic planning, including LULUC emissions,
- implications of EU taxonomy for Nordic transport agencies,
- and how procurement can support emission reductions and innovation.
Practical solutions for reducing emissions through resource efficiency and a lifecycle approach
Several presentations focused on concrete examples where climate impact, resource efficiency, cost and performance can be aligned:
- Marius Slinde (NPRA) showed how small regulatory and procedural changes in tunnel construction can reduce both costs and emissions, with the largest benefits achieved through early decisions.
- Martin Frimann Mortensen (DRD) offered a clear overview of alternative fuels for heavy goods vehicles, covering current technologies, infrastructure needs and future potential.
- Lyubomira Vasileva (Ramboll) discussed how circular economy principles and biodiversity-sensitive design can support nature regeneration in bridge projects.
- Andreas Bäckström (Svevia) presented the use of circular salt in winter maintenance, with potential CO₂ reductions of up to 55%.
- Jonas Andersson (STA) demonstrated how replacing aluminium with GFRP in tunnel evacuation lighting systems can significantly reduce emissions and improve handling efficiency.
- Andri Gunnarsson (EFLA) addressed the opportunities and challenges of reusing bridge components in new projects, including cost, service life and design standards.
- Marja-Terttu Sikiö (Destia) presented an assessment of variations in CO₂e emissions over the lifecycle in pavement replacement works on high-volume roads for two different pavement methods.
Urban mobility and zero-emission construction
Broader themes in sustainable infrastructure and insights from a construction-market perspective were covered in the afternoon sessions:
- The Borgarlínan BRT project in Reykjavík, presented by Hallbjörn Reynir Hallbjörnsson (Transport for the Capital Area), highlighted how efficient public transport can support climate goals and high-quality urban mobility.
- A joint Nordic panel, Jörgen Simu (STA), Arne-Richard Stadaas (NPRA) and Ditte Dahl Mathiasen (DRD), summarised insights from the Zero Emission Construction Sites conference and advances in sustainable construction practices.
Knowledge sharing across the region
The programme reflected the broad expertise within NVF and its working groups, spanning bridges, tunnels, maintenance, road technology, freight transport, urban mobility and more. The webinar expanded the exchange of knowledge beyond the Nordic countries and highlighted shared priorities in developing climate-aware and resource-efficient road and transport infrastructure.
NVF extends its warm thanks to all speakers and participants for contributing to a successful and inspiring event.
Webinar presentations are available here:
https://nvfnorden.org/working-groups/theme-climate-and-environment/public-materials/
