Around 40,000 employees within Stockholm City Council are banned from taking flights from Stockholm to Gothenburg or Malmö.
Instead, train journeys are to be prioritised, writes Environment and Climate Commissioner Åsa Lindhagen (Green Party) in a debate article in Aftonbladet.
The decision comes at the same time as the government has chosen to proceed with proposals for halved air travel tax, Åsa Lindhagen notes, and the decision is intended not only to reduce emissions but also to "contribute to changing norms among people". The new travel policy will thus cover 40,000 employees, making Stockholm City Council one of Sweden's largest employers.
"In the first instance, digital meeting forms should be chosen when participants are not in the same location. In cases where travel is still necessary, trains and public transport should always be the first choice within Sweden and Europe. Furthermore, flights for business trips to Malmö and Gothenburg are prohibited. Instead, trains are to be prioritised", she writes.
Certain exceptions can be made, but then the highest manager in the administration must give their approval. Stockholm City Council will also set an internal price for flights that is 50 per cent above the actual price, it is written. The surplus funds will then be put into a pot to be used for planting trees in Stockholm.
