The episode begins with a cross to New York, where Julia Casagrande from the New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice explains how an unexpected alliance is driving change. The North American Electric Construction Coalition is a collaboration between cities including New York, Montreal, Austin and San Diego, along with private partners. The coalition’s goal is to develop the electric construction equipment market, reducing harmful air and noise pollution, advancing environmental justice and improving quality of life.
We are joined by Carl Slotte, Senior Vice President for Region Europe at Volvo Construction Equipment, and Gustaf Werner, Vice President for Innovation and Development at Skanska Group, who discuss the role of collaboration and partnership in this transition. They highlight the importance of an ecosystem where municipalities, construction companies, manufacturers and electricity providers all work together. They point to successful projects in Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden, but acknowledge that the overall pace of change is still too slow.
Just days before this episode was published, the City of Stockholm announced the next step in its work to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, which accounts for over half of the city's total emissions. The city has signed a declaration of intent to set higher requirements for electrified construction machinery in the city's building projects.
Key takeaways:
- Partnership is the new leadership: The shift to electrification requires collaboration between all stakeholders – from cities and contractors to manufacturers and utility providers.
- Life-cycle cost savings: While electric machines may have a higher upfront cost, their total cost of ownership is often lower due to reduced energy and maintenance costs.
- Planning drives efficiency: The need for charging infrastructure on electric sites creates a need for better planning, which in turn leads to improved productivity and efficiency.
- Beyond the bottom line: Electrification creates a better working environment for equipment operators and reduces noise and pollution, benefiting everyone who lives and works on or near construction sites.
- Role models for change: Cities like New York are poised to become a role model for the world by demonstrating the success of electric equipment in a dense urban environment.
Guests in this episode:
- Julia Casagrande, Deputy Director of Clean Energy at the New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
- Carl Slotte, Senior Vice President for Region Europe at Volvo Construction Equipment
- Gustaf Werner, Vice President for Innovation and Development at Skanska Group
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Host:
John Ambrose