Circularity for a sustainable transition.
This edition of The Mobility Sphere, during Sweden's Almedalen week on Gotland island, focused on the role of circularity in the transition to more sustainable mobility systems — and its relevance across sectors facing similar environmental and economic challenges.
The event featured a high-level panel discussion with guest speakers:
- Jakop Dalunde – Former Member of the European Parliament
- Linda Kummel – Director, Architecture and Urban Planning, RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden
- François Gemenne – IPCC Lead Author, Scientific Advisor, The Mobility Sphere
Circularity in Transport: A Path Towards Sustainable Mobility
Applying circularity when thinking about how to get from point A to point B in a straight line may, at first, sound paradoxical. But experts at the Mobility Sphere Conference argued that unless we bring more circularity into transportation, potential for greater sustainability will remain untapped.
Europe is beginning to experience a broad economic shift, transitioning from the traditional linear economy—characterized by “take, make, dispose”—toward a more circular model that emphasizes reuse, recycling, and sustainability.
Progress is still slow, with many open questions, but policymakers, industry representatives, experts and stakeholders need to add impetus to achieve what might be called a virtuous cycle towards circularity, the Mobility Sphere’s latest conference, heard.
"We are slowly shifting from a linear economy, which characterized the 20th century, towards a more circular economy, which is certainly a key feature of the 21st century," Francois Gemenne told the audience on the island of Gotland during Almedalen, a key political and civil society event held in June.
“There is much to do with regards to circularity in the transportation industry, in transport systems. With questions like: how can we make transportation, especially public transit, more dense and more sustainable?” said Gemenne, Lead Author at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and The Mobility Sphere’s scientific advisor.
Not every sustainable approach is circular, but circularity is always sustainable, and both concepts often overlap. They serve the objectives of efficiency and social cohesion, which are at the heart of a successful transition in mobility.
The greening of transportation is important because it accounts for over 30 percent of emissions in Europe, noted Antoine Grange, Transdev’s CEO for Europe.
“We are on the right trajectory with electric buses, but challenges remain—particularly regarding batteries’ lifecycle, recyclability, and sourcing.”
Grange, and others, underlined the importance of designing transport systems with sustainability in mind from the outset. “We need to think of the entire life cycle of the bus, from manufacturing to end-of-life, and plan for second-life uses for batteries—like energy storage—and eventual recycling,” he said.
Other industry insiders noted that the cost of building an electric bus is typically higher than that of a diesel bus. But if it is properly maintained the cost for an electric bus will be lower by the end of its lifetime, turning circularity into a financial win as well as an environmental one.
“In an electrical fleet, you have much higher capital costs in the beginning, but the costs for fuel are much lower,” explained Magnus Wikstrom, CEO of Transdev Sweden, in an interview with The Mobility Times.
“To get cost-effective transportation you need to use the full potential lifespan of the bus,” he said. This may require new types of agreements between transportation companies like Transdev and public transport operators “to have a greater focus on maintenance to give the buses a longer lifespan”.
Such contractual agreements should also include “circularity and asset management that considers what happens after the vehicle’s operational life”, Wikstrom urged.
Linda Kummel, Head of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Research Institutes of Sweden, underlined the need for a holistic approach.
“Starting with rethinking existing resources is crucial,” she explained. “Urban planning should prioritize optimizing what we already have before building new infrastructure or acquiring new vehicles.”
She pointed out that the physical design of transport infrastructure influences sustainable practices. “If we plan for flexibility and modularity, we make it easier to switch modes, replace components, and extend the life of assets.”
Jakop Dalunde, soon to be the Regional Commissioner for Transport in Stockholm, highlighted the role of policy in fostering sustainable, circular systems.
“Sweden is strongly advancing electrification, especially in buses,” he said, “but we face challenges related to battery sourcing, recyclability, and the environmental footprint of mining.”
Dalunde, a transportation expert with years’ experience as a Member of the European Parliament, stressed Europe’s need for a robust, self-sufficient battery industry.
“Europe must develop its own production capacity and recycling infrastructure,” he argued.
He also called for a balanced approach that considers responsible mining and materials recycling. “We should consider European mining for critical minerals under strict environmental standards, but also focus on improving recycling and extending battery life,” he said.
Batteries are, indeed, at the heart of the debate on how to balance electrification of transportation and circularity concepts, conference experts agreed.
Transdev’s Antoine Grange said the industry is already working on second-life batteries: “We buy many electric buses annually and plan for second-life applications where batteries are used for energy storage.”
He acknowledged the business challenges, especially regarding the costs and logistics of recycling and repurposing batteries, but emphasized that “the volume of private cars dominates the demand for batteries, and public transport can play a role in balancing resource use.”
The conference also touched on the importance of European cooperation. “Europe needs strong legislation on batteries, recycling, and procurement standards,” Dalunde urged.
“To be truly effective, regulations must be harmonized across member states to support a competitive, circular industry.”
One of the Mobility Sphere’s key themes, from the start, has been the link between mobility and social cohesion, and the Gotland conference highlighted that mobility policy can only be successful if it addresses the needs of the most vulnerable populations.
“Public transport is essential for social inclusion,” said Dalunde. “It provides access for those who cannot afford a car and reduces congestion, making cities more liveable and equitable.”