This paper describes our insights from a collaboration project on digital and machine-readable traffic rules – what it is, why it matters and how we get there. Traffic rules are typically written in text intended for humans. We argue that traffic rules, in the future, must be understood by machines as well. In a digital world we need data on traffic rules. Road users, citizens, companies, and other actors in our society would benefit from such data. Innovative forms of transportation, not least automated vehicles, depend on such data. Relying on e.g. road signs is not sufficient for automated vehicles in order to follow all traffic rules. In the project, we investigated what is needed to reach machine-readable traffic rules in Sweden. The work was conducted as a policy lab. We found that the way forward is an amendment to the legislation that requires decision-making authorities to digitalize their traffic regulations

Regulating Vehicle Intermediation – Enabling Fair and Inclusive Vehicle Sharing

This report explores how the current Swedish legislation on professional car rental can be reformed to promote increased vehicle sharing on equal terms. By analyzing the existing regulatory framework and its limitations, the authors propose a shift from regulating car rental to regulating vehicle intermediation. The suggested model introduces the concept of a licensed vehicle intermediary who assumes legal responsibility, thereby enabling private individuals and businesses to share vehicles without holding a rental license themselves. The aim is to create a more flexible and inclusive legal structure that facilitates sustainable mobility, reduces the need for private car ownership, and ensures fair competition and regulatory compliance. The report also emphasizes the importance of continued regulation to support law enforcement and proposes a collaborative model for digital data sharing between authorities and the industry.

Syftet med förstudien är att skapa ett kunskapsunderlag för hur försöksverksamhet – med särskilt fokus på regulatoriska lösningar – kan användas som verktyg för att främja innovation och klimatomställning i stadsutvecklingen. Genom att kartlägga möjliga former av försöksverksamhet, analysera juridiska och organisatoriska förutsättningar samt identifiera relevanta aktörer och geografiska fokusområden, vill studien stödja Helsingborgs arbete med att utveckla strukturer för test, lärande och samverkan.

Målet är att ge rekommendationer för hur Helsingborg kan arbeta strategiskt med försöksverksamhet, inklusive förslag på konkreta testfall och nästa steg i utvecklingen av en modell för regulatorisk sandlåda eller motsvarande samverkansformer

I regleringsbrevet för 2023 fick Energimyndigheten i uppdrag av regeringen att utreda hur solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad till vindkraftverk i högre utsträckning ska kunna tas om hand på ett giftfritt och cirkulärt sätt i enlighet med avfallshierarkin. Redovisningen av detta regeringsuppdrag, rapporten Från avfall till resurs – Förslag för en mer cirkulär hantering av solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad, ER 2024:11, baseras på denna underlagsrapport som har tagits fram av forskningsinstitutet RISE på uppdrag av Energimyndigheten. Analyser, slutsatser och förslag/rekommendationer som framförs i rapporten är författarnas egna.En fortsatt utbyggnad av fossilfri elproduktion är av stor vikt för att vi ska kunna nå Sveriges energi- och klimatmål. För att utbyggnaden i sig ska vara hållbar är det viktigt att vi redan nu planerar för hur avfallet från dessa elproduktionsanläggningar ska förebyggas, minimeras och sedan hanteras.Det finns redan i dagsläget aktörer som har utvecklat och håller på att utveckla ett flertal olika lösningar för ökad cirkularitet. Dessa möjligheter kan tas tillvara och främjas genom regelbunden kartläggning och genom att arbeta gemensamt inom EU. Genom ett sådant arbete finns det också större möjligheter att etablera industriella värdekedjor i Sverige för hanteringen av avfallet från solcellspaneler och vindturbinblad.En cirkulär hantering av avfall ger ett betydligt mindre avtryck på miljön än det som en linjär hantering ger upphov till. Det är viktigt att de aktörer som tillhandahåller fossilfri elproduktion tar ansvar under hela livscykeln och att det finns goda förutsättningar för aktörerna att göra det.

Detta projekt har undersökt förutsättningarna för införandet av ett antal modeller för avgiftsdifferentiering i Sverige. De modeller som analyserats är parkeringsavgifter baserade på storlek, vikt, utsläpp, utbud och efterfrågan, samt miljözonsbestämmelser. 

En litteraturöversikt, enkäter till kommuner, Parksters medarbetare och användare av Parkster-applikationen samt systemanalys har legat till grund för bedömning av förutsättningar för införande av differentierade parkeringsavgifter samt vilka typer som är möjliga på kort respektive lång sikt. 

Utifrån litteraturen framgår det att avgiftsdifferentiering baserad på utbud och efterfrågan är vanligast förekommande med exempel på goda effekter i form av minskad söktrafik. Differentiering baserat på storlek, vikt, utsläpp och miljözonsbestämmelser börjar nu testas i större skala i Europa men utvärderingarna av dessa är fortfarande i sin linda. I litteraturen lyfts det fram att trots goda förutsättningar för större grad av differentiering så saknas det incitament och i viss mån kompetens för att införa sådana system. 

Kommunernas intresse för differentierade parkeringsavgifter varierar kraftigt, både mellan kommungrupper men även inom dessa. Generellt så visar storstäder och större städer störst intresse, medan landsbygdskommuner och pendlingskommuner generellt är mindre intresserade och ser få fördelar, bland annat för att de saknar parkeringsavgifter överhuvudtaget. De största hindren identifieras som brist på lagstöd och acceptans. Svårighet med acceptans lyfts även i enkätsvaren från medarbetarna på Parkster och användarna av Parkster-applikationen. 

Utifrån analys av systemdimensionerna affärsmodeller (samhällsekonomi och företagsekonomi), infrastruktur och produktionssystem, lagar och regler, kultur och värderingar samt teknik, produkter och processer görs bedömningen att differentierade parkeringsavgifter som baseras på utbud och efterfrågan samt miljözonsbestämmelser kan vara möjliga på kort sikt. 

Parkeringsavgifter baserade på fordonsvikt, fordonsstorlek eller fordons utsläpp bedöms möjliga eller lämpliga först på längre sikt efter ytterligare utredning genomförts. Anledningen är brist på lagstöd (avseende allmän platsmark), acceptans eller (som i fallet med utsläpp) att modellerna är svårmotiverade. 

Vidare forskning kan gräva vidare i hur högre acceptans kan uppnås, dels för differentierade parkeringsavgifter, dels för högre avgifter generellt på platser där kostnaden för parkering är underinternaliserad. Det behövs även mer effektstudier av pågående tester med avgiftsdifferentieringar. 

In 2021, heavy rainfall in the Swedish city of Gävle caused severe flooding, affecting many properties in the area. To date, insurance companies have paid more than one billion Swedish kronor in compensation to affected property owners. The distribution of damage was uneven, making it clear that the individual preconditions of each affected property had a substantial impact on the degree of damage suffered. This sparked a discussion about the risk of natural disasters on mortgages and insurance policies in light of climate change, and whether more consideration should be given to the individual conditions of a property rather than relying on general area-based risk maps where all properties in one area are assessed similarly. In many cases, small measures can have a substantial effect on the degree of climate-related hazards tied to natural disasters. In Sweden, the responsibility to undertake measures to decrease such risk today lies with the property owner. However, many owners lack relevant information on how to assess their property’s risks to natural disasters as well as hands-on recommendations on how to mitigate those risks. At the same time, financial institutions, insurance companies and many other actors face new European and national legislation that requires them to understand, measure, remedy and account for their risks related to this area. In the case of lenders assessing the risks to their collateral at an individual property level, the ability to get an overview is limited. At best, risks can be described on an area level only, meaning that the individual conditions of the property are being not considered. In this report, we have explored whether a standardised classification system, a so-called climate resilience certificate (CRC), that outlines the individual risk exposure of a property could offer a potential solution to this problem – and if it could be both easy to use by private homeowners and meet the needs of industry stakeholders. To test our idea, we conducted a case study by applying the system to the events that took place in Gävle in 2021. We suggest further work on the feasibility of a preferably European-wide, threestep model of a CRC taking into consideration all acute and chronic physical climaterelated hazards described in EU law. The first step of the classification is based on a databased screening tool resulting in a preliminary assessment, ranging from green to yellow to red. The second step is an in-depth assessment conducted by a certified climate expert who collects data through an on-site inspection of the property and/or an examination of documentation, resulting in a classification ranging from A to G, together with suggestions on climate adaptation measures that could be taken to decrease risk. In the third step, the data is made available to the property owner and, to a limited extent, other relevant stakeholders. A CRC could facilitate and improve climate adaptation efforts made by property owners by (i) making it clear, on an individual property level, which owners should take measures (and in certain cases get support) to decrease risk and (ii) creating an incentive to take these measures from lenders, insurance companies and investors.

The traffic regulations of tomorrow

Traffic regulations are traditionally analogue and paper-oriented. In the future, they need to be able to be interpreted by machines. How can we ensure exchange of reliable data on traffic regulations to support technological innovation such as advanced driver assist and autonomous driving technologies? In this report, we share our knowledge on digital traffic rules – what it is, why it matters and how we get there. The transport sector is becoming increasingly connected, digitalized, and automated. The development is taking place at a rapid pace and has the potential to improve the transport system in several areas (safety, efficiency, environmental impact and accessibility). To meet this development, we need to move towards a more digitalized road infrastructure. A digital representation of the road network is becoming increasingly important. One part of this is digital and machine-readable traffic rules. In a digital world we need data on traffic rules (what applies where). Road users, citizens, companies, and other actors in our society would benefit from such data (they get access to more and clearer regulations). Data on traffic rules also provides completely new opportunities, for example more dynamic traffic regulations, which can further contribute to positive effects for the transport system and for society. It is also a necessity for the implementa-tion of autonomous driving on public roads, since automated vehicles will need a reliable digital infrastructure. Drive Sweden Policy Lab (DSPL) targets specific cases in projects of the strategic innovation program Drive Sweden. The purpose is to explore how technology and service development relate to existing laws and regulations for new mobility services that are being developed, and to identify and overcome bottlenecks. DSPL was initiated in 2019 to support technology development projects within Drive Sweden’s portfolio that had encountered regulatory challenges. New cases (subprojects) have been added since. Project partners vary by case. The independent, state-owned research institute RISE is the coordinator. In this case (or subproject), we investigate the need for improved processes and possibly new regulations on how traffic rules are prepared, decided and published. We consider possible solutions and the consequences of different solutions. Many partners have participated in this work, and a large reference group with both private and public actors.

Climate resilience certificates – a standardized assessment of climate-related hazards in real estate

In 2021, heavy rainfall in the Swedish city of Gävle caused severe flooding, affecting many of the real estates in the area. As to date, insurance companies have paid more than one billion SEK in compensation to the affected property owners. The distribution of damage was uneven, making it clear that the individual preconditions of each affected property had a substantial impact on the degree of experienced damage. This sparked a discussion about the risk of natural disasters in the light of climate change on mortgages and insurances and whether more consideration should be given to the individual conditions of a property, rather than relying on general area-based risk maps where all properties in one area are assessed similarly. In many cases, small measures can have a substantial effect on the degree of climate-related hazards tied to natural disasters. In Sweden, the responsibility to undertake measures to decrease such risk today lies with the real estate owner. However, many real estate owners lack relevant information on how to assess their property’s risks to natural disasters as well as hands-on recommendations on how to mitigate that risk. At the same time financial institutions, insurance companies, and many other actors face new European and national legislation that requires them to understand, measure, remedy, and give an account for their risks tied to this area. In the case of lenders assessing the risks to their collateral at an individual property level, the ability to get an overview is limited. At best, risks can be described on an area level only, meaning that the individual conditions of the property are being not considered. In this report, we have explored whether a standardized classification system, a so-called climate resilience certificate (CRC), that outlines the individual risk exposure of a real estate, could be a potential solution to this problem – if it would be both easy to use by private homeowners and meet the needs from professional actors. To test the idea, we have performed a case study applying the system to the events in Gävle 2021. We suggest further work on the feasibility of a, preferably European-wide, three-step model of a CRC taking into consideration all acute and chronic physical climate-related hazards described in EU-law. The first step of the classification is based on a data-based screening tool resulting in preliminary assessment, ranging from green to yellow and red. The second step is an in-depth assessment conducted by a certified climate expert who collects data through an on-site inspection of the property and/or an examination of documentation, resulting in a classification ranging from A to G, together with suggestions on climate adaptation measures that could be taken to decrease risk. In the third step, the data is made available to the real estate owner and, to a limited extent, other relevant actors. A CRC could facilitate and improve climate adaptation efforts made by real estate owners by (i) making it clear, on an individual property level, which real estate owners ought to take measures (and in certain cases get support thereto) to decrease risk and (ii) creating an incentive to take these measures from lenders, insurance companies and investors.

Climate change and associated risks create high costs and must be considered in both city planning and construction. The increasing recognition of threats influences how investments are made both in future projects and in the valuations of existing assets. A feasibility study was performed on how a climate resilience certificate (CRC) can create a tool for better valuation for contractors, and property owners to increase efforts regarding climate change adaptation, easy-to-understand benchmarks for climate resilience of properties for comparability, and to reduce uncertainty if insurance coverage can be guaranteed. This study focuses on a risk classification, tested, and evaluated in a Swedish case study on a property level, with emphasis on heavy rain, as a base for a potential CRC. The study discusses the benefits and drawbacks of on-site assessments versus what is digitally available. Furthermore, this study also highlights vulnerabilities of the evaluated buildings, and where the focus should be placed concerning climate adaptive measures. 

In this report, we have compiled our learnings and experiences of working with Policy Lab. Policy Labs have come about as an answer to the question "Can you work with policy and regulatory development in a better way than today?". Our answer to the question is a yes. Our hope with the report is that others will become interested and start their own Policy Lab. Abroad, there are many Policy Labs, but in Sweden there are only a few, which is why we believe there is room for more. There is not a given way to work with Policy Labs once and for all, but each Policy Lab is unique based on its context. Sweden's innovation agency Vinnova defines Policy Labs as follows: "Policy Labs can be explained as a group of actors with different competencies who want to develop a regulatory framework. In the Policy Lab, they use a set of user-centric methods and competencies to test, experiment, and learn in policy development."1 In our Policy Lab, we have worked in various research projects to: 1. analyse challenges/problems that arise between innovations, technology, market, and regulations, 2. develop one or more workable solutions and 3. interact with relevant actors to determine the next steps. What distinguishes our Policy Lab is that we never “own” the issue or solution. We must therefore always work with other actors who can take the results further. Our goal is to enable and skill people. This means that for us it is important to work concretely with real problems and needs owners and preferably test different solutions. We focus on the here and now perspective and not on what the future will look like in 10 years. It is about taking the next step forward towards the future, not creating the best rule, but instead creating the next rule. We also work consistently agile and use design as a method for problem solving. This means that the way we organize our work in the Policy Lab is circular and not linear. When it comes to using design as a method for problem solving, we use the concepts of "design thinking" and "double diamond". For us, it is also important that the members of the Policy Lab have different backgrounds and skills depending on what is needed in the individual project....