Jelgava Hosts Discussion on Sustainable Mobility in Latvia

On March 5, Jelgava hosted a meeting of the Zemgale Planning Region’s Joint Climate, Energy and Environment Coordination Group, where representatives from regional municipalities, institutions, and experts came together to explore sustainable solutions to climate change. The discussions focused on the most effective adaptation strategies and the necessary transformations across various sectors.

Armands Gūtmanis, Chairman of the Board of the Association, highlighted the organization's role in the decarbonization of freight and municipal transport. He emphasized the lack of national support mechanisms for zero-emission vehicles in Latvia, which hampers the competitiveness of companies. The Association is actively developing policy recommendations and support programs aimed at attracting EU funding, promoting freight transport electrification, and advancing hydrogen-based solutions. As an initial step, recommendations are being drafted for the introduction of zero-emission vehicles, accompanied by a survey to identify essential support mechanisms.

Dr. Justs Dimants, a leading researcher at the Latvian Sustainability Cluster with a PhD in Economics, facilitated a workshop on transport decarbonization, sparking a discussion on the key challenges and opportunities in the field. Topics included financing, tax policy, infrastructure development, and public-private cooperation. The session concluded with a set of proposals for advancing sustainable mobility in Latvia