Transport renewable energy conference in Iceland

Driving sustainability is the name of a cutting edge international sustainable development conference focusing on transport issues to take place on the 14 and 15 September in Reykjavik, Iceland.

On 14 and 15 September this year, prominent experts, policy makers and visionaries from around the world are set to assemble and discuss subjects including electric mobility, the future of biofuels and energy efficiency in land and sea transport, along with the latest trends in urban planning, energy infrastructure and policy.

In a time when fossil fuel supply and climate change are constant buzzwords, low emissions transport incorporating renewable energy is a quickly developing field of study. But as a young industry, conferences like the Driving Sustainability Conference are extremely important drivers of innovation.

The sustainable development in transport conference is immediately followed by the World Energy Council Executive Assembly, also at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel from 16-19 September.

Iceland is an ideal location for sustainable energy conferences due to the fact that 80 percent of its energy needs are already provided by renewable energy. The remaining 20 percent is largely fossil fuels used in transport.

The dilemma Iceland finds itself in is having abundant hydro and geothermal energy reserves but no practical way to break its addiction to oil for transport. But progress is being made.

The world’s first hydrogen filling station was in Iceland and was used to power experimental buses. The country also has buses and rubbish trucks powered by landfill methane, some hydrogen powered rental cars and free kerbside parking and charging for electric cars, among other things.

The 2009 Driving Sustainability Conference is the leading conference for sustainable energy and future focused solutions for transport around the world and the line up of participants bears out this fact.

Industry chiefs from the likes of Toyota and Mitsubishi will take to the podium along with university professors, a US government energy department spokesperson and Iceland’s President and Minister for Industry, as well as many others.

More details on this exciting sustainable energy in transport conference can be found on www.drivingsustainability.org