COVID-19 regulations, mobility and climate mitigation: Netherlands, Sweden and UK

The authors analyze transportation data from the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on the shift toward working from home. By applying the Opportunity, Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model and a concept map, the paper explores how these behavioral changes impact carbon emissions and suggests that policy-makers can leverage these shifts to support long-term climate mitigation goals aligned with the Paris Agreement.

• COVID-19 restrictions and regulations in 2020 significantly altered carbon-intensive activities, particularly transportation, which may lead to a reduction in carbon emissions.
• The authors utilize the Opportunity, Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model to analyze the capabilities and opportunities surrounding observed behavioral changes to inform climate mitigation policy.
• There is a current window for policy-makers to sustain pro-environmental behavior changes by focusing on providing opportunities, enhancing capabilities, and maintaining motivation.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). COVID-19 regulations, mobility and climate mitigation: Netherlands, Sweden and UK. https://www.sei.org/publications/covid-19-regulations-mobility-climate-mitigation-netherlands-sweden-uk/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. COVID-19 regulations, mobility and climate mitigation: Netherlands, Sweden and UK. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/covid-19-regulations-mobility-climate-mitigation-netherlands-sweden-uk/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=COVID-19 regulations, mobility and climate mitigation: Netherlands, Sweden and UK |date=22 March 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/covid-19-regulations-mobility-climate-mitigation-netherlands-sweden-uk/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022covid19, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{COVID-19 regulations, mobility and climate mitigation: Netherlands, Sweden and UK}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/covid-19-regulations-mobility-climate-mitigation-netherlands-sweden-uk/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }