Highway to Hell? : Evaluating the effect of environmental policy on emissions from the Swedish truck fleet

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to examine the emissions from the Swedish truck fleet between 2007- 2014. By descriptive analysis the emissions of NOx, PM, HC and CO are found to decrease at the truck level, the firm level and municipal level. A difference-in-difference analysis is performed to Stockholm municipality where a low emissions zone (LEZ) is located. Heavy trucks in the transportation sector are examined. Emissions are found to decrease more outside of the LEZ than within. This contrasts to other studies on LEZs and to the political goal of the zone. These results indicate that a green transition is occurring in the Swedish truck fleet. Moreover, the adjustment to the LEZ appears to mainly force the firms with dirty trucks located outside of Stockholm municipality to switch to cleaner vehicles