The Swedish Minister for Environment and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin has presented the first Climate Policy Action Plan to the Riksdag. With its 132 proposals, the government bill takes a holistic approach to how emissions will be reduced throughout Swedish society by integrating climate into all relevant policy areas. The first of its kind bill in Sweden was drafted and agreed upon by the government together with the Liberals (L) and Center party (C).
Sweden is now taking an important step by integrating the climate into all relevant policy areas. The Climate Act (2017:720) states that every fourth year, the government is required to draw up a climate policy action plan to be presented to the Riksdag the year following ordinary general elections.
Presented on December 17, 2019, Minister Lövin presented the first Climate Policy Action Plan in a bill to the Riksdag with 132 measures that the government aims to implement during this electoral period and that covers every sector of society.
The climate emergency is a serious threat to global prosperity and security if we do not end our dependence on fossil fuels and build environmentally sustainable societies. Ignoring scientists’ repeated warnings would be completely irresponsible. Sweden can lead the way and show that a fossil-free world is not only possible but can also promote our prosperity and our companies. In a unique move, Sweden is moving forward with an action plan and the fundamental approach that consideration of the climate must be incorporated into everything we do in society, said Minister for Environment and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin.
The government’s overarching proposal in the government bill is that greater efforts must be made to integrate climate policy into all relevant policy areas. All sectors of society need to contribute to achieving the target that Sweden will have net zero atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045 at the latest.
Review of all relevant legislation
The work of integrating climate policy will involve reviewing all relevant legislation to ensure that the climate policy framework has an impact. It will also involve the Government, in connection with the next review of each societal objective, reformulating the objectives where necessary to ensure they are in line with the climate objectives, and conducting climate change impact assessments for the proposals in the relevant areas.
This action plan contains 132 measures that the Swedish government intends to implement during this electoral period, both within specific sectors and overall. The action plan includes such sectors as manufacturing, transport, consumption, public procurement, agriculture, forestry, financial markets, and international climate action.
On the latter, the government announced on December 13, 2019, that as of 2022, it will cease providing export credit to projects in fossil fuel prospecting and extraction. thus the Swedish state will no longer guarantee the financing of such projects.
