Sweden has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2045 under a law passed in parliament in early June.
Lawmakers voted 254 to 41 in favour of the proposal, which was developed by a committee involving seven out of eight parliamentary parties. Only the far right Swedish Democrats did not engage in the consultation. The legislation, which takes effect from 1 January 2018, takes a similar form to the UK’s 2008 Climate Change Act. It establishes an independent Climate Policy Council and four-yearly cycle for updating the national climate action plan.
“For Sweden to be able to continue to take the lead in the transition to a climate-smart society we need a long-term and stable climate policy,” said Green Party climate spokeswoman Stina Bergstrom. “We’ve finally got that now.”
The Nordic country becomes the first to significantly upgrade its ambition in light of the international climate deal adopted in Paris in 2015. It was previously targeting carbon neutrality by 2050.Coming two weeks after US president Donald Trump announced his intention to pull out of the Paris Agreement, the act underlines a growing transatlantic rift when it comes to climate change.
Sweden’s deputy prime minister Isabella Lovin caused a stir in February when she publicised the bill with an all-female photo. The image was widely interpreted as a dig at Trump, parodying the all-male team at his side when he signed an executive order to slash funding for abortion services worldwide. She later insisted it was a coincidence, but sources present at the time of the photo confirmed to Climate Home that it was not.
Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate and energy at WWF, welcomed the outcome. “Today is an important victory, not only for Sweden, but for everyone who cares about the future of our environment,” he said.
“With Donald Trump planning to pull out of the Paris Agreement, now more than ever do we need the rest of the world to up its game in combating climate change. The only way to achieve our climate goals is to embrace the opportunities presented to us by renewables and the technologies that support their deployment.”
Sweden already gets the bulk of its power from hydro dams and nuclear, so its climate policy is focused on greening transport with biofuels and electricity. This autumn’s budget is expected to confirm a sectoral target to cut transport emissions 70% from 2010 levels by 2030.
[This article originally appeared on climatechangenews.com]
It’s official: India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2021-22. Previously, the country has adopted a cautionary approach towards climate security. While it may not significantly shift its positions, global realities may trigger more openness, with an eye on multilateralism, rule of law and fairness.
75 years ago, the UN was born. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the UN looks back at several important achievements, but much work on persisting challenges still lies ahead. Increased UN engagement in three areas can make the region more resilient to future challenges.
Conflicts connected to water-security are often related to climate change issues. However, the link between water-scarcity-related risks and security challenges is not as straightforward, direct and immediate as often perceived. The online workshop ‘Mobilising decision-makers on water scarcity-induced conflict risks: The Water, Peace and Security Partnership’, organised by the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and adelphi, looked into this complex relationship.
Insecurity is plaguing north-western Nigeria, due to persistent herder-farmer tensions, rising crime and infiltration by Islamist militants. Federal and state authorities should focus on resolving conflict between agrarian and pastoralist communities, through dialogue and resource-sharing agreements, while also stepping up law enforcement.