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]
Even as the US officially pulled out of the Paris Agreement earlier this week, it might be too soon to lose hope on the country's long-term commitments to climate action. If a Democrat wins the upcoming presidential elections, which are set for November 2020, a reaccession process could begin shortly after the withdrawal is complete. In the meantime, however, the effect on trade policy could be significant.
European peatlands could turn from carbon sinks to sources as a quarter have reached levels of dryness unsurpassed in a record stretching back 2,000 years, according to a new study. This trend of “widespread” and “substantial” drying corresponds to recent climate change, both natural and human-caused, but may also be exacerbated by the peatlands being used for agriculture and fuel.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands has contributed $28 million to back FAO's work to boost the resilience of food systems in Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan - part of a new initiative to scale-up resilience-based development work in countries affected by protracted crises.
A group of five small countries have announced that they will launch negotiations on a new Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability, which, if successful, would constitute the first international trade agreement focused solely on climate change and sustainable development. The initiative also breaks new ground by aiming to simultaneously remove barriers for trade in environmental goods and services and crafting binding rules to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Small countries can pioneer the development of new trade rules that can help achieve climate goals, but making credible commitments, attracting additional participants, and ensuring transparency will be essential ingredients for long-term success.