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]
Right-wing populist parties are already part of the governments of seven EU member states and are expected to make up a quarter of MEPs after the European elections in May 2019. In this episode host Martin Wall talks to the authors of an explorative study on the the voices and the weight of right-wing populist parties in the formulation of European climate policy.
The SDG 17 calls for getting the foundations right for substantial progress on the 2030 Agenda. It includes key conditions for successful sustainability action that are relevant across all actor groups, and most of them depend on international cooperation.
Intelligence analysts have agreed since the late 80s that climate change poses serious security risks. A series of authoritative governmental and non-governmental analyses over more than three decades lays a strong foundation for concern over climate change implications for national security.
Originally planned as a demonstration against fuel tax hikes, the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) revolts have sparked national and global debates. Some view the demonstrations as part of a rising anti-climate movement, while others draw parallels between the protests and demands for more climate action.