Chapter XXII - The Swedish Climate Policy Framework and the Climate Act

Summary

INTRODUCTION

As a general point of departure, Sweden wants to take a leading role in the global work to realise the ambitious targets in the Paris Agreement. The ambition is to be an international role model through the country's national climate work and by contributing to the financing of emissions reductions and adaptation measures in developing countries. The Government also finds it important to demonstrate that it is possible to combine a transformation to a low-carbon society with welfare and international competitiveness. Sweden has successfully implemented climate policies to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, such as carbon taxes on fossil fuel and strict energy efficiency standards in housing and incentives to increase renewable energy, while at the same time furthering economic growth.

In June 2017, the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) adopted a ‘Climate Policy Framework’ which includes very ambitious climate targets, as well as a Climate Act. The Climate Policy Framework is the most important climate reform in Swedish history, and a key component in fulfilling Sweden's obligations under the Paris Agreement.

The Climate Policy Framework was prepared by the Cross-Party Committee on Environmental Objectives, a committee consisting of representatives of a committee consisting of representatives of all political parties, and was backed by a broad political majority. The British Climate Change Act from 2008 was an inspiration.

Adopting legislation, the Climate Act, which regulates a structured process for the Government's climate change work and defines climate targets, is new in Swedish politics, as there has been a long-standing tradition of regulating climate policy in Orientational Bills (Swedish: inriktningsproposition) adopted by Parliament. The model with a Climate Policy Framework was chosen because climate policy shows many similarities with economic policy, where Sweden has introduced a Fiscal Policy Framework, similar to the Climate Policy Framework. The framework consists of three parts: (i) a Climate Act; (ii) new, ambitious, interim and long-term climate targets; and (iii) a Climate Policy Council. The purpose of the Climate Act is to ensure that the climate policy is carried out in a long-term and continuous manner that grants stability to consumers and industry. Regulating parts of the climate policy in legislation clarifies the Government's responsibility in relation to its citizens, and describing the procedure of the Government's climate work ensures that the forms for the work become known and accessible to everyone.