– It is words and not songs that the climate policy council delivers. They believe that the action plan is flawed in several parts and does not meet the requirements of the Climate Act. It is serious criticism, says Per Holm, responsible for climate policy at Energiföretagen.
Among other things, the climate policy council writes that the action plan lacks concreteness, that it is insufficient to reach climate goals and commitments until 2030, and that acceptance and cost-effectiveness are absent from the plan.
– Unfortunately, lack of acceptance is used as an argument to lower the level of ambition in climate policy. It doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, just as the council is proposing, targeted distribution policy reforms should be introduced to compensate individuals/groups who suffer disproportionately, says Per Holm.
The council makes a number of recommendations, including:
- Decide on a package of measures to reduce the emissions of the transport sector and work machines during the current term
- Combine tightened climate control measures with targeted distribution policies to distribute the transition’s profits and costs in a balanced way.
- Develop a clear Swedish position for a scientifically based and ambitious climate goal for EU 2040 in good time before the new European Commission takes office.
- Contribute to the development of the EU’s two emissions trading systems so that actors who take the lead in the climate transition benefit and that climate neutrality is achieved throughout the EU.
- Include the climate perspective in the ongoing review of the fiscal policy framework, including the state financial effects of different path choices in the climate transition.
- Build a more robust policy by linking investments in strengthened total defense and increased self-sufficiency with climate change and climate adaptation.
- Make energy and resource efficiency a key part of Sweden’s climate change policy and make clear how Sweden must contribute to reaching the EU’s energy efficiency goals.
- Develop a broader and less vulnerable electrification strategy, which, among other things, resolves the issue of compensation to municipalities for wind power installations and creates good conditions for investments in offshore wind power, solar power, electricity grids, energy storage and flexible and efficient energy use.
- Broaden cooperation in the design and implementation of climate policy to contribute to acceptance and commitment.
Read the Climate Policy Council’s report here.
Read Energy companies’ comment on the Climate Policy Action Plan.