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Sweden is now increasing the pace of work on the transition to a low-carbon society The aim is to make the country independent of fossil energy, and Sweden therefore has to make its own contribution to international efforts to reduce emissions to the levels the climate requires. |
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Swedish climate strategy contains both national instruments and instruments common to the whole of the EU. Instruments have been successively introduced and tightened since the early 1990s through decisions taken in the areas of energy, transport, environmental and tax policy. More targeted measures and instruments have been introduced in Sweden since 2002, principally in the form of increased CO2 tax, climate information initiatives and special climate investment subsidies.
Emissions need to decrease
In 2009 decisions were taken on a new, coherent climate and energy policy. The target is for Swedish greenhouse gas emissions, from activities not included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, to decrease by 40 per cent by 2020 (in comparison with 1990). This means that emissions must decrease by around 20 million tonnes, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalents. Emissions reductions need to take place principally in the transport sector, from housing, waste management, agriculture and forestry, aquaculture and other parts of industry.
Developed measures
Measures in the area of climate and energy to date have meant that a fifth of the decrease in emissions of 40 per cent by 2020 has been achieved, while four-fifths remain. These emissions have to decrease through:
- Changed taxes and tightened economic instruments. Existing instruments such as carbon dioxide tax will continue to be used in accordance with previous decisions, giving continued emission reductions.
- Implementation of EU-wide decisions, such as requirements relating to the carbon dioxide emissions of cars.
- Emission reductions through green investments in developing countries or initiatives in other countries.
Three action plans
Three action plans show the way, aiming at the following results:
- half of Sweden's energy use in 2020 will come from renewable energy sources,
- in 2030 Sweden will have a vehicle fleet that is independent of fossil energy,
- Sweden’s net greenhouse gas emissions will be zero by the middle of this century,
- energy use will be 20 per cent more efficient in 2020,
- the proportion of renewable energy in the transport sector in 2020 will be 10 per cent.
Development of the EU's joint emissions trading scheme is a factor of great significance to the future trend in emissions.
Checkpoint 2015
The effectiveness of measures and instruments, the trend in emissions and forecasts for the future are included in regular appraisals on which climate policy is based. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Energy Agency have played a key role in appraisals carried out in 2004 and 2008.