A new climate policy action plan

The election manifesto explains that Sweden is in a climate emergency and that the transition needs to happen immediately, with stepped-up climate targets as the starting point. The party programme requires an emissions budget that ties together climate targets with concrete, numbered proposals. The counter-proposal's demand that a new action plan be promptly drawn up to ensure that climate targets are met is therefore what the plan itself is calling for.

• emissions budget for climate targetsdecisive»Vi vill att regeringen arbetar med en utsläppsbudget som knyter ihop« (party programme ↗)“We want the government to work with an emissions budget that ties together”
• immediate transition»Omställningen behöver ske omgående och alla politiska beslut behöver ta hänsyn till den akuta kris som vi befinner oss i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The transition needs to happen immediately and all political decisions need to take account of the acute crisis we are in.”
• climate emergency»Vi befinner oss i ett klimatnödläge.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are in a climate emergency.”
• stepped-up climate targets and governance»Investeringar i grön teknik, industri och infrastruktur, utbyggd energikapacitet och stärkt styrning utifrån nya, skärpta klimatmål behövs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Investments in green technology, industry and infrastructure, expanded energy capacity and strengthened governance on the basis of new, stepped-up climate targets are needed.”

The election manifesto binds the party to the climate policy framework remaining firm and to net zero by 2045, and states that the rate of emissions reduction must increase. The counter-proposal's requirement for a new action plan ensuring that climate targets and European commitments are met is the same thing in substance. The plan also commits to pressing for the realisation of the Paris Agreement's ambitions.

• firm climate policy frameworkdecisive»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall remain firm.”
• increased rate of emissions reduction»Redan nu minskar utsläppen i vårt land, men takten måste öka.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Already now emissions in our country are decreasing, but the rate must increase.”
• net zero 2045»År 2045 ska Sverige inte ha några nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser till atmosfären, för att därefter uppnå negativa utsläpp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By 2045, Sweden shall have no net emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and thereafter achieve negative emissions.”
• driving force for the Paris Agreement»Sverige ska vara en stark kraft i FN och EU för att världens länder ska öka sina åtaganden för att göra verklighet av Parisavtalets ambitioner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong force in the UN and EU for the world's countries to increase their commitments to realise the Paris Agreement's ambitions.”

The election manifesto requires a Swedish emissions budget that ensures climate targets are actually met, investments of at least 100 billion per year and a transition law for industry, and the party programme requires a climate policy framework with binding caps. The counter-proposal's requirement for a swift new action plan because the reported measures do not suffice to reach the targets is precisely the test the plan establishes.

• emissions budget that reaches the targetsdecisive»ta fram en svensk utsläppsbudget som gör att vi når klimatmålen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop a Swedish emissions budget that ensures we reach climate targets”
• fossil-free Sweden 2030»investera minst 100 miljarder per år i att ställa om så att Sverige blir ett fossilfritt välfärdsland senast år 2030« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest at least 100 billion per year in transitioning so that Sweden becomes a fossil-free welfare state by 2030 at the latest”
• binding climate caps»ramverk med bindande tak för vår klimatpåverkan« (party programme ↗)“framework with binding caps for our climate impact”
• transition law for industry»införa en omställningslag så att all industri fasar ut kol, olja och fossilgas till senast 2030« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a transition law so that all industry phases out coal, oil and fossil gas by 2030 at the latest”

The election manifesto puts climate first and requires decisive climate leadership that prioritizes effective action over passivity, with the starting point that every day without action is a lost day. The party programme states that climate policy shall be based on what science shows is necessary. An action plan whose measures do not suffice to reach the established climate goals conflicts with this, which is why the requirement for a new and expedited plan is supported.

• climate firstdecisive»Centerpartiet sätter klimatet först, för att framtiden måste vara grön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Centre Party puts climate first, because the future must be green.”
• science-based climate goals»Klimatpolitiken ska utgå från vad vetenskapen visar är nödvändigt för att undvika farliga förändringar.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy shall be based on what science shows is necessary to avoid dangerous changes.”
• effective action over passivity»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A leadership that prioritizes effective action over symbolic politics or passivity.”
• decisive climate leadership»Sverige behöver ett handlingskraftigt klimatledarskap som gör skillnad på riktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs decisive climate leadership that makes a real difference.”

The plan binds the party to that climate goals shall actually be reached, with net-zero by latest 2045 and negative emissions thereafter, and that climate policy shall be measured in how much it in reality gets down emissions. A demand for a new action plan that ensures that the goals and the European commitments are reached thus lies in line with the plan. The plan does not take position on the preparation form.

• reach climate goals 2045decisive»Vi ska nå klimatmålen – inga nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser senast 2045 och därefter negativa utsläpp – inom ramen för en växande ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall reach climate goals – no net emissions of greenhouse gases by latest 2045 and thereafter negative emissions – within the framework of a growing economy.”
• results in reduced emissions»Och nu behövs en klimatpolitik som inte mäts i hur många skatter som höjs eller hur mycket den kostar skattebetalarna utan i hur mycket den på riktigt får ner utsläppen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“And now climate policy is needed that is not measured in how many taxes are raised or how much it costs taxpayers but in how much it in reality gets down emissions.”
• European climate policy instruments»Det behövs en europeisk koldioxidskatt och klimattullar för att höja kostnaden för utsläpp, samtidigt som det europeiska klimatbiståndet ökar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There is a need for a European carbon tax and climate tariffs to raise the cost of emissions, at the same time as European climate assistance increases.”
• climate as greatest environmental threat»Klimatförändringarna är vår generations största miljöhot.« (party programme ↗)“Climate change is our generation's greatest environmental threat.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto wants Sweden to continue being a leader in climate transition but explicitly in a way that works and is effective, and simultaneously promises sharply reduced fuel prices through reduced biofuel blending. The counter-proposal's demand for a quickly sharpened action plan with stronger policy instruments goes against that balance. The party programme's demand for vigorous action against emissions pulls the other way but weighs lighter than the election manifesto.

• reduced fuel pricesdecisive»Sänk bensin- och dieselpriserna rejält för alla, främst genom minskad inblandningen av dyrt biobränsle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower petrol and diesel prices sharply for everyone, primarily through reduced blending of expensive biofuel.”
• effective climate transition»Sverige är världsledande i klimatomställningen och det ska vi fortsätta vara på ett sätt som både fungerar och är effektivt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden is a world leader in climate transition and we shall continue to be in a way that both works and is effective.”
• vigorous action against climate change»För att motverka klimatförändring krävs krafttag för« (party programme ↗)“To counteract climate change vigorous action for”

The plan sets net-zero emissions by 2045 as a goal but builds the path there on new nuclear power, electrification, carbon capture and cheaper emission reductions abroad – not on more policy instruments in a new action plan. The ideological platform requires that climate policy is effective and warns against costly symbolic politics. The requirement for a quickly prepared new action plan with sharper policy instruments therefore does not follow from the plan.

• net-zero 2045decisive»Vi ska som land ta fullt ansvar här hemma och nå nettonollutsläpp senast år 2045.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We as a country shall take full responsibility at home and reach net-zero emissions by 2045 at the latest.”
• no symbolic politics»Klimatpolitiken får aldrig reduceras till dyrbar symbolpolitik eller snäv klimatnationalism.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy must never be reduced to costly symbolic politics or narrow climate nationalism.”
• cost-effective emission reductions»Samtidigt är kostnaden för att minska utsläppen genom internationella klimatinsatser ofta mycket lägre än för att minska utsläppen i Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, the cost of reducing emissions through international climate efforts is often much lower than reducing emissions in Sweden”
• effective climate policy»Klimatpolitiken ska vara tydlig och effektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy shall be clear and effective.”

The plan's central climate commitment is that Swedish climate targets shall be adapted to EU level and that policy shall be cost-efficient with global perspective, not go ahead and furthest. It explicitly criticises expensive poster politics with new taxes and oversized regulations. A requirement for a prompt new action plan with sharper instruments to secure the targets thereby goes against the plan.

• climate targets in step with EUdecisive»De svenska klimatmålen bör anpassas till den klimatlagstiftning som finns på EU-nivå för att inte kraven på andra länder ska bli lägre som en konsekvens av att vi gör mer än nödvändigt på bekostnad av vår levnadsstandard och konkurrenskraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish climate targets should be adapted to the climate legislation that exists at EU level so that requirements on other countries do not become lower as a consequence of our doing more than necessary at the cost of our living standard and competitiveness.”
• against expensive poster politics»Svensk klimatpolitik har istället kommit att förvandlas till en kostsam plakatpolitik där det är viktigare att spendera mycket skattemedel, införa nya skatter och införa överdimensionerade regelverk än att göra skillnad på riktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish climate policy has instead come to be transformed into expensive poster politics where it is more important to spend large tax funds, introduce new taxes and implement oversized regulations than to make a real difference.”
• cost-efficient climate policy»Bedriva en effektiv klimatpolitik med ett tydligt globalt perspektiv« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Conduct an efficient climate policy with a clear global perspective”
• most emissions per krona»Satsa på åtgärder som minskar utsläppen mest per satsad krona som t ex internationella klimatinvesteringar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in measures that reduce emissions most per expended kronor such as international climate investments”