Environmentally harmful subsidies

The party programme demands ambitious environmental targets followed up with sharp legislation and practical work and fixed frameworks with emission budgets to take Sweden out of fossil dependency; mapping and phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies is a direct part of that. The election manifesto moreover wants to shift money from companies that pollute to climate-friendly production and establishes that the transition must happen immediately. A mandate to the Environmental Protection Agency with an action plan therefore has support in the plan.

• sharp and ambitious environmental targetsdecisive»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental targets followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• fixed frameworks out of fossil dependency»Vi vill sätta fasta ramar för att ta Sverige ur fossilberoendet, med en« (party programme ↗)“We want to set fixed frameworks to take Sweden out of fossil dependency, with a”
• money away from polluting production»Vänsterpartiet föreslår en grön omställningsfond där staten använder sina ekonomiska muskler och där pengar förs över från företag som smutsar ner till miljö- och klimatvänlig produktion.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party proposes a green transition fund where the state uses its economic muscles and where money is shifted from companies that pollute to environment and climate-friendly production.”
• transition must happen now»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 consider the acute crisis we are in.”

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 commits to working for the polluter to pay and for the climate policy framework to remain firm, and the party programme makes legislation and economic policy instruments the most important tools of environmental policy. Subsidies that worsen climate and biodiversity crises are the opposite of this, and the plan explicitly requires that biological diversity be protected. A mandate to map and phase out environmentally harmful subsidies therefore follows from the plan.

• förorenaren betalardecisive»Vi ska verka för att ett globalt koldioxidpris införs med principen att förorenaren betalar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall work for a global carbon price to be introduced with the principle that the polluter pays.”
• ekonomiska styrmedel i miljöpolitiken»forskningssatsningar, lagstiftning och olika ekonomiska styrmedel är de viktigaste« (party programme ↗)“research investments, legislation and various economic policy instruments are the most important”
• skydd av biologisk mångfald»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected.”
• klimatramverket ligger fast»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall remain firm.”

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 plan demands that climate-damaging subsidies be phased out and that fossil subsidies be abolished, and that Sweden works for joint commitments against the depletion of biological diversity. An assignment to the Environmental Protection Agency to identify environmentally damaging subsidies and develop a phase-out plan is the practical implementation of exactly that commitment. The plan also wants that public funds do not go to measures that harm the climate.

• phase out damaging subsidiesdecisive»Klimatskadliga subventioner ska fasas ut och klimatmålen ska styra investeringarna i infrastruktur.« (party programme ↗)“Climate-damaging subsidies shall be phased out and climate goals shall guide investments in infrastructure.”
• no fossil subsidies»fasa ut fossila subventioner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out fossil subsidies”
• commitments for biological diversity»Sverige måste arbeta för gemensamma åtaganden för att stoppa utarmningen av den biologiska mångfalden.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must work for joint commitments to stop the depletion of biological diversity.”
• no climate-damaging appropriations»Budgeten måste utformas så att den inte går till åtgärder som skadar klimatet.« (party programme ↗)“The budget must be designed so that it does not go to measures that harm the climate.”

The election manifesto states that it should cost more to pollute and that trade policy should be used to cut fossil fuel subsidies, and the party programme that it should always be unprofitable to act in an environmentally destructive way. Identifying environmentally harmful subsidies and developing a phase-out plan is a direct application of this principle, as well as the commitment to protect biological diversity.

• polluter paysdecisive»Det ska kosta mer att smutsa ner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should cost more to pollute.”
• unprofitable to destroy environment»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It should always be profitable to be environmentally caring and unprofitable to act in an environmentally destructive way.”
• cut fossil subsidies»Vi ska använda handelspolitiken för att kapa fossila subventioner runtom i världen och pressa stora utsläppare som Kina att stänga ner sina kolkraftverk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We should use trade policy to cut fossil fuel subsidies around the world and pressure large emitters like China to shut down their coal power plants.”
• biological diversity as investment»Bevarande av biologisk mångfald, och de miljöer den beror av, är en investering i framtiden som världen« (party programme ↗)“Preservation of biological diversity, and the environments it depends on, is an investment in the future that the world”

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 plan explicitly states that all subsidies, including tax concessions and support, for fossil fuels should be abolished as soon as possible and phased out gradually, and that the polluter shall pay. To map environmentally harmful subsidies and develop a phase-out plan is the direct operational form of that commitment. The plan also wants to strengthen biological diversity, which the counter-proposal explicitly aims for.

• abolish fossil subsidiesdecisive»Alla subventioner, inklusive skattelättnader och stöd, till fossila bränslen i Sverige, Europa såväl som globalt ska avskaffas så fort som möjligt.« (party programme ↗)“All subsidies, including tax concessions and support, for fossil fuels in Sweden, Europe as well as globally should be abolished as soon as possible.”
• phase out fossil support»Subventioner, inklusive skattelättnader och stöd, till fossila bränslen i Sverige såväl som globalt ska successivt avskaffas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Subsidies, including tax concessions and support, for fossil fuels in Sweden as well as globally should be gradually abolished.”
• the polluter pays»Principen att förorenaren betalar ska upprätthållas.« (party programme ↗)“The principle that the polluter pays should be upheld.”
• strengthened biological diversity»För att bevara och utveckla den biologiska mångfalden i form av olika naturtyper och arter behövs ökade restaureringsinsatser och fler skyddade sammanhängande områden både på land och i vatten.« (party programme ↗)“To preserve and develop biological diversity in the form of different natural types and species, increased restoration efforts and more protected contiguous areas both on land and in water are needed.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan rejects direct company subsidies and requires that taxation is designed so that environmentally harmful activity is counteracted and that the polluter pays for the environmental costs that arise. To map environmentally harmful subsidies and produce a phase-out plan is a direct means for these commitments. The committee's reason is that the government is already active in the area, which the plan does not state an opinion about.

• rejects company subsidiesdecisive»Direkta företagssubventioner avvisas.« (party programme ↗)“Direct company subsidies are rejected”
• green tax shift»Beskattningen ska utformas så att arbete gynnas« (party programme ↗)“Taxation shall be designed so that work is promoted”
• polluter pays»Miljöpolitiken ska bygga på principen att förorenaren ska betala« (party programme ↗)“Environmental policy shall be based on the principle that the polluter shall pay”
• integrated sustainable development»Hållbar utveckling förutsätter att ekologi, ekonomi och sociala hänsyn integreras.« (party programme ↗)“Sustainable development requires that ecology, economics and social considerations are integrated”

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 plan's concrete commitments go in the opposite direction to a phase-out of what is usually counted as environmentally harmful subsidies: petrol and diesel prices shall be lowered, agriculture's taxes lowered and a tax increase freeze introduced. A survey with phase-out plan would hit precisely these reliefs. The plan at the same time requires a clear and effective climate policy, which pulls in the other direction, but the explicit commitments carry greater weight. The requirement is rejected.

• lower fuel pricesdecisive»Sänka priset på bensin och diesel så att du klarar din vardagsekonomi« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the price of petrol and diesel so that you manage your everyday finances”
• lower taxes for agriculture»förbättra förutsättningarna att driva lantbruk genom att sänka skatterna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“improve the conditions for running agriculture by lowering taxes”
• tax increase freeze»Införa ett skattehöjarstopp under den kommande mandatperioden som innebär att de samlade skatterna inte höjs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a tax increase freeze during the coming term that means the combined taxes are not raised”
• effective climate policy»Klimatpolitiken ska vara tydlig och effektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy shall be clear and effective.”

The supports and tax reductions that are usually counted as environmentally harmful subsidies are precisely those the plan wants to keep or expand: reduced fuel tax, reduced blending mandate and reduced diesel tax for agriculture and forestry. An assignment to map and phase out such subsidies would therefore go against the plan's own commitments, and the plan wants to stop symbolic politics that harms industries. The fact that the plan simultaneously demands environmental efficiency speaks partly in favour of a review, which is why the conclusion is uncertain.

• reduced fuel taxdecisive»Sänka bensin- och dieselpriset genom sänkt bränsleskatt och minskad reduktionsplikt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower petrol and diesel prices through reduced fuel tax and reduced blending mandate.”
• lower diesel tax in agriculture»Sänka skatten på diesel för jord- och skogsbruket och den allmänna löneavgiften« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the tax on diesel for agriculture and forestry and the general employer fee”
• stop to symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that harms the ability to operate industry and business”
• most environment per crown»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental efficiency and find the measures that provide the most environmental benefit per crown”