Ecocide

The plan wants Sweden to play a driving role in far-reaching international climate agreements and ambitious environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation. It also wants to strengthen the UN's and international law's position so that breaches of international law can be prosecuted. Pushing for ecocide to be added to the international criminal code is a direct application of these commitments, even though ecocide is not mentioned.

• driving international climate policydecisive»i klimatomställningen. Vi vill att Sverige ska spela en pådrivande roll« (party programme ↗)“in the climate transformation. We want Sweden to play a driving role”
• sharp environmental legislation»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• strengthened UN and international law»Vi vill därför att Sverige verkar för att FN ska spela en större roll« (party programme ↗)“We therefore want Sweden to work for the UN to play a larger role”
• stop large-scale environmental destruction»Ett ständigt överutnyttjande av naturens resurser leder till kraftig utarmning av den biologiska mångfalden och växthusgasutsläpp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Continuous overuse of nature's resources leads to severe depletion of biological diversity and greenhouse gas emissions.”

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 builds foreign policy on international law and requires that there be no impunity for the most serious international crimes, while it wants to protect nature and for Sweden to be a driving force in the UN and EU. Working to bring ecocide into the international criminal law framework unites exactly these commitments. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's requirement, even though it does not mention ecocide.

• no impunity for serious crimesdecisive»Ingen straffrihet för folkmord, krigsförbrytelser och brott mot mänskligheten.« (party programme ↗)“No impunity for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
• international law is defended»Försvar för folkrätten och en regelbaserad världsordning.« (party programme ↗)“Defence of international law and a rules-based world order.”
• protection of nature and environment»Värn av biologisk mångfald och Sveriges värdefulla natur och vattenmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of biodiversity and Sweden's valuable nature and water environments.”
• driving force in the UN and EU»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 realize the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.”

The election manifesto explicitly states that Sweden shall work for ecocide legislation, and the party programme wants large-scale environmental crimes to be classified as an international crime with enhanced penalties. The counter-proposal's demand that Sweden takes the initiative to add ecocide to the international criminal law framework is thus exactly what the plan requires. The plan also wants Sweden to support international courts and increase accountability.

• ecocide legislationdecisive»att Sverige verkar för en ekocidlagstiftning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“that Sweden works for ecocide legislation.”
• ecocide as international crime»Storskaliga miljöbrott, ekocid, klassas som ett internationellt brott.« (party programme ↗)“Large-scale environmental crimes, ecocide, are classified as an international crime.”
• enhanced penalties for environmental destruction»De rättsliga påföljderna behöver skärpas för miljöförstöring som får långvariga och utbredda konsekvenser för natur och människor.« (party programme ↗)“The legal penalties need to be enhanced for environmental destruction that has long-lasting and widespread consequences for nature and people.”
• support for international courts»Sveriges ska stödja de internationella domstolarna och verka för att öka ansvarsutkrävandet för brott mot folkrätten.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall support international courts and work to increase accountability for violations of international law.”

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 party programme establishes that cross-border challenges like climate issues and international crime can only be solved through international cooperation, and that it should always be unprofitable to act as an environmental destroyer. That the absence of broad international agreements should not prevent Sweden from leading the way speaks for pushing to criminalize large-scale environmental destruction. Foreign policy's purpose of protecting universal rights points in the same direction.

• international cooperation against cross-border threatsdecisive»Utmaningar som är gemensamma för många nationer, som tullmurar, klimatfrågan och internationell brottslighet, kan bara lösas genom internationellt samarbete.« (party programme ↗)“Challenges that are common to many nations, such as tariffs, climate issues and international crime, can only be solved through international cooperation.”
• environmental destruction should be punished economically»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It should always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to act as an environmental destroyer.”
• Sweden should lead the way»får inte hindra nationer och regioner från att gå före och tillämpa skärpta krav« (party programme ↗)“must not prevent nations and regions from leading the way and applying tightened requirements”
• universal rights in foreign policy»Utrikes- och säkerhetspolitiken syftar ytterst till att värna universella mänskliga fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Foreign and security policy ultimately aims to protect universal human freedoms and rights.”

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 party programme wants to strengthen the International Criminal Court's role for prosecuting crimes against human rights and make Sweden a driving force in global sustainability work. The election manifesto promises value-driven foreign policy where Sweden does much more within international cooperation. That Sweden takes the initiative to add ecocide to the international criminal law framework follows from these commitments, in line with the requirement for clear sanctions for environmental violations.

• strengthened international criminal courtdecisive»Internationella brottmålsdomstolens roll för att lagföra brott mot mänskliga rättigheter ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“The International Criminal Court's role for prosecuting crimes against human rights shall be strengthened.”
• driving force in global environmental work»Sverige ska vara en förebild och en pådrivande kraft i det globala arbetet för ett hållbart samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a role model and a driving force in global work for a sustainable society.”
• value-driven foreign policy»Därför vill vi att Sverige gör mycket mer, både som enskilt land och inom internationella samarbeten, för fri- och rättigheter, frihandel, fria val och samarbete i den fria världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want Sweden to do much more, both as a single nation and within international cooperation, for freedom and rights, free trade, free choice and cooperation in the free world.”
• sanctions for environmental violations»Det behövs tydliga sanktioner vid överträdelser av bestämmelser gällande utsläpp, vattenrening, transportsäkerhet och fiske.« (party programme ↗)“There need to be clear sanctions for violations of provisions regarding emissions, water purification, transport safety and fishing.”

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 requires that international courts and legal systems within the UN system be protected and strengthened, and that international law has rules for how abuses can be combated internationally. The stewardship principle makes responsible stewardship of natural resources into a core value, and the party's historical narrative affirms that crimes against humanity are prosecuted. To work toward bringing ecocide into the international criminal law framework follows from this.

• strengthened international courtsdecisive»internationella domstolar och rättssystem inom FN-systemet« (party programme ↗)“international courts and legal systems within the UN system”
• stewardship of natural resources»naturresurserna måste förvaltas ansvarsfullt« (party programme ↗)“natural resources must be managed responsibly”
• international legal rules against abuse»folkrätten finnas regler för hur och när internationella organisationer som FN, EU och NATO« (party programme ↗)“international law has rules for how and when international organizations such as the UN, EU and NATO”
• accountability for war crimes»Krigsförbrytare ställdes inför rätta och dömdes för brott mot mänskligheten« (party programme ↗)“War criminals were brought to trial and convicted for crimes against humanity”

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 toughening penalties for environmental crimes and working with other countries through effective international cooperation, and aid policy shall prioritize democracy and human rights. Working for large-scale environmental destruction to be criminalized in international law aligns with these commitments. The plan however does not address ecocide as a crime classification, and its warning against expensive symbolic politics makes the conclusion uncertain.

• toughened penalties for environmental crimesdecisive»Skärpa straffen för miljöbrott och nedskräpning och ge ordningsvakter befogenhet att dela ut böter för småskräp« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Toughen penalties for environmental crimes and littering and give bailiffs authority to issue fines for small litter”
• international environmental cooperation»Samtidigt ska vi hjälpa andra länder att minska sina utsläpp genom effektivt internationellt samarbete.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time we shall help other countries reduce their emissions through effective international cooperation.”
• democracy and human rights»Prioritera insatser som stödjer arbetet för demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize efforts that support work for democracy and human rights”
• efficiency over symbolic politics»Klimatpolitiken får aldrig reduceras till dyrbar symbolpolitik eller snäv klimatnationalism.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy must never be reduced to expensive symbolic politics or narrow climate nationalism.”

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 wants Sweden not to go ahead with its own environmental and climate initiatives but to let evidence and Swedish competitiveness guide, and is consistently sceptical about shifting power to supranational organs. The counter-proposal's requirement that Sweden takes the initiative to add ecocide to the international criminal law framework is exactly such an advanced position. Environmental interests shall, according to the plan, be weighed against other societal values.

• not go ahead internationallydecisive»Evidens, resultat och svensk konkurrenskraft ska styra genomförandet av klimatmål i högre utsträckning än politikers vilja att gå först och längst.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Evidence, results and Swedish competitiveness should guide the implementation of climate goals to a greater extent than politicians' desire to go first and furthest.”
• national self-determination»Stärka det nationella självbestämmandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen national self-determination”
• Swedish interests first»Värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Swedish interests in international contexts”
• balanced environmental interests»de miljöpolitiska intressena ständigt måste vägas mot andra viktiga« (party programme ↗)“environmental interests must constantly be weighed against other important”