State-owned companies' climate work

The plan requires that decisions in commonly-owned activities at all levels are based on a climate transition strategy and that ownership power is actively used to steer the economy towards long-term sustainability. Stricter ownership directives with scientifically-based climate targets are the concrete form for that. The party programme also wants to link climate targets to concrete, quantified proposals through an emissions budget.

• ownership power for sustainabilitydecisive»Vi vill använda den ägandemakten till att aktivt styra« (party programme ↗)“We want to use the ownership power to actively steer”
• quantified climate targets»klimatmålen med konkreta, siffersatta förslag.« (party programme ↗)“climate targets with concrete, quantified proposals.”
• long-term social benefit»Vi vill att de verksamheter vi äger tillsammans drivs med fokus på den« (party programme ↗)“We want the activities we own together to be run with focus on”
• climate considerations in all decisions»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 into account the acute crisis we are in.”

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 requires climate perspective at all levels of decision-making and a strengthened societal interest in the governance of state-owned companies. Sharpening the ownership directives with science-based climate goals is one way to implement that, as is the plan's commitment to push for the Paris Agreement's ambitions and keep the climate policy framework fixed. The plan does not, however, specifically mention the companies' climate goals.

• climate perspective in all decisionsdecisive»Klimatperspektiv på alla nivåer av beslut och beslutsfattande.« (party programme ↗)“Climate perspective at all levels of decision-making and decision-making.”
• societal interest in state-owned companies»Stärkt samhällsintresse i styrningen av de statliga bolagen.« (party programme ↗)“Strengthened societal interest in the governance of state-owned companies.”
• Paris Agreement's ambitions»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 make the Paris Agreement's ambitions a reality.”
• fixed climate framework»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall remain fixed.”

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 to see legally binding climate targets in line with research and for state-owned enterprises to be directed towards climate targets with reduced return requirements. The requirement for scientifically based climate targets and stricter ownership directives linked to environmental targets and the Paris Agreement is the same commitment applied to state-owned enterprises. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal.

• science-based climate targetsdecisive»Vi vill därför se juridiskt bindande klimatmål som ligger i linje med forskningen.« (party programme ↗)“We therefore want to see legally binding climate targets that are in line with the research.”
• state-owned enterprises directed towards climate targets»Statliga bolag och myndigheter inom järnvägssektorn ska styras mot klimatmålen och krav på avkastning ska nedprioriteras.« (party programme ↗)“State-owned enterprises and authorities in the railway sector shall be directed towards climate targets and return requirements shall be deprioritized.”
• the Paris Agreement as a benchmark»Sverige och de flesta av världens länder har åtagit sig att begränsa den globala uppvärmningen i linje med Parisavtalet« (party programme ↗)“Sweden and most countries in the world have committed to limiting global warming in line with the Paris Agreement”
• capital in a green direction»Kapitalflödena ska kanaliseras i grön riktning.« (party programme ↗)“Capital flows shall be channeled in a green direction.”

The party programme states that climate policy shall be based on what science shows is necessary and that the Center Party shall be the leading party in environmental issues, and the manifesto places climate first. Science-based climate targets and owner directives to meet environmental targets and the Paris Agreement are an application of that line to companies the state itself owns. The plan however requires effective measures rather than symbolic politics.

• science-based climate policydecisive»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.”
• climate first»Centerpartiet sätter klimatet först, för att framtiden måste vara grön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Center Party places climate first, for the future must be green.”
• leading in environmental issues»Centerpartiet ska vara det ledande partiet i miljöfrågor« (party programme ↗)“The Center Party shall be the leading party in environmental issues”
• effective measures ahead of symbolic politics»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Leadership that prioritizes effective measures ahead of symbolic politics or passivity.”

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 climate policy is built on general and technology-neutral economic instruments and explicitly rejects symbolic politics. Tightened owner directives with scientifically-based climate goals for each state-owned company is company-by-company regulation alongside these instruments. The plan does accept ownership criteria in state-owned companies, which makes the conclusion uncertain.

• technology-neutral instrumentsdecisive»Generella och teknikneutrala ekonomiska styrmedel, såsom koldioxidskatt och breda system för handel med utsläppsrätter, är det mest effektiva redskapet.« (party programme ↗)“General and technology-neutral economic instruments, such as carbon tax and broad systems for emissions trading, are the most effective tool.”
• no symbolic politics»Liberal miljöpolitik tar avstånd från symbolpolitik och åtgärder som dövar samveten i stället för att rädda miljön.« (party programme ↗)“Liberal environmental policy rejects symbolic politics and measures that dull the conscience instead of saving the environment.”
• climate goals with growth»Vi ska nå klimatmålen – inga nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser senast 2045 och därefter negativa utsläpp – inom ramen för en växande ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall meet the climate goals – no net greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and thereafter negative emissions – within the framework of a growing economy.”
• ownership criteria in state-owned companies»I företag som helt eller delvis ägs av den svenska staten ska det finnas kriterier gällande affärsrelationer med odemokratiska regimer.« (party programme ↗)“In companies wholly or partially owned by the Swedish state there shall be criteria regarding business relations with undemocratic regimes.”

The plan requires vigorous action to stop emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, that fossil fuels be phased out from the energy and transport sectors and that business rest on a market economy governed by social and environmental considerations. Climate goals and strengthened ownership directives for state-owned companies are an application of this. The plan's view of the state's role as monitoring rather than directing however makes the conclusion uncertain.

• vigorous action against emissionsdecisive»För att motverka klimatförändring krävs krafttag för att hejda utsläpp av koldioxid och andra« (party programme ↗)“To prevent climate change, vigorous action is required to stop emissions of carbon dioxide and other”
• phasing out fossil fuels»Fossilbränslena måste fasas ut från såväl energi- som transportsektorn.« (party programme ↗)“Fossil fuels must be phased out from both the energy and transport sectors.”
• business with environmental regard»fungerande näringsliv förutsätter en marknadsekonomi baserad på etiska principer och styrd« (party programme ↗)“functioning business presupposes a market economy based on ethical principles and governed”
• the state's role is to oversee»Statens roll i näringspolitiken är att övervaka att lagstiftningen och en god etik upprätthålls« (party programme ↗)“The state's role in business policy is to oversee that legislation and good ethics are upheld”

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 climate line is net-zero emissions by 2045 through technology, electrification and cost-effective measures, and the party programme warns against climate policy being reduced to expensive symbolic politics. Imposing strengthened owner directives with scientifically-based climate targets on all state-owned enterprises is to control the enterprises politically rather than effectively. The plan also wishes to reduce, not broaden, state ownership's remit.

• no symbolic politicsdecisive»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.”
• net-zero 2045»Vi ska som land ta fullt ansvar här hemma och nå nettonollutsläpp senast år 2045.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We should as a nation take full responsibility here at home and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2045.”
• cost-effective climate policy»Samtidigt är kostnaden för att minska utsläppen genom internationella klimatinsatser ofta mycket lägre än för att minska utsläppen i Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Meanwhile, the cost of reducing emissions through international climate actions is often much lower than reducing emissions in Sweden”
• limited state role»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”

The plan demands that evidence, results and Swedish competitiveness drive the implementation of climate targets to a higher degree than the will to go first and furthest, and that Swedish climate targets be adapted to the EU level. The counter-proposal's demands for scientifically based climate targets and strengthened owner directives for all state enterprises imply the opposite: national special requirements beyond what is required. The plan also wishes to stop symbolic politics that damages business activities.

• competitiveness guides climate targetsdecisive»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 shall drive the implementation of climate targets to a higher extent than politicians' will to go first and furthest.”
• climate targets aligned with EU»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 expense of our standard of living and competitiveness.”
• no to symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that undermines the ability to conduct industry and enterprise”
• cost-effective climate policy»Bedriva en effektiv klimatpolitik med ett tydligt globalt perspektiv« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Conduct effective climate policy with a clear global perspective”