Net uptake of greenhouse gases

The plan wants climate goals linked to concrete, numbered proposals and environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation. It particularly highlights the forest's function as a carbon sink and restored wetlands as crucial for reaching climate goals. National staged targets for net uptake in the land-use sector are exactly the kind of numbered guidance the plan calls for.

• numbered climate goalsdecisive»Vi vill att regeringen arbetar med en utsläppsbudget som knyter ihop« (party programme ↗)“We want the government to work with an emissions budget that links”
• preserve the forest's carbon sink»För att uppnå klimatmålen behöver skogens funktion som kolsänka bevaras de kommande decennierna, därför behöver kalhyggesbruket fasas ut.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To reach climate goals, the forest's function as a carbon sink needs to be preserved over the coming decades, therefore clear-felling forestry needs to be phased out.”
• restore wetlands»Skogens roll att naturligt minska och lagra utsläpp behöver stärkas och torrlagda våtmarker som läcker utsläpp ska återställas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The forest's role in naturally reducing and storing emissions needs to be strengthened and drained wetlands that leak emissions shall be restored.”
• ambitious environmental goals»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”

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 binds the party to net-zero emissions in 2045 and negative emissions thereafter, which presupposes that the land-use sector's carbon sink actually delivers. National interim targets for net uptake are a governance instrument to reach that commitment and align with the demand for climate perspective in all decisions. The plan simultaneously wants active and sustainable forestry, which interim targets can be reconciled with.

• net zero 2045 and negative emissionsdecisive»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, in order thereafter to achieve negative emissions.”
• fixed climate policy framework»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall be fixed.”
• climate perspective in all decisions»Klimatperspektiv på alla nivåer av beslut och beslutsfattande.« (party programme ↗)“Climate perspective at all levels of decision-making and decision-making.”
• active and sustainable forestry»Aktivt och hållbart skogsbruk som bidrar till svensk tillväxt och som samtidigt värnar« (party programme ↗)“Active and sustainable forestry that contributes to Swedish growth and that at the same time values”

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 requires that carbon sequestration in nature increases by protecting and restoring forests, oceans and wetlands, and that climate targets be legally binding and in line with research. National interim targets for net uptake in the land use sector is precisely such a binding regulation of carbon sink. The election manifesto's requirement for an emissions budget and faster wetland restoration points in the same direction.

• increased carbon sequestrationdecisive»Samtidigt måste vi öka kolinlagringen i naturen. Genom att skydda och återställa skog,« (party programme ↗)“At the same time, we must increase carbon sequestration in nature. By protecting and restoring forests,”
• binding climate targets»juridiskt bindande klimatmål som ligger i linje med forskningen« (party programme ↗)“legally binding climate targets that are in line with research”
• emissions budget»ta fram en svensk utsläppsbudget som gör att vi når klimatmålen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“develop a Swedish emissions budget that enables us to reach climate targets”
• faster wetland restoration»återställa våtmarker som torrlagts i snabbare takt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“restore drained wetlands at a faster rate”

The party programme makes the forest a source of biological diversity, biomass and carbon sink that Sweden shall show the way for, and the election manifesto lifts the forest's carbon storage as a key in the transition and wants to restore wetlands. Clear national milestone targets for net uptake are in line with that. The measures must however according to the plan rest on landowners' voluntary participation and a strong ownership right. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal, though weakly.

• the forest as a carbon sinkdecisive»Sverige ska visa vägen för hur skogen kan utvecklas som källa till biologisk mångfald« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall show the way for how the forest can be developed as a source of biological diversity”
• the forest's climate benefit»Den lagrar koldioxid, skapar jobb och är källan till framtidens biobränslen och byggmaterial.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It stores carbon dioxide, creates jobs and is the source of tomorrow's biofuels and building materials.”
• restored wetlands»Mer måste göras för att restaurera våtmarker, bekämpa invasiva arter och underlätta för markägare att bidra« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done to restore wetlands, combat invasive species and make it easier for landowners to contribute”
• ownership rights in forestry»Skogsbruket behöver goda förutsättningar grundade i en stark äganderätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Forestry needs good conditions based on a strong ownership right.”

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 climate goals to be common for both emissions and negative emissions to be as effective as possible, which speaks against separate national staging targets for the land use sector. It prefers general and technology-neutral policy instruments over new sectoral targets and subsidy solutions. The plan does, however, support the substantive matter of increased carbon storage, for example through restored wetlands.

• common climate goalsdecisive»gemensamma både för utsläpp av klimatgaser och för negativa utsläpp.« (party programme ↗)“common for both greenhouse gas emissions and for negative emissions.”
• effective policy tools ahead of symbolic politics»Därför är vi för riktiga klimatskatter i stället för att göra klimatpolitiken till en tävling i högst bidrag och flest symbolskatter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore, we are for real climate taxes instead of making climate policy a competition in the highest subsidies and most symbolic taxes.”
• strengthened carbon storage»Den naturliga koldioxidinlagringen ska stärkas genom att fler tidigare våtmarker återställs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Natural carbon storage shall be strengthened by restoring more previously existing wetlands.”
• net-zero target 2045»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 the climate goals – no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045 and after that negative emissions – within the framework of a growing economy.”

The stewardship principle requires according to the plan decisive action to stop emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and that wetlands be preserved and, if necessary, restored. Clear milestone targets for the land use sector's net uptake is one way to steer toward that. The plan simultaneously requires long-term and sustainable rules for forestry where production and environmental objectives have the same status, which makes support conditional but does not annul it.

• decisive action against carbon dioxide emissionsdecisive»För att motverka klimatförändring krävs krafttag för att hejda utsläpp av koldioxid« (party programme ↗)“To counteract climate change, decisive action is required to stop emissions of carbon dioxide”
• restored wetlands»Våtmarker behöver bevaras och vid behov återställas« (party programme ↗)“Wetlands need to be preserved and if necessary restored”
• long-term rules for forestry»övergripande långsiktiga och hållbara spelregler som främjar såväl produktions som« (party programme ↗)“overarching long-term and sustainable rules that promote both production and”
• production and environmental goals on equal terms»Det är angeläget att dessa mål har samma prioritet och dignitet vid utformandet av« (party programme ↗)“It is important that these goals have the same priority and status in the design of”

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 establishes that more forest shall be used, not less, wants to reduce the area exempted from forestry and requires that formal protection be done through voluntary action. National stage targets for net uptake in the land-use sector would direct land use in the opposite direction and impose new constraints on landowners. The plan's climate commitment is net zero 2045, not separate sector targets.

• more forest shall be useddecisive»Idag är närmare 30 procent av skogsmarken tagen ur produktion. Det är dåligt för Sverige och för klimatet – mer skog ska brukas, inte mindre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today, nearly 30 per cent of forest land is taken out of production. That is bad for Sweden and for the climate – more forest shall be used, not less.”
• reduced exempted area»• Minska ytan av skog som är undantagen från skogsbruk« (2022 manifesto ↗)“• Reduce the area of forest exempted from forestry”
• voluntary action in forest protection»• Stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt genom att formellt skydd av skog ska ske genom frivillighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“• Strengthen forest owners' property rights by formal protection of forest being done through voluntary action”
• net zero as a collective target»Vi ska som land ta fullt ansvar här hemma och nå nettonollutsläpp senast år 2045.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall take full responsibility here at home and reach net zero emissions by 2045 at the latest.”

The plan wants Swedish climate targets to be adapted to EU level and not driven further than necessary at the cost of competitiveness, and that evidence and results should guide rather than the desire to lead. National phase targets for net uptake in the land use sector is precisely such an extra Swedish target setting and risks limiting landowners' use rights, which the plan protects. Active forestry is also presented as the way forward.

• no Swedish special requirements in climate targetsdecisive»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 the requirements on other countries do not become lower as a consequence of us doing more than necessary at the cost of our standard of living and competitiveness.”
• evidence over ambition-raising»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 targets to a greater extent than politicians' desire to lead and go furthest.”
• right to use the forest»Värna skogsägarnas rätt att bruka sina skogar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect forest owners' right to use their forests”
• active forestry»Omställningen till ett mer fossilfritt samhälle främjas av ett aktivt skogsbruk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The transition to a more fossil-free society is promoted by active forestry.”