New numerical targets for nature protection

The plan requires strong protection of nature with rich ecosystems and sees the protection of forest and beach areas as crucial for biological diversity. A national goal to protect 30 per cent of land, sea and freshwater is a direct expression of the plan's requirement for ambitious environmental goals that are followed up. The fact that protected nature preserves carbon stores furthermore links to the plan's requirement that the climate crisis be solved.

• strong protection of naturedecisive»behövs ett starkt skydd av skog med rika ekosystem och en genom« (party programme ↗)“strong protection of forests with rich ecosystems and a through”
• protected natural and beach areas»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The protection of forest and beach areas is important to protect the Swedish right to roam and biological diversity.”
• ambitious environmental goals»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals that are followed up with strict legislation and practical work.”
• protect biological diversity»Vi måste lösa klimatkrisen och skydda den biologiska mångfalden – omställningen går alldeles för sakta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must solve the climate crisis and protect biological diversity – the transition is going far too slowly.”

The party programme demands protection of biological diversity and Sweden's valuable natural and aquatic environments and that Sweden is a leading force for ensuring agreed international environmental targets are truly achieved. A national goal to protect 30 per cent of land, sea and freshwater is that commitment translated into measurable form. The plan specifies no quantified protection levels, hence derived coverage.

• protection of biological diversitydecisive»Värn av biologisk mångfald och Sveriges värdefulla natur och vattenmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of biological diversity and Sweden's valuable natural and aquatic environments.”
• international environmental targets are achieved»Sverige som ledande kraft i världen för att överenskomna internationella miljö- och klimatmål respekteras och uppnås.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden as a leading force in the world for ensuring agreed international environmental and climate targets are respected and achieved.”
• protection of nature»Stark allemansrätt och skydd av natur som ger alla möjlighet att uppleva Sveriges skogar, fjäll, sjöar och hav.« (party programme ↗)“Strong right of public access and protection of nature that gives everyone the opportunity to experience Sweden's forests, mountains, lakes and seas.”
• species extinction must be halted»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Meanwhile species extinction is accelerating and biological diversity is threatened.”

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 explicitly sets the goal of protecting 30 per cent of Sweden's nature and at least 30 per cent of the world's seas, which is exactly the numerically defined goal the counter-proposal wants to establish nationally. The party programme stipulates that currently protected areas are too small and insufficient to ensure biodiversity.

• 30 per cent protected naturedecisive»skydda 30 procent av Sveriges natur, bland annat våra unika sammanhängande fjällskogar och skyddsvärda skogar i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect 30 per cent of Sweden's nature, including our unique contiguous forest regions and protected forests across the country.”
• 30 per cent protected seas»skydda minst 30 procent av världens hav.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect at least 30 per cent of the world's seas.”
• insufficiently protected areas»Sveriges och EU:s skyddade arealer är för små och otillräckliga för att kunna säkerställa den biologiska mångfalden.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's and the EU's protected areas are for small and insufficient to be able to ensure biological diversity.”
• protection of valuable forest»Särskilt värdefull skog ska skyddas från avverkning.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly valuable forest shall be protected from logging.”

The election manifesto makes voluntarism and property rights the foundation for nature conservation and requires that forestry be given good conditions based on strong property rights. A numerically specified goal to protect 30 per cent of land, sea and freshwater would force area protection at the landowner's expense and thus goes against that line. The party programme moreover requires that diversity work harmonises with rural population's opportunities to conduct activities.

• voluntarism and property rightsdecisive»Mer måste göras för att restaurera våtmarker, bekämpa invasiva arter och underlätta för markägare att bidra, då frivillighet och äganderätt är grunden för en bättre naturvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be done to restore wetlands, combat invasive species and facilitate for landowners to contribute, as voluntarism and property rights are the foundation for better nature conservation.”
• strong property rights in forestry»Skogsbruket behöver goda förutsättningar grundade i en stark äganderätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Forestry needs good conditions based on strong property rights.”
• diversity in harmony with the countryside»Värnandet av den biologiska mångfalden måste harmoniera med landsbygdsbefolkningens möjligheter att leva och bedriva verksamheter utan att riskera förlust av djur och annan egendom.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of biological diversity must harmonise with rural population's opportunities to live and conduct activities without risking loss of animals and other property.”
• active forest management»Skogen är en nyckel i den gröna omställningen. Ett hållbart skogsbruk förutsätter ett aktivt brukande av skogen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The forest is a key to the green transition. Sustainable forestry requires active management of the forest.”

The plan requires that nature conservation experiences a renaissance with increased restoration efforts and more protected contiguous areas both on land and in water, and that areas with high nature values are given strong protection. A representative national goal for how large a share of nature shall be protected is an operationalisation of precisely that commitment. The plan does not set a figure itself, so support is derived.

• more protected areasdecisive»behövs ökade restaureringsinsatser och fler skyddade« (party programme ↗)“requires increased restoration efforts and more protected”
• strong protection for high nature values»sjöar och vattendrag med höga naturvärden ska ha ett starkt skydd« (party programme ↗)“lakes and watercourses with high nature values shall have strong protection”
• protection of biological diversity»Då behöver vi fortsätta arbetet med att skydda både värdefull natur och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Then we need to continue work to protect both valuable nature and biological diversity.”
• protection of threatened species»Hotade växter och djur ska skyddas genom fridlysning,« (party programme ↗)“Threatened plants and animals shall be protected through protected status,”

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 forest to be reserve-protected to a sufficient extent but rejects generally applied protection rules and wants protection used where there is reason for it, with landowners as a resource. The election manifesto, which carries the most weight, explicitly warns that property rights over the forest are threatened. A free-standing national numerically determined goal of 30 per cent protected nature therefore goes against the plan's line, even though the goal of biological diversity is itself shared.

• safeguard property rights in the forestdecisive»äganderätten över skogen hotas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“property rights over the forest are threatened”
• protection not generally but where there is reason»Ett strandskydd bör inte tillämpas« (party programme ↗)“A shoreline protection should not be applied”
• property rights as a human right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right and”
• sufficient reserve protection»skog behöver reservatsskyddas i tillräcklig omfattning« (party programme ↗)“forest needs to be reserve-protected to a sufficient extent”

The counter-proposal wants to set a national goal of protecting 30 percent of land, sea and freshwater. The plan goes explicitly in the opposite direction and wants to reduce the area of forest withdrawn from forestry, with the argument that too large a share has already been taken out of production. The plan instead wants to care for already protected nature better and let formal protection happen through voluntary measures with strengthened property rights.

• reduced withdrawn areadecisive»Minska ytan av skog som är undantagen från skogsbruk« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the area of forest withdrawn from forestry”
• more land shall be used»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 percent of forest land is taken out of production. That is bad for Sweden and for climate – more forest shall be used, not less.”
• voluntary measures for formal protection»Stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt genom att formellt skydd av skog ska ske genom frivillighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen forest owners' property rights by having formal protection of forest done through voluntary measures”
• quality before quantity in protection»Vårda redan skyddad skog bättre för att stärka den biologiska mångfalden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Care for already protected forest better to strengthen biological diversity”

The plan explicitly establishes that biological diversity can be achieved without costly and extensive expansion of nature reserves and that adapted forest management shall be prioritized before reserve designation. A national goal to protect 30 percent of land, sea, and freshwater is just such a large-scale designation. The plan also requires that designations occur on a voluntary basis and that forest owners' right to use be protected.

• goals without expanded reservesdecisive»Biologisk mångfald går hand i hand med ett aktivt och produktivt skogsbruk där man genom ny teknik och smarta metoder kan uppnå målen utan kostsam och omfattande utbyggnad av reservaten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Biological diversity goes hand in hand with active and productive forestry where through new technology and smart methods one can achieve the goals without costly and extensive expansion of nature reserves.”
• management before designation»Att anpassad skogsskötsel prioriteras före reservatsavsättning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That adapted forest management is prioritized before reserve designation”
• voluntary designation»Avsättning av skog till reservat ska ske på frivillighetens grund och med god ersättning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Designation of forest as reserves shall occur on a voluntary basis and with good compensation.”
• the right to manage forests»Värna skogsägarnas rätt att bruka sina skogar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect forest owners' right to manage their forests”