The purpose of the temporary tax

The plan's core commitment is that money should be transferred from polluting companies to environmentally and climate-friendly production, and that the state should invest in renewable energy in a climate emergency. A tax that also affects renewable production goes against this. The plan therefore argues for exempting renewable fuels from the tax base.

• tax the dirty, favor the renewabledecisive»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 muscle and money is transferred from companies that pollute to environmentally and climate-friendly production.”
• investments in renewable energy»därför behöver staten gå in med satsningar på förnybar energi« (2022 manifesto ↗)“therefore, the state needs to make investments in renewable energy”
• climate emergency»Vi befinner oss i ett klimatnödläge.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are in a climate emergency.”
• capital must contribute to the transition»Det är hög tid att de få som har stora kapitaltillgångar bidrar mer till omställningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time that the few who have large capital resources contribute more to the transition.”

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 wants to increase Swedish production of renewable fuels and drives the principle that the polluter pays. A tax intended to hit fossil excess profits but also burdens renewable production works against the plan's goal of a fossil-free welfare nation. Therefore the demand to exempt renewable fuels from the tax base is supported.

• increase renewable fuelsdecisive»Vi vill öka den svenska produktionen av förnybara drivmedel, så att det blir lättare att tanka fossilfritt i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to increase Swedish production of renewable fuels, so that it becomes easier to refuel fossil-free in Sweden.”
• fossil-freedom as goal»Sverige ska bli världens första fossilfria välfärdsnation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become the world's first fossil-free welfare nation.”
• the polluter pays»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.”
• accelerate the transition»Genom statliga investeringar kan vi öka takten i industrins omställning och underlätta ett klimatsmart liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Through state investments we can increase the pace of industry's transition and make climate-smart living easier.”

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 guiding principle for policy instruments is that environmentally friendly alternatives should become cheaper and environmentally harmful ones more expensive, and it wants to completely remove the energy tax for companies that produce their own electricity and invest heavily in renewables. A temporary tax that also affects renewable production contradicts this. The plan therefore supports the requirement that renewable fuels be exempted from the tax base.

• renewable cheaper, fossil more expensivedecisive»miljövänliga alternativ billigare och de miljöskadliga dyrare att använda.« (party programme ↗)“environmentally friendly alternatives cheaper and more environmentally harmful ones more expensive to use.”
• lower tax on renewable electricity»helt ta bort energiskatten för företag som producerar el för eget bruk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“completely remove the energy tax for companies that produce electricity for their own use.”
• tax aimed at fossil»fasa ut fossila subventioner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out harmful subsidies.”
• expanded renewable production»storsatsa på solceller och solvärme.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest heavily in solar cells and solar heating.”

The plan wants to reduce the tax maximally on biofuels and multiply the production of biofuels and biogas to strengthen energy independence. A tax that also affects renewable production goes directly against this, and the plan establishes that it should be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to destroy the environment. The plan therefore supports the requirement to exempt renewable fuels.

• reduced tax on biofuelsdecisive»Sänk skatten maximalt på biodrivmedel som blandas in i bensin och diesel. Det skulle sänka bilisternas kostnader, gynna klimatet, skapa jobb och minska Sveriges oljeberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the tax maximally on biofuels blended into petrol and diesel. This would reduce motorists' costs, benefit the climate, create jobs and reduce Sweden's oil dependence.”
• multiplied biofuels»Sveriges energioberoende måste stärkas, bland annat genom att mångdubbla produktionen av biobränslen och biogas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's energy independence must be strengthened, among other things by multiplying the production of biofuels and biogas.”
• profitable to be environmentally responsible»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It shall always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to act in an environmentally destructive manner.”
• no job-damaging tax increases»Vi kommer inte att medverka till några skattehöjningar som skadar jobben, det egna sparandet eller gör det dyrare att bo.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We will not participate in any tax increases that damage jobs, personal savings or make housing more expensive.”

The plan's principle is that it is the polluter – nobody else – who shall pay, and that support and tax reductions for fossil fuels shall be abolished. A temporary tax intended to hit fossil profits but also burdens renewable activity contradicts that principle. The plan moreover wants the blending of fossil-free fuels to continue and sees biofuels as part of the transition.

• polluter paysdecisive»Det är den som förorenar – ingen annan – som ska betala.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is the polluter – nobody else – who shall pay.”
• away with fossil reductions»Subventioner, inklusive skattelättnader och stöd, till fossila bränslen i Sverige såväl som globalt ska successivt avskaffas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Subsidies, including tax reductions and support, for fossil fuels in Sweden as well as globally shall gradually be abolished.”
• promote fossil-free fuels»Fler ska välja elbilen och en inblandning av fossilfria bränslen ska fortsätta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More shall choose the electric car and a blending of fossil-free fuels shall continue.”
• biofuels in transition»Biobränsle kan bidra till energiomställningen mot mindre klimatpåverkan.« (party programme ↗)“Biofuel can contribute to energy transition towards lower climate impact.”

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 counter-proposal wants to ensure that renewable fuels are exempted from the base for the temporary tax, because a tax aimed at fossil fuel profits would otherwise affect renewable operations. The party programme's energy policy is built on the fact that domestic renewable energy sources and fuels should constitute a growing base and that domestic production should be stimulated, and economic incentives should create motives to act in an environmentally friendly manner. The plan therefore supports an exemption, even though the election manifesto is critical of expensive biofuel blending.

• renewable as growing basedecisive»Sveriges energiförsörjning ska tryggas genom en långsiktig energipolitik med fasta spelregler, där inhemska förnybara energikällor och bränslen utgör en växande bas.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's energy supply shall be secured through a long-term energy policy with fixed rules, where domestic renewable energy sources and fuels constitute a growing base.”
• stimulate domestic production»Inhemsk produktion ska stimuleras.« (party programme ↗)“Domestic production shall be stimulated.”
• economic incentives for environmental action»att skapa ekonomiska motiv att agera miljövänligt för såväl konsumenter som producenter.« (party programme ↗)“to create economic incentives to act in an environmentally friendly manner for both consumers and producers.”
• criticism of expensive biofuel blending»Sänk bensin- och dieselpriserna rejält för alla, främst genom minskad inblandningen av dyrt biobränsle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower petrol and diesel prices substantially for everyone, primarily by reducing the blending of expensive biofuel.”

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 energy policy goal shifts from renewable to fossil-free, and the party wants to invest in the production of biofuels while not raising overall taxes. A temporary tax intended to hit fossil profits but in practice also burdens renewable production works against these commitments. The requirement to exempt renewable fuels from the tax base is therefore supported.

• fossil-free energy productiondecisive»Ändra det energipolitiska målet från 100 procent förnybart till 100 procent fossilfritt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Change the energy policy goal from 100 per cent renewable to 100 per cent fossil-free”
• investment in biofuels»Satsa på tillverkning av biodrivmedel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in the production of biofuels”
• tax rise freeze»Införa ett skattehöjarstopp under den kommande mandatperioden som innebär att de samlade skatterna inte höjs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a tax rise freeze during the coming term of office that means overall taxes do not rise”

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 counter-proposal wants renewable fuels to be exempted from the base for the temporary tax, so that a tax aimed at fossil profits does not hit renewable production. The plan wants to promote Swedish biofuel production and maintains that taxes should not hinder Swedish companies in competition. The plan is at the same time critical of expensive and imported biofuels, and does not take a position on precisely this temporary tax.

• promote Swedish biofuel productiondecisive»Främja svensk biobränsleproduktion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Promote Swedish biofuel production”
• taxes that do not hinder companies»Ha skatter på en nivå som inte hämmar svenska företag i den internationella konkurrensen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Have taxes at a level that do not hinder Swedish companies in international competition”
• better-designed taxes»Sänkta eller bättre utformade skatter kommer i många fall att på sikt öka skatteintäkterna eftersom en sådan politik leder till ökad tillväxt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lowered or better-designed taxes will in many cases in the long term increase tax revenues since such policy leads to increased growth.”
• criticism of imported biofuels»Minska användningen av miljöskadliga och dyra biodrivmedel från utlandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the use of environmentally harmful and expensive imported biofuels”

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.