Defence's environmental impact

The election manifesto asserts that the transition must happen immediately and that all political decisions need to take account of the acute climate crisis — a commitment that includes defence expansion. The counter-proposal's demands for a plan to expand defence without further climate and environmental impact, faster PFAS remediation and an investigation of war's environmental effects are therefore the plan's own line. The party programme moreover wants to see ambitious environmental targets followed up with sharp legislation and nature restored.

• climate consideration in all decisionsdecisive»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 account of the acute crisis we are in.”
• ambitious environmental targets»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental targets that are followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• restored nature and remediation»Sverige behöver också ett medvetet och heltäckande arbete med att« (party programme ↗)“Sweden also needs deliberate and comprehensive work with”
• against militarization»Vi vänder oss emot militarisering och kapprustning.« (party programme ↗)“We oppose militarization and arms races.”

The party programme requires that all environmental impact in the form of emissions and waste is minimized and that environmental considerations are built into operations from the start, and the election manifesto calls climate transformation our generation's defining question. A requirement for a plan for how the defence expansion can be carried out without further climate and environmental impact, with faster PFAS remediation, therefore aligns with the plan. At the same time, the increase to two per cent of GDP is a binding commitment, so the environmental requirement must not slow down the expansion.

• minimized environmental impactdecisive»miljöpåverkan i form av utsläpp och avfallsprodukter ska minimeras« (party programme ↗)“environmental impact in the form of emissions and waste products should be minimized”
• climate as defining question»Klimatomställningen är vår tids ödesfråga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Climate transformation is our generation's defining question”
• built-in environmental considerations»Hänsynen till miljöns krav ska byggas in i produktionsprocesserna redan från början« (party programme ↗)“Consideration of environmental requirements should be built into production processes from the start”
• increased defence appropriations»Anslagen till det militära försvaret ska öka till motsvarande två procent av BNP« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appropriations for military defence should increase to the equivalent of two per cent of GDP”

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 wants all industry to phase out coal, oil and fossil gas by 2030 at the latest and for toxic substances to be phased out immediately, and the party programme sees environmental toxins as a serious threat. The plan moreover wants to allocate a greater share of defence spending to civil defence. A plan for defence expansion without further climate and environmental impact and faster PFAS remediation therefore aligns with the plan.

• phase-out of fossil fuels in all activitiesdecisive»införa en omställningslag så att all industri fasar ut kol, olja och fossilgas till senast 2030.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a transformation act so that all industry phases out coal, oil and fossil gas by 2030 at the latest.”
• immediate phase-out of toxins»fasa ut giftiga ämnen omgående, speciellt från produkter för barn.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out toxic substances immediately, especially from products for children.”
• environmental toxins as serious threat»Miljögifter är i dag ett allvarligt hot mot såväl« (party programme ↗)“Environmental toxins are today a serious threat to both”
• re-prioritisation within defence»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“allocate a greater share of defence spending to civil defence, and increase allocations to crisis preparedness.”

The plan establishes that care for the environment and climate is a central part of politics and never a downgrade, and wants to save lakes and waters from toxins. A plan for how defence expansion can be carried out with less climate and environmental impact and faster PFAS remediation follows from this. At the same time, the plan requires rapid rearmament and effective measures over symbolic politics, which dampens support.

• environment never a special interestdecisive»För Centerpartiet är omsorg om miljö och klimat en central del av politiken, aldrig en nedprioritering eller ett särintresse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For the Centre Party, care for the environment and climate is a central part of politics, never a downgrade or a special interest.”
• toxin-free waters»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav. Våra barn ska kunna bada utan att utsättas för gifter, nedskräpning eller algblomning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, watercourses and seas. Our children shall be able to bathe without being exposed to toxins, litter or algal blooms.”
• rapid defence rearmament»Vi vill rusta det militära försvaret snabbt, kraftfullt och långsiktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen military defence quickly, powerfully and long-term.”
• effective measures over symbolic politics»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Leadership that prioritises effective measures over 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 builds chemical policy on the precautionary principle and demands that dangerous substances not be spread in nature and that everyone has the right to clean water, which supports the demand for faster PFAS remediation. Planning defense expansion with environmental consideration is in line with stewardship thinking. At the same time, significantly stronger military defense is the plan's overarching commitment, which is why certainty is low.

• precautionary principle for chemicalsdecisive»Kemikalielagstiftningen ska utgå från försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“Chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle.”
• dangerous substances out of nature»Avfallspolitiken måste förebygga och förhindra att tungmetaller, läkemedelsrester och andra« (party programme ↗)“Waste policy must prevent and hinder heavy metals, pharmaceutical residues and other”
• clean water»Alla har rätt till rent vatten.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to clean water.”
• stronger military defense»Sverige behöver ett betydligt starkare militärt försvar än i dag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs significantly stronger military defense than today.”

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 sustainable development integrates ecology, economy and social considerations and that action is based on the precautionary principle when irreversible damage threatens, which bears the demand for faster PFAS remediation. The stewardship principle makes environmental responsibility applicable also for defence. The plan's requirement for strong defence simultaneously sets limits for how far climate conditions can steer defence expansion.

• the precautionary principledecisive»också att agerandet grundas på försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“also that the action is based on the precautionary principle.”
• integrated sustainability»Hållbar utveckling förutsätter att ekologi, ekonomi och sociala hänsyn integreras.« (party programme ↗)“Sustainable development presupposes that ecology, economy and social considerations are integrated.”
• stewardship over nature»Med detta menas att människan är förvaltare av – och inte herre över – skapelsen.« (party programme ↗)“By this is meant that man is a steward of – and not master over – creation.”
• efficient climate transition»Sverige är världsledande i klimatomställningen och det ska vi fortsätta vara på ett sätt som både fungerar och är effektivt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden is world-leading in the climate transition and we should continue to be in a way that both works and is efficient.”

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 key commitment in the defence area is a rapid and forceful build-up to two percent of GDP and a war-deterrent defence; nothing conditions that build-up with new environmental targets. The counter-proposal demands a plan to implement the defence build-up without additional climate and environmental impact, which places a restriction on exactly that build-up. The plan moreover warns against climate policy that becomes expensive symbolic politics and wants science and actual effect to guide.

• snabb försvarsupprustningdecisive»Verka för att försvarsanslagen uppgår till motsvarande 2 procent av BNP redan år 2025« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work towards defence appropriations amounting to 2 percent of GDP already by 2025”
• krigsavhållande försvar»Målet är att det svenska försvaret ska vara krigsavhållande och avskräcka en eventuell motståndare från att angripa Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The goal is for the Swedish defence to be war-deterrent and deter a potential adversary from attacking Sweden.”
• ingen symbolisk klimatpolitik»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.”
• effektbaserad miljöpolitikweak support»Vetenskap och fakta ska vara ledande i klimat- och miljöpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“Science and facts shall be leading in climate and environmental policy.”

flags: citat_svagt

The plan prioritizes a restored total defence with long-term funding of at least two percent of GDP and opposes symbolic politics and climate requirements that counter other societal interests. Conditioning defence expansion on it happening without additional climate impact conflicts with that prioritization. The plan instead supports increased focus on cleanup of contaminated areas, which partially overlaps with the counter-proposal.

• prioritized defence build-updecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill säkerställa långsiktig finansiering av försvaret om minst två procent av BNP inom en tioårsperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Sweden Democrats want to ensure long-term defence funding of at least two percent of GDP over a ten-year period.”
• climate goals should not hamper»Sveriges klimatpolitik ska vara ambitiös utan att motverka svensk konkurrenskraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's climate policy should be ambitious without undermining Swedish competitiveness.”
• against symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that goes out at the expense of the ability to conduct industry and business”
• cleanup of contaminated areas»Ökad prioritet i arbetet med att återställa förorenade områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increased priority in work to restore contaminated areas.”

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.