It finally arrived, Sweden's Climate Action Plan! A document of about 250 pages. Not everyone can get through 250 pages, so there may be a point in making a more accessible version for society's various target groups.
The Climate Action Plan lists the key conditions for achieving the climate targets:
- ensure access to fossil-free electricity, charging infrastructure and electricity networks to enable new connections of fossil-free plants and charging and meet the expected increased demand for fossil-free electricity and power throughout the country,
- make authorisation processes shorter, more predictable and efficient,
- ensure access to a labour force with the right skills,
- ensure a sustainable supply of critical raw materials, batteries, sustainable biomass and fossil-free fuels,
- increase recycling and reuse to create a more resource-efficient circular economy,
- pricing greenhouse gas emissions,
- create commitment and acceptance of climate policy instruments,
- contribute to an efficient supply of capital for technology development, among other things,
- provide incentives for negative emissions including bio-CCS.
There are many references in the action plan to the instruments and regulations that already exist at international and EU level and that are mandatory for all EU countries. The EU framework and platform is, as I see it, our most important driving force and compass to fulfil our climate commitments.
Creating the right conditions for finding solutions and creating growth
The action plan places great focus on the business side, emphasising the need for technological development, innovation and growth and how Swedish companies can gain a leading market position in a fossil-free society. To create growth through new, more climate-efficient products and services, and for Swedish products and services to contribute to the overall EU targets for zero emissions.
These are reasonable assumptions and are in line with what we ourselves advocate in HoloHouse - that there is a huge market opportunity to meet the Agenda 2030 goals including the goals that directly or indirectly affect climate emissions. We need to provide the very best conditions for companies to find solutions and create growth at the same time. There is a strong incentive for this to happen because new markets mean new business opportunities. The action plan points to creating conditions that help companies achieve this - e.g. through climate policy instruments, capital supply for technology development, streamlining permit processes, and ensuring that the labour force has the right skills.
In my opinion, the biggest lack in the climate action plan is measures and incentives for households and municipalities to make climate-smart decisions. For households, it is usually their own economic conditions but also their commitment and interest that create the framework for the possibility of making certain climate-smart decisions such as investing in solar panels on their own homes, purchasing electricity or a biogas car.
Municipalities' responsibilities and opportunities
With regard to municipalities, the action plan emphasises, among other things, the need to update regional energy and climate strategies and that the municipalities, under the guidance of the County Administrative Board, could play a role in the regional and local transition work.
Here you need to work with slightly different tools than for companies because municipalities do not have as much responsibility and obligations under climate and sustainability legislation as companies. Among other things, municipalities are not covered by regulations such as the EU's new sustainability reporting that begins in January 2024. However, municipalities have a unique position to influence actors in their own municipality. This is through incentives, supervisory responsibility and awareness-raising initiatives. More and more municipalities are recognising the potential of climate and sustainability work by being proactive, innovative and working in larger collaborative constellations. In addition to the effects of forward-looking environmental and climate work, this also brings increased visibility and recognition nationally and internationally. It will be a bit like a competition between municipalities where municipalities are not driven by financial profit and increased market share like companies, but by the opportunity to influence and take place.
I managed to (almost) get through 250 pages and am looking forward to a resolute action plan and targeted communication to the various stakeholders the plan addresses. To get everyone on board and get the ball rolling!
