Oxfam on Climate Policy Council report: Sweden on a dangerous path - the will of the people exists for climate policy

The Climate Policy Council concludes that the climate situation is serious, and that Sweden is not expected to achieve its climate targets and commitments with current policies. The conclusion is in line with the OECD's scathing criticism of the Tidö parties' change of climate policy, which was presented last week. Like the Climate Policy Council, Oxfam believes that climate policy must be reflected in budget and tax policy.

"The Tidö parties are pursuing policies that exacerbate the climate crisis and benefit the richest. The mandate period is ticking on, emissions are increasing, and the climate minister is ducking. Meanwhile, the climate crisis has deadly consequences for those who did the least to cause it. Continuing to violate the Climate Act is a dangerous path to take, both because it erodes trust in politics and democracy - and because the Swedish people so clearly demand a more ambitious climate policy that meets the climate goals. Sweden and the world deserve clear political leadership for an accelerated just climate transition now."

Hanna Nelson, Head of Policy, Oxfam Sweden

Sweden is unlikely to meet the EU's 2030 target, which will mean a fine that the Swedish people will have to pay. The Climate Policy Council notes that parts of the climate policy have been characterized by jerkiness, which impairs the conditions for investing in the climate transition. In order to continue the transition towards zero net emissions, policy needs to be strengthened in several key areas.

"The fact that the government chooses not to send a minister to the Climate Policy Council's report presentation for the first time says it all. The government has systematically dismissed the criticism of scientists, national and international expert authorities, used misleading rhetoric and calculations to defend a climate policy that delivers the exact opposite of its goals. This is a serious drift of Swedish policy towards populist rhetoric that is not grounded in truth."

Hanna Nelson, Head of Policy, Oxfam Sweden

Over the past year, we have seen climate policies that exacerbate the climate crisis and benefit the richest. One telling example is the aviation tax. Despite the fact that the will of the people and science speak in favor of reducing aviation emissions, the Tidö parties chose to abolish the aviation tax. The decision favors the airlines and the richest in big cities that already have resources. In addition, hundreds of millions of kronor a year in tax money are used to save Bromma Airport, where almost 90% of the traffic that remains is private aviation. At the same time, bus and train fares, which benefit a larger part of the population, are increasing.

The Climate Policy Council believes that climate policy needs to have a stronger impact on the government's budget priorities and tax policy, a conclusion that Oxfam shares.

"It is time for the government to realize that a majority of the Swedish people want an ambitious climate policy and to succeed it must also be fair and redistributive. The government has a chance now to deliver a climate transition, win back trust and pass the bill to the very richest who have done the most to cause the crisis through their disproportionate emissions. A wealth tax on multi-millionaires and billionaires can deliver the large sums that the climate transition requires."

Hanna Nelson, Head of Policy, Oxfam Sweden

If the transition is to succeed, the issue of equity is central, as the researchers in the background report to the Climate Policy Council also note, arguing that there are major distributional effects in the climate transition.

Background

• Oxfam has shown that there are huge differences in who bears the greatest responsibility for the transition. A person from the richest 1% emits almost 10 times more than a person from the 50% with the lowest emissions. The richest need to reduce their emissions deeply and quickly, and also contribute to the transition so that those who are worse off are supported in making the transition, according to the polluter pays principle. At the same time, some groups need to be compensated so that the transition does not become unfair and risk widening the gaps. Read more at https://oxfam.se/klimatojamlikhet/

• Several studies have shown that the majority of Swedes want more ambitious climate policies:

• A study in the scientific journal Nature Climate Change, shows that a broad majority of the Swedish people, 72%, are willing to pay one percent of their income to fight global warming. 85% think that the state needs to do more to fight the climate crisis.

• A SIFO survey shows that two out of three Swedes are concerned about climate change and three out of four Swedes think it is important that the government pursues policies that lead to Sweden achieving its climate goals.