Climate Policy Council: Tasked with reviewing the government's overall policy

Sweden faces ambitious climate goals, and to ensure that the government lives up to these, the Climate Policy Council was tasked in 2018 with reviewing the overall policy. With a clear focus on achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and then striving for negative emissions, Sweden has adopted a climate policy framework that includes climate goals, legislation (the Climate Act), and an independent interdisciplinary reviewing body: the Climate Policy Council.

Since 2018, the climate policy framework has been the heart of Swedish climate policy, and the Climate Policy Council plays a central role in assessing how the government's overall policies align with the established climate goals. This mission is comprehensive and complex, spanning across society and all policy areas that impact its development. The Climate Act, effective since January 1, 2018, stipulates that the government's climate policy must be based on overarching climate goals and specifies how this work should be conducted.

"We evaluate how the government's overall policies align with the climate goals decided by the parliament and the government. We also have the responsibility to highlight the effects of climate policy and identify areas where further actions are needed to achieve the climate goals. We do this through our annual report and through recommendations to the government," explains Åsa Persson, chair of the Climate Policy Council.

The Climate Policy Council also has the task of contributing to increased societal discussion on climate policy. Åsa Persson sees this as an important task where, as the chairperson, she is not just the public face. "The discussion about climate in Sweden garners significant public interest, and the new EU policies post the turn of the year drive this discussion. I sense there's considerable support among Swedes for climate policy in general, but many are concerned about the climate's future impact, who will be affected in the long term, and who will bear the cost of transition. Hence, it's crucial that what is communicated is grounded in science," says Åsa Persson.

To contribute to increased knowledge and discussion about climate policy in society, the Climate Policy Council, in collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Energy Agency, drives the web-based platform Panorama. This platform provides an overview of emissions trends, the potential of various transition types, and the policies and other efforts contributing to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. Here, the general public can see which parts of society are transitioning and how it's progressing, the challenges, and opportunities we face. The tool is open for everyone to use.

Speaking of challenges and opportunities, Åsa mentions transportation, forestry, and agriculture as Sweden's biggest challenges today: "The government needs to employ a broader range of measures regarding transportation. Much involves electrification but not solely. We'll need to review transport efficiency and reduce overall traffic. Forestry is another growing challenge, where new EU policies mean we need to expand Swedish forests and land as carbon sinks. Here, biodiversity needs to coexist with economic interests. Agriculture is another challenge, where emissions are complex to tackle. On the other hand, Sweden's industry, previously seen as a challenge, is now considered an opportunity, where we're witnessing new technology and innovations accelerating climate transition," says Åsa Persson.

At the time of this conversation, Åsa is at COP28 in Dubai, participating in the climate meeting and meeting representatives from other countries' climate councils. When asked about exchanges between the Nordic countries' counterparts, Åsa shares that they have close relations with Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. "Finland has a lot of forests, just like Sweden, and Denmark has agriculture. Here, for instance, through sharing experiences, we can learn more about each other's methods," concludes Åsa Persson.

Åsa Persson is one of the main speakers at the Nordic Sustainability Expo and will be speaking at the Expo Stage on May 21, 2024.