Ministry of the Environment

The UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid, Spain, concluded in overtime. The Conference was challenging both technically and politically, and several issues were deferred until future meetings as the Parties were unable to agree. The main progress made at the Conference included strengthened action to address loss and damage, an updated gender action plan, strong political signals on the importance of countries raising the bar in their climate action in 2020, and the importance of strengthening the link between oceans and the climate.

More people than ever before are now employed in exporting companies in Sweden. Exports drive the Swedish economy and keep around 1.5 million people in employment. To continue to strengthen Swedish exports, on Friday 13 December the Government launched an updated Trade and Investment Strategy to create jobs and growth throughout the country.

The 2019 UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) is currently taking place in Madrid. Last night, Sweden and India hosted the first high-level meeting of the global Leadership Group for Industry Transition, a joint Sweden-India initiative launched earlier this year. The group comprises countries and companies that will work together to accelerate the heavy industry and transport transition. At the meeting, Australia announced that it would be joining the group.

On 2–13 December, the countries of the world are gathering for the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 in Madrid under the Presidency of Chile. There the countries will negotiate and decide on future work under the Paris Agreement.

The High Ambition Alliance meeting on Chemicals and Waste took place today in Madrid under the leadership of Sweden and Uruguay. The meeting discussed the way forward for an ambitious global framework for chemicals and waste management. The current global chemicals strategy runs until 2020.

Madrid, Spain 2019-12-10 Check against delivery.

On 5 December 2019, the Government adopted a new strategy for Sweden’s partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for 2020–2023. The strategy is guided by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Inquiry Chair on combination effects and assessing groups of chemicals has delivered its final report to the Government. The report is entitled Future chemical risk management – Accounting for combination effects and assessing chemicals in groups.

The United States announced earlier this week that it has now issued formal notification of withdrawal from the climate agreement signed in Paris in 2015. Since the United States first announced that it would give notification of withdrawal, a further 40 countries have joined the Paris Agreement.

Heavy industry accounts for approximately 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reach the goals in the Paris Agreement more must be done to tackle these emissions. It was in light of this that Sweden and India launched the leadership group for industry transition at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York this September. The group is open for both government and business leaders and aims to enable the transition of heavy industry towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Now it is time to go from words to action.

Sweden and India have launched a global leadership group to push the climate transition in heavy industry. The initiative was presented by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven during the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.

Next week, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, Minister for Environment and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister, Isabella Lövin, Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde and Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson will travel to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly.

It its autumn amending budget for 2019, the Government proposes that more money should be invested this year in the protection of valuable natural environments and in a climate bonus for cars with very low emissions. The Government’s proposal for the autumn amending budget is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Sweden’s fantastic natural environment is to be made accessible to more people. The Government is now proposing to enhance the work on hiking trails as well as a special investment in preparations for the Outdoor Activities Year 2021. The Budget Bill builds on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Pollination is a very important ecosystem service that contributes to the production of food. In the Budget Bill for 2020, the Government is proposing a total of SEK 70 million per year in 2020–2022 for measures to benefit pollinating insects. The Budget Bill builds on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

The pace of climate efforts needs to speed up if Sweden is to meet its climate objectives. The Government is therefore proposing increased investments for the climate transition of the industrial and transport sectors. The Budget Bill builds on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

The Government is now proposing to enhance the work for Sweden’s valuable natural environments through investments in the protection of forests, more monitoring of the situation in natural environments and more robust efforts against eutrophication. The Budget Bill builds on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Following notification from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Government has decided to consider whether the operations that Preem AB wants to expand at Preemraff Lysekil should be permitted. This is in light of the major climate-related emissions that can be expected as a result of the planned operations.

This compilation contains a selection of acts and ordinances – both new and amended – that enter into force in mid-2019

Minister for Environment and Climate Isabella Lövin received the Belarusian Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Andrei Khudyk on 22 May 2019. Mr Khudyk and the Belarusian delegation visited Stockholm and Borlänge to study Swedish waste management experience and discuss sustainable development.