Ministry of the Environment

Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog has launched an international high-level alliance to mobilise political engagement for more effective global management of chemicals and waste. The aim of the Alliance is to reach a global agreement on chemicals and waste, comparable to the Paris Agreement on climate. The Alliance was launched in connection with the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York.

As part of efforts to ensure toxin-free and resource-efficient ecocycles, the Government has decided to appoint an inquiry to propose a ban on spreading sewage sludge and introduce a requirement for phosphorus to be recycled from sewage sludge. The Government has appointed Gunnar Holmgren as Inquiry Chair.

On 16–17 July, Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog and a Swedish delegation will take part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. This year’s theme is ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’.

The number of pollinating insects is dramatically declining throughout the world, including in Sweden. This has adverse impacts on agriculture, horticulture and biodiversity. Sweden is now joining a coalition of countries with specific ambitions to reverse the negative trend for pollinators.

The sound management of chemicals and waste needs to be recognised as an essential part of sustainable development.

In the 'Strategy for liveable cities', the Government presents its overall policy for sustainable urban development. It is Sweden’s first national urban development strategy. The strategy focuses on goals for sustainable cities and policies primarily for urban transport and green areas, as well as innovative and sustainable construction.

The Government welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce tougher EU targets for average CO2 emissions from new light vehicles but believes that the Commission’s ambition on emissions targets is far too low.

In connection with the one-year anniversary of the UN Ocean Conference in New York co-chaired by Sweden and Fiji, the Government has decided to finance a number of new international ocean projects. To continue demonstrating leadership, the Government is allocating a further SEK 80 million to contribute to improving the global marine environment.

This is Sweden’s Seventh National Communication (NC7), which summarises the progress Sweden has made to meetits obligations under the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the KyotoProtocol.

At yesterdays’s launch of the Equal by 30 initiative, Sweden has committed to working globally for the principles of equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities for women by 2030. Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy Ibrahim Baylan is to present measures to achieve these aims.

Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy Ibrahim Baylan yesterday announced that the goal of the Global Lighting Challenge has been reached. Over two years, a number of Swedish and international actors have made commitments to bring more efficient lighting to the market.

Sweden and the European Commission, along with a number of other countries and businesses, are urging more stakeholders to back the measures needed to ensure that the world’s battery production is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

Climate change is one of the Government’s top-three issues, alongside jobs and education. The Government has adopted a guest researcher programme under which US environment and climate researchers can be invited to conduct research in Sweden for a period of up to three years.

Halfway into the five-year commitments made at the COP21 climate conference in Paris, Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy Ibrahim Baylan has launched two international innovation competitions: Sustainable Mobility as a Service and Sustainable Local Energy Systems.

The Nordic region will have the most integrated and intelligent sustainable energy solutions. Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy Ibrahim Baylan and the Nordic energy ministers have adopted a declaration on strengthening Nordic leadership in the global energy transition. They also encouraged the Nordic business sector to draw up proposals for promoting Nordic exports of climate-smart clean energy technologies.

In addition to a number of official side events in connection with the ministerial meetings (CEM9/MI-3), diverse energy related activities will take place in the Öresund region May 21 – 24, 2018. Nordic Clean Energy Week is co-hosted by Sweden and Denmark. During the week, politicians, researchers, business and industry will gather to discuss future energy solutions.

On 23–24 May, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the European Commission and the Nordic Council of Ministers will host the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation in Malmö and Copenhagen.

On 22 May, the Nordic energy ministers will meet in Lund, led by Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy Ibrahim Baylan, to discuss deepened Nordic cooperation. The meeting will be followed by two international energy ministerial meetings in Malmö and Copenhagen on 23 and 24 May.

Sweden has today made pledges of more than SEK 2 billion towards the Global Environmental Facility. This entails an increase of Sweden’s contribution to the fund of more than 50 per cent for the period 2018–2022, compared with the period 2014–2018.

Opinion piece by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, and Deputy Prime Minister Ms Isabella Lövin in The Guardian, 17 April 2018.