Climate change

The party leaders of the governing Alliance-parties in Sweden write about climate change.
In an op-ed in Dagens Nyheter, a leading Swedish daily, on 5 December 2007, the four party leaders of the governing Alliance-coalition want the rest of the EU to take climate change more seriously.

Why a Commission on Climate Change and Development?
In October 2007, the Swedish Government decided to create a Commission on Climate Change and Development. The Commission is being lead by Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation, Ms. Gunilla Carlsson.

Speech by Sweden's Minister for Environment at the Bali-conference on Climate Change
Sweden's Minister for the Environment, Mr. Andreas Carlgren gave a speech to the assembled minister's at the Bali conference.

The Swedish Government's climate policy - Actions and initiatives in climate work
The climate challenge is clear: the rapid increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases must be stabilised at a level that has no harmful impact on people and the environment.

Climate Change Performance - Sweden remains at number 1, but still not good enough!
Once again, Sweden was given the top rank in the "Climate Change Performance Index". The report was released in Bali on 7 December 2007 by Germanwatch and CAN Europe.

Swedish Government adopts carbon offsetting for airtravel
The Swedish Government is introducing carbon offsetting for ministerial international air travel. The emissions produced by air travel will be offset by supporting projects in developing countries that result in equivalent emission reductions. Click here for more information.

The Midnight Sun Dialogue on Climate Change - Chairman's Summary.
Sweden's Minister of the Environment, Mr. Andreas Carlgren, chaired the Midnight Sun Dialogue on Climate Change, in Northern Sweden, 11-14 June 2007. The Chairman's Summary has now been released.

The Swedish Government has decided on allocations for emissions trading.
The Government decided on 11 October 2007 to amend the Emissions Trading Ordinance. The amendment applies to allocation of emission allowances to Swedish companies in the trading period 2008-2012.
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Press release from the Ministry of the Environment on 3 October 2007.
The following press release, entitled "Sweden must adapt to a changing climate", was released by The Commission on Climate and Vulnerability on 3 October 2007.
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Speech by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in New York on 24 September 2007.
Mr Reinfeldt gave the following speech at the UN high-level event "The Future in our Hands: Addressing the Leadership Challenge of Climate Change"
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Increased climate investments in the 2008 Budget
The Swedish Government is strengthening its investments to prevent climate change in the 2008 Budget Bill.
For more information, please go the the Ministry of the Environment's webpage

EU Position Paper on Climate Change and Related Events
The Portuguese Presidency of the European Union issued the following position paper on Climate Change and Related Events on 20 September 2007

EU Commissioner Dimas welcomes 2005 reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions and calls for further action
European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas welcomed today's news that the European Union's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.7% in 2005 and urged Member States to accelerate structural economic changes to ensure deeper, lasting emission cuts. The emissions fall in 2005 took EU-27 emissions to 11% below their levels in the Kyoto Protocol’s base year (1990 for most countries and gases) and EU-15 emissions to 2 %.
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Environment minister's meeting in northern Sweden
Environment ministers from around the world met in northern Sweden to discuss climate change.
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Climate change: EU Commissioner Dimas urges start of negotiations on global agreement to succeed Kyoto
To mark tomorrow's second anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol's entry into force, European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas called for the international community to begin negotiations urgently on a comprehensive global climate change treaty that would succeed Kyoto when its targets expire in 2012.
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IPCC - comments by Sweden's Environment Minister
In a press release, Sweden's Minister of the Environment, Mr. Andreas Carlgren comments upon the IPCC third interim report.

[UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION from Swedish]

Department of Environment 4th of May, 2007
Andreas Carlgren, Minister of Environment:
"Today UN's climate panel, IPCC, published their third interim report.
-This report motivates action. The climate scientists from all around the world is establishing the fact that technologies and methods exists, and also that the price for necessary action will not be too high. Now it is up to the politicians and the business community to take this opportunity and to act, says Sweden's Minister of Environment, Andreas Carlgren.
-The coming decades are decisive for limiting the effects of climate change. The existing agreement between countries about reducing the emissions is not enough. The scientists state that with economic means of control and transfers of technology, measures to combat climate change are consistent with economic growth. The report supports Sweden - as future President of the EU in 2009 - in its work to bring other countries into an agreement that sufficiently will reduce the GHG-emissions."

Climate change: New report from the world's leading scientists underlines the need for urgent global action
European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas called for an urgent start to international negotiations on a comprehensive new global climate change agreement following today's publication of alarming scientific evidence by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
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Fossil Fuel Free Växjo (Sweden) wins Sustainable Energy Europe Award
The City of Växjo in Sweden won the award "Sustainable Energy for Europe Award" 2007 during the European Sustainable Energy Week. Former mayor Carl-Olof Bengtsson and environment officer Henrik Johansson received the award on 1 February in Brussels.
Read more on the website of the city of Växjö

European Commission proposes stricter fuel standards
On January 31, 2007, the European Commission proposed stricter fuel standards in order to combat climate change and reduce air pollution.
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European Commission proposes an integrated energy and climate change package to cut emissions
On January 10 2007, the European Commission proposed a comprehensive package of measures to establish a new Energy Policy for Europe to combat climate change and to boost the EU's energy security and competitiveness.
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Emissions of greenhouse gases to be reduced by 30 percent, says Sweden's Prime Minister Reinfeldt and Environment Minister Carlgren
In an editorial article published in Swedish daily newspaper "Dagens Nyheter" on 18 December 2006, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren supports the goal of a 30% reduction of greenhouse gases in the EU.
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Swedes willing to pay more to support fight against Climate Change
8 of 10 Swedes are willing to pay more for products and services from companies who are fighting Climate Change. Similarily, Leif Johansson, CEO of Volvo recently expressed his support for higher taxes on fossile fuels.
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Climate Change Performance - Sweden is number 1, but still not good enough!
Sweden was given the top rank in a newly released report by Germanwatch and CAN Europe called "Climate Change Performance Index 2007" (CCPI 2007).
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Sweden sets climate target of - 25% by 2020
Press release 30 March 2006, Ministry of Sustainable Development.
Read the Press Release