Swedish voters stand out by listing climate change as one of the most important issues in the EU election. This is also an area where conflicts are piling up before the next term.
Here's what's going on and what the conflicts are about.
The disagreements revolve around the next step towards the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The EU has so far decided on the climate package Fit for 55, which means that EU countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55% by 2030.
The foundation is laid with the large legislative package Fit for 55, which means that EU countries must reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55% by 2030.
Now, some parties are pushing for tougher demands, while others want to pause climate policy or even repeal parts of the already decided laws.
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How does the situation look on the ground?
Several EU countries have been severely affected by floods, wildfires, and droughts. But also by high inflation and rising energy and food prices. In practice, the wallet is often pitted against climate work.
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What should the EU decide on?
The main issue is a new climate goal for 2040. The European Commission proposes that carbon dioxide emissions should be reduced by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990. There are no concrete proposals yet on how this will work, they will come when the new commission is in place.
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What other proposals are on the table?
The new EU parliament will inherit several legislative proposals on environmental, climate, and energy issues that have not yet been completed, for example, rules for textile and food waste and a forestry monitoring law.
The Swedish government recently stopped a new law to protect and restore nature. In short, it's because they don't think the EU should interfere with how Sweden manages its forests. It's now unclear what happens to the law, which aims to increase biological diversity.
New agricultural policy is to be decided before 2027. Environmental and climate requirements have fallen into the background when farmers protest across the EU.
The big question on the climate issue is what line the new EU commission will take. Will it present new, tough climate laws or slow down the pace?
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What are the parties arguing about?
Parties on the far right want to repeal the already decided climate package, while mainly green and red parties want to strengthen climate policy in the future.
More and more, especially among right-wing parties, emphasize that climate requirements should not harm the competitiveness of businesses.
A key question is what effect the climate measures will have on individual people. In principle, all parties say that ordinary people should not be unfairly affected, but that the transition must be perceived as fair.
Countries with protesting farmers on the streets want to approach new environmental and climate requirements cautiously.
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What do the Swedish parties think?
Parties to the far right want to slow down and even repeal parts of Fit for 55. This includes the Sweden Democrats.
Christian Democrats and Moderates stand behind the long-term climate goals, but emphasize that the way there must be economically sustainable. Like the Liberals, they want more nuclear power in EU policy.
Social Democrats, Liberals, and Center Party want carbon dioxide emissions to be reduced by 95% by 2040, which is more than what the commission has proposed.
The Left Party wants the EU to be climate-neutral by 2040, ten years before the EU's goal.
The Greens go one step further and want to be net-positive by 2040, i.e., more carbon dioxide should be bound in forests and soil than is released.
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How do voters view the climate issue?
When over 25,000 Europeans in the spring were asked to say their piece in the so-called Eurobarometer survey ahead of the EU election, Sweden was the only country where climate change was seen as the most important election issue. An opinion shared by EU's young voters.
When all EU countries are counted, the fight against poverty and social exclusion is seen as the most important election issue. In the EU parliament's survey, it is also noted that security and defense have become increasingly important, especially among voters in the east and north.
The EU's member states and the EU parliament are in agreement that the entire EU should be climate-neutral in terms of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Initially, the goal is for emissions in 2030 to have been reduced by 55% compared to the base year 1990.
To achieve the goal, the European Commission presented the legislative package Fit for 55 in 2021, which aims to reduce emissions with a range of measures, including carbon taxes, new rules for emissions trading, and the phase-out of fossil-fuel cars.
The legislation is largely agreed upon and now remains to be implemented in the member states.
