The assignment given to investigator Svante Mandell at the National Institute of Economic Research was to propose tools to phase out fossil fuels and make it possible for Sweden to reach its long-term climate goal by 2045 and meet various EU commitments.
Electrification is the primary route. In 2045 there will still be some liquid fuels, but the majority of the road vehicle fleet will be electrified, he says.
To succeed, the prices of gasoline and diesel need to increase by about three kronor per liter at the pump, according to Mandell, to reach the same price level as neighboring countries.
“Not popular”
He also points out that taxes should not be raised in the middle of the energy crisis.
Now the fuel market is very, very tight and prices have been pushed up. We foresee this crisis being phased out by 2028 when they are introduced.
He also proposes increasing the reduction obligation - that is, the requirement for the blending of biofuels - to 25 percent by 2030 and that more fossil-fuel vehicles need to pay a carbon dioxide fee on the vehicle tax for a longer period of time.
Of course, this is not popular in some camps. And I can understand that, because I personally think it is good to have low fuel prices. But we still need to have something that slowly but surely drives this electrification forward.
At the other end, proposals include reduced electricity taxes and more money for the electric car premium.
“A trail”
The proposals go against the policy that the Tidö parties have pursued in recent years.
"It's a dead end to focus on reduction obligations. We've had a policy in Sweden that has proven to be a dead end," says Britz, who does not want to raise fuel prices in the short term.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) and SD leader Jimmie Åkesson have also signaled that they do not accept the proposals.
Lower electricity taxes, on the other hand, get the thumbs up from Britz.
"I like anything that makes it more attractive to use electricity instead of fossil fuels," he says.
All power to electrification
Therefore, more needs to be done to increase electrification.
"We need to make sure we have more carrots, so that more people choose electric cars when they change cars. That's what brings down emissions," says Britz.
