Today, the Environmental Objectives Committee is presenting its proposals for how Sweden will meet the various requirements at the EU level to increase biodiversity and increase carbon sequestration in forests and land.
All parliamentary parties have been involved in the investigation, and the work has sometimes been stormy.
There are very many goal conflicts in this area, says Chairman Lars Tysklind (L) at a press conference together with Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L).
Sweden has requirements to bind more carbon dioxide in forests and land, in what is called LULUCF in EU terminology. The trend is that the uptake is decreasing in Swedish forests, which is mainly due to increased logging and decreased growth, partly due to drought and fires.
Missing the target
With the committee's proposals, the uptake of carbon dioxide is expected to increase by 7 million tons by 2030. This is far from the 19 million tons that the Environmental Protection Agency considers necessary.
The Chairman points out that the conditions have changed during the journey. The Environmental Protection Agency's calculation methods have changed, and the carbon sink has proven to be smaller than previously thought.
Reality has shown that more measures are needed, it's completely obvious, says Tysklind about the proposals not being enough to meet the targets.
According to Romina Pourmokhtari, the government is now discussing with the EU Commission on how Sweden will meet the challenge. Member Carl-Wiktor Svensson (KD) tells SVT that the EU targets are "unachievable" and that the proposals are not enough to meet them.
He does not speak for the government. The government has no plans to lower the targets and lean back, says Pourmokhtari.
Compensation to forest owners
One proposal is that forest owners who postpone logging for five or 20 years will receive compensation for it to promote carbon sequestration. The measure is estimated to cost the state up to SEK 2.36 billion between 2026-2030.
Another task has been to provide proposals on how Sweden will live up to the EU's strategy for biodiversity. It says that "all remaining old-growth and natural forests should be strictly protected by 2030". According to the report, the proposals only contribute "to some extent" to this, and the concept of natural forest has been replaced by the narrower "old forest".
That's what the majority agreed on, says Tysklind.
What do you think about it?
I can think that it could have been a bit broader.
Proposes protection of old-growth and old forests, which is narrower than the EU's natural forest definition. Means that the EU's goal of "all remaining old-growth and natural forests being strictly protected by 2030" is only achieved to some extent.
The proposals for net carbon sequestration in forests and land do not fully meet the EU's LULUCF requirements.
Compensation to landowners who take measures to increase net carbon sequestration, such as to forest owners who voluntarily postpone logging for five or 20 years. The total cost to the state will be SEK 2.4 billion between 2026-2030.
Compensation to landowners for forest fertilization. Means that the state will take half of the cost between 2026-2030. Estimated to cost SEK 400-600 million during the entire five-year period.
Increased support for wetlands, including compensation to property owners, with SEK 1.5 billion per year between 2026-2030.
Targeted information and advisory efforts to forest owners on carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
Source: Environmental Objectives Committee
