Romina Pourmokhtari (L) did not attend the presentation of the report, something she and other environment ministers have done before. The Council's role is to evaluate the government's climate policy. Pourmokhtari says she received the report on Wednesday.
I have sat for over an hour together with several members of the Council – chairman, vice-chairman, secretary-general – and discussed the report's content in a factual manner, she says.
"Very interesting"
She describes it as valuable to take part in the opinions.
I think it's very interesting to listen to the Climate Policy Council's reasoning about how Swedish climate policy looks and how it can develop.
However, she will not follow the recommendations to already this year raise the reduction obligation – which forces fuel companies to blend in biofuels in petrol and diesel, and thereby reduce carbon dioxide emissions – and to raise the fuel tax.
I think it can be a bit misleading when you show an example that no party in Sweden stands behind. But I take note of the fact that the Climate Policy Council thinks that the best way forward is to raise the fuel tax and reduction obligation.
"Not worried"
When it comes to emissions in the future, she agrees that there is uncertainty about whether Sweden will reach the EU goal for 2030. When it comes to measures, she highlights electric car premiums for those who have far to collective transport, support for biogas production in agriculture, and electrification efforts.
I am not worried. This report is entirely in line with the assessments we ourselves make of how it looks, she says.
