Statistics Sweden's statistics from the second quarter of this year show that greenhouse gas emissions increased compared to the same quarter in 2023.
It's very serious, but it's also expected, says the Green Party's climate policy spokesperson Elin Söderberg.
If you increase the involvement of fossil fuels in fuel and make fossil fuels cheaper, then emissions will increase.
Commented in SR
As the new climate minister, Pourmokhtari said at the UN climate meeting (COP) in Egypt in 2022 that the climate goals for 2030 would be achieved and that she would "of course" resign if the policy went in the wrong direction in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet.
Last Friday, she commented on her promise in Sveriges Radio's environmental program "Klotet":
What I said during the first COP meeting when I was interviewed by Svenska Dagbladet, was that if we move further away from Sweden's climate goals and emissions increase with me as climate minister, then I will resign.
The minister also pointed out that statistics for 2022 and 2023 show that emissions did not increase during those years.
Is the Green Party demanding that the minister resign now due to the quarterly report?
What we see is that the climate and environment minister is not taking responsibility for the task she has as minister. Making promises to resign if emissions increase and then driving a policy that makes greenhouse gas emissions increase, that's serious, says Söderberg.
The question is now turned to the climate and environment minister. Will she withdraw her promise or will she fulfill it?
The Minister Responds
But you're not demanding her resignation?
Pourmokhtari has said herself that she will resign if emissions increase, and today Statistics Sweden's statistics clearly show that emissions are increasing.
In a debate on SVT's Aktuellt with the Green Party's spokesperson Amanda Lind, Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari admits that emissions will increase in 2024 as a result of the government reducing the reduction obligation.
It's in line with the government's forecasts, but emissions will decrease again from 2025 and onwards, she says.
The Environment Minister also received criticism for the government's climate policy hindering industry's green transition.
This is a complex issue that has difficult answers. It's important that we don't put all our eggs in the same basket with fuel prices, but talk about more issues related to climate, not least forestry and the electricity issue. We need both wind power and nuclear power to meet the electricity needs of industry for its transition, said Pourmokhtari.
