Sweden criticises US climate stance as it reveals ambitious carbon emissions law

Extract from The Guardian

Prime minister Stefan Löfven calls the Trump administration’s approach worrying as he announces new law binding future governments to a goal of carbon neutrality by 2045


Sweden’s climate minister Isabella Lövin tweeted this photo seemingly parodying one that went viral purporting to be of Trump signing the abortion global gag rule. Photograph: Isabella Lövin


Saturday 4 February 2017 00.14 AEDT

Sweden has criticised the Trump administration’s approach to climate policy as it announced legislation binding future governments to a goal of phasing out greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, among the most ambitious by any developed nation.
“The position we hear from the new [US] administration is worrying,” prime minister Stefan Löfven said after announcing an ambitious new climate law promising zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
The Swedish climate minister, Isabella Lövin, urged European countries to take a leading role in tackling climate change, now “the US is not there anymore to lead”.
Lövin tweeted a photo of herself signing the legislation surrounded by seven other women – seemingly a reference to a series of photos of Donald Trump signing executive orders, including the reintroduction of the ‘global gag rule’, which were widely mocked.
“We are a feminist government, which shows in this photo,” Lövin said. “Ultimately it is up to the observer to interpret the photo.”
Seven of eight political parties – all but the far-right Sweden Democrats – agreed to pass a binding law obliging future governments to set tougher goals to cut fossil fuel use every four years. The law will come into force from 1 January 2018.
Sweden’s goal would demand at least an 85% cut in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 from 1990 levels, the government said. Remaining emissions would be offset, for instance by planting forests that soak up carbon as they grow or by investments abroad.
The European Union as a whole has set a target of an 80-95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“2045 is a good year,” Lövin said of the target for reaching zero net emissions, adding: “I personally believe we could get there even earlier.”
Among EU nations, she said, Britain, Denmark and Finland have also passed climate laws meant to make long-term policies less easily overturned and to give more certainty to investors.
By contrast, Trump has called climate change a hoax and wants to bolster the domestic coal and fossil fuel industries. He has threatened to pull out of a 2015 Paris agreement on climate change but also said he has an “open mind”.
Lovin said Sweden wanted to set an example at a time when “climate sceptics [are] really gaining power in the world again,” and felt encouraged by pledges by China and India to fulfil their commitments to the Paris Agreement.

China is “investing billions and billions of dollars in solar … it’s a game changer,” she said, warning that “those that are still wanting to invest in fossil fuels will be ultimately the losers.”