Sweden will become carbon neutral in 2045, five years earlier than it previously planned, under a proposal adopted last week by a parliamentary committee.
The plan calls for the country to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions 85% below 1990 levels and offset the rest by investing in carbon reduction projects.
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“We actually have all the technology we need to be 100% free of fossil fuels,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Green Party legislator Åsa Elisabeth Romson. “What we do not have is a market for it. We do not have an economy that can do it, so far.”
The government is expected to lay out a full legislative proposal in March, with details to follow in June.
“The country has already committed to investing SEK4.5 billion (US$546 million) in climate-related measures over the course of this year, including support for a raft of clean technologies,” BusinessGreen reports. “Last year Sweden edged out competitors Switzerland and Norway to be named the most sustainable country in the world in the yearly environmental, social, and governance ranking from sustainable investment company RobecoSAM.”
