Ministry of the Environment

At a summit on the climate transition of energy-intensive industries, Minister for Environment and Climate Isabella Lövin announced that Sweden intends to contribute a total of SEK 300 million to a new and innovative industry transition programme within the World Bank’s climate finance mechanism, the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

The national strategy for a circular economy sets out the direction and ambition for a long-term and sustainable transition of Swedish society. The Government adopted the national strategy for a circular economy earlier this year. The strategy is now available in English. The strategy is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

A transition of the society is required to achieve environmental and climate objectives, secure our welfare services and the competitiveness of the business sector and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Through this strategy the Government wants to stake out the direction of and ambition for this work. In addition to the strategy, action plans containing concrete measures will be adopted.The strategy is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Sweden has committed to supporting the efforts of developing countries on emission reductions, climate adaptation, capacity-building and technology transfer. Since 2014, the Government has more than tripled its climate aid to developing countries. Climate financing in 2019 was 20 per cent higher than in 2018.

Global warming continues regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. Climate change will remain the defining issue of our generation. The Government is therefore proposing investments of SEK 9.7 billion in green recovery initiatives in the Budget Bill for 2021. The Government’s proposals are based on an agreement between the government parties, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

Stockholm, 14 July 2020. Check against delivery.

‘Leave no one behind’ (LNOB) is an overarching principle of the 2030 Agenda. It is both a prerequisite and goal for sustainable development, and should permeate all our efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

‘Leave no one behind’ (LNOB) is an overarching principle of the 2030 Agenda. It is both a prerequisite and goal for sustainable development, and should permeate all our efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).

The Government has adopted a national strategy for a circular economy that sets out the direction and ambition for a long-term and sustainable transition of Swedish society. This is an important step towards Sweden becoming the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation.

On 7–14 July, State Secretary Eva Svedling and a Swedish delegation will take part in the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. In line with the UN Secretary-General’s call, this year’s theme is ‘Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realising the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development’. In light of the COVID-19 crisis, and for the first time ever, this year’s HLPF will be held in a virtual format.

This compilation contains a selection of acts and ordinances – both new and amended – that enter into force in mid-2020.

How many people work at the Government Offices? What was the central government budget like last year? How many acts and ordinances were issued last year? The answer to these and other questions can be found in the Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2019.

The Government’s goal is for Sweden to be the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation. To achieve this, all policy areas must pull in the same direction and the issue of climate change must be integrated into all relevant policy areas. For this reason, the Government has decided to form a ministerial working group on climate policy.

This leaflet contains information about Sweden's climate act. The Climate Act establishes that the Government's climate policy must be based on the climate goals and specifies how work is to be carried out.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2023.

In a letter to the European Commission, Sweden and eleven other EU Member States call on the Commission to propose how the EU can show leadership in the climate transition and step up ambitions ahead of and during the UN Climate Change Conference at the end of the year.

The Government has appointed Gabriel Wikström as national coordinator for the 2030 Agenda. The appointment of a national coordinator is part of the Government’s work to implement the 2030 Agenda.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day January 27 several representatives from the Swedish Government participated in memorial services to honour the victims of the Holocaust and to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

On 22–23 January, Minister for Environment and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin is attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The theme of this year’s meeting is Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.

Biodiversity in our oceans is under threat. For this reason, the Government is signing up to the UK’s initiative calling for a global target of 30 per cent of the planet´s oceans to be protected by 2030.