Karolina Skog

Chemicals and waste pose a growing threat to both the environment and human health around the world. The aim of the High Ambition Alliance is to ensure an ambitious new global deal on management of chemicals and waste.

Declining biodiversity is a global environmental problem. Species are becoming extinct, ecosystems are being damaged and the interplay between organisms is being disturbed. And yet nature is utterly crucial to people’s wellbeing and prosperity. On 14–15 November, Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog is meeting ministers from around the world at a UN meeting in Egypt to discuss how to reverse this trend.

On Monday 22 October, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances, Mr Baskut Tuncak, presented his first report to the United Nations General Assembly at an event in New York. Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog gave the opening address at the launch and continues to draw international attention to the need for a global agreement on chemicals and waste.

The Government today decided to contribute more than SEK 2 billion to the seventh replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7). Sweden will thereby increase its contribution to the GEF by more than 50 per cent for the period 2018–2022, compared with 2014–2018. This makes Sweden the sixth largest donor overall and the largest per capita donor. In total, replenishment pledges total SEK 34 billion (USD 4.1 billion). This decision reflects what was announced by the Government in the Budget Bill for 2018.

As part of efforts to end fossil fuel dependence and achieve Sweden’s goal of reducing transport sector emissions by 70 per cent by 2030, the Government today adopted an ordinance prescribing that consumers receive information at fuel pumps about the climate impact and origin of fuels, such as petrol, diesel, gas and more.

Rescue services, government agencies and local authorities are engaged in intensive efforts in response to the forest fires raging around the country, the widespread drought and the ongoing heat wave. More information about these efforts is available below. Crisis preparedness is part of the remit of every government agency and authority.

The prolonged heat and drought have impacted many sectors of society. There have been numerous forest fires, the agricultural sector has been severely affected by the drought and groundwater levels have dropped. The extreme temperatures can also cause health problems, especially among older people and the sick. The Government is following developments closely and taking the necessary decisions. The Government Offices is in continuous contact with the responsible government agencies.

Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog has launched an international high-level alliance to mobilise political engagement for more effective global management of chemicals and waste. The aim of the Alliance is to reach a global agreement on chemicals and waste, comparable to the Paris Agreement on climate. The Alliance was launched in connection with the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in New York.

As part of efforts to ensure toxin-free and resource-efficient ecocycles, the Government has decided to appoint an inquiry to propose a ban on spreading sewage sludge and introduce a requirement for phosphorus to be recycled from sewage sludge. The Government has appointed Gunnar Holmgren as Inquiry Chair.

On 16–17 July, Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog and a Swedish delegation will take part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. This year’s theme is ‘Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies’.

The number of pollinating insects is dramatically declining throughout the world, including in Sweden. This has adverse impacts on agriculture, horticulture and biodiversity. Sweden is now joining a coalition of countries with specific ambitions to reverse the negative trend for pollinators.

The sound management of chemicals and waste needs to be recognised as an essential part of sustainable development.

The Government welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce tougher EU targets for average CO2 emissions from new light vehicles but believes that the Commission’s ambition on emissions targets is far too low.

In connection with the one-year anniversary of the UN Ocean Conference in New York co-chaired by Sweden and Fiji, the Government has decided to finance a number of new international ocean projects. To continue demonstrating leadership, the Government is allocating a further SEK 80 million to contribute to improving the global marine environment.

Minister for Infrastructure Tomas Eneroth and Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog have announced how the new provisions on low emission zones would be designed. The Government will give municipalities the possibility of introducing three different kinds of low emission zones as of 1 January 2020.

The ‘cocktail effect’ is when the negative sum of two chemicals is greater than their individual parts. The Government is now taking a holistic approach to address the risks of groups or combinations of chemicals by appointing an inquiry.

On 12 March, Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog invited a smaller group of countries, researchers and stakeholders to a high-level dialogue on how the countries of the world can handle chemicals and waste. Listen to some of the arguments in this video.

In the past few days, Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog and Sweden hosted an international meeting on how the countries of the world can handle chemicals and waste. The spread of dangerous chemicals constitutes a major health risk at global level. Sweden wants to see a global agreement for chemicals, comparable to the Paris Agreement for the climate.

Opinion piece published in Politico on 5 March, by Minister for the Environment Karolina Skog