As the U.S. abandons international climate agreements, the EU is hesitating to lead. A once-admired Nordic nation’s backtracking on its climate goals offers clues as to why.
Five years after the European Union vowed to lead the creation of the “first climate neutral continent” by 2050, and pledged at least a trillion euros to that effort, a long list of organizations, companies and agencies are accusing the EU of rolling back its European Green Deal with deregulation. Controversial proposals also include carbon offsets, loopholes in its emissions targets and delays of important efforts to reduce deforestation and make cleaner cars. Some critics have gone so far as to argue that the 27-nation union, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, is now starting to mirror, rather than counter, the dismantling of climate efforts in the U.S.
Part of the explanation for the EU’s retreat on climate can be found in Sweden. For decades the small northern country pushed Europe’s climate ambitions upward, but today, Sweden is falling back from its environmental progress. Last year, its fossil fuel emissions saw their biggest increase in 15 years. During that time period, carbon uptake by its vast forests have halved. And since the country swung to the right in its last general election, the government has slashed its investments in climate action. Researchers say Sweden’s policy shifts, and its evolving role as a frontrunner, is now contributing to the weakening of Europe’s climate agenda.
In recent months, numerous institutions have criticized Sweden’s environmental retreat. In March, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a once-in-a-decade environmental performance review of the country that stated “recent policy shifts have created an uncertain environment for climate action.”
