Climate scientist Johan Rockström directs sharp criticism against the government’s climate policy. Rockström, who has just been named one of this year’s 100 most influential people in the world by the American magazine Time, is deeply concerned. – The government’s policy is not functional, he says. In the midst of all the turbulence that is unfolding in the world, the EU is raising the level of ambition in climate work. At the same time, the Swedish government is showing tendencies to slow down climate policy. – When a rich example like Sweden chooses to back down with the argument that we cannot afford an active climate policy in this economic crisis, it sends very destructive signals, says Johan Rockström. “It’s serious now” Sweden has long been an example when it comes to the environment and sustainability, says Rockström. That the Tidö parties now want to skip the plastic bag tax is just one example of Sweden going in the wrong direction. – It’s like you deliberately want to create a debate around a marginal issue in order to avoid the big questions, says Rockström. He believes that we are currently in a global climate crisis that risks becoming unmanageable if we continue on the path we are on today. – It’s serious now. It is extremely worrying that our government underestimates the signals this sends to our outside world. “No surprises” Earlier this week, the Copernicus Climate Change Service released its annual report on the state of the European climate. The measurements show that the summer of 2022 was the warmest ever recorded for Europe, at 1.4 degrees above average. In addition, carbon dioxide emissions from forest fires during the summer were the highest in 20 years in some countries. – Unfortunately, the report contains no surprises, but shows a development that is in line with what we have seen in the last 20 years. It is simply getting warmer, says Gustav Strandberg, research leader and climate scientist at SMHI, to TT.
t4-general