All of the 20 companies with the largest carbon dioxide emissions – calculated on their direct emissions in Sweden – have clear targets for reduced emissions.
– Today, business is definitely more focused on reducing emissions. They want to be part of the solution, says Nina Ekelund, secretary general of the Haga initiative.
According to a report produced by the network, many of the 20 audited companies promise to get down to zero or almost zero emissions much earlier than 2045, which is Sweden’s national goal of climate neutrality. The fastest are a number of energy companies, with Göteborg energi at the forefront (see fact box). But even the oil giant Preem aims to be close to zero emissions by 2035.
– We are a large emitter today. Our entire strategy is about being part of the transition, says Katarina Eklund, head of sustainability at Preem.
Customers demand fossil-free
Audits carried out by SVT have shown that several of the companies in question previously did not meet their own environmental targets. SSAB, which is the company in Sweden that emits the most, has for example received a lot of attention for investments in fossil-free steel, but in recent years has reduced its emissions quite marginally.
SSAB has now tightened its policy decisions. By 2032, the company must stop using fossil coal in its two blast furnaces in Oxelösund and Luleå, which is expected to reduce emissions by 80-90 percent.
Stockholm Exergi will have emissions close to zero by 2035. However, carbon dioxide storage should already have negative emissions by 2026. According to the company, political decisions on taxes and emissions rights have been decisive for the phase-out of oil and coal. However, the fact that they now want to get down to zero quickly depends on demands from other places:
– It is our customers, real estate companies and companies, who want to buy energy and heat that is preferably completely free of fossil footprints. They are the ones who are now driving us to invest in order to reach zero emissions, says Sustainability Manager Ulf Wikström.
“Sustainability and profitability go hand in hand”
The Haga initiative believes that companies need to cooperate more with politics in order to achieve their goals. But also that many companies today see benefits from strict – but long-term – climate rules:
– The companies want to take market shares. Those who are first with products with low emissions will be more profitable, here sustainability and profitability go hand in hand, says Nina Eklund.