On Sunday, the government and the Sweden Democrats announced that the reduction obligation was reduced to six percent on gasoline and diesel, from today’s 7.8 percent for gasoline and 30.5 percent for diesel.
Svenskt Näringsliv writes in a press release that the cost-effectiveness of the reduction obligation can be questioned, and therefore a reduction is welcomed.
Can make it difficult
But at the same time, a reduction in favor of more efficient investments could make it more difficult to meet Sweden’s EU target of minus 50 percent by 2030 in the so-called ESR sector – which concerns national targets for emission reductions, warns Karin Johansson, Svenskt Näringsliv’s deputy CEO.
“Here, Sweden, like Germany, can conclude bilateral agreements on ESR quota units with European countries that have not progressed as far in their green transition,” she says.
The transport companies’ CEO Marcus Dahlsten believes that the government is going too far with lowering the level to six percent.
“Is remarkable”
“We also consider it remarkable that the government does not signal what the development should look like after the mandate period. In such an important issue as the green transition, the transport sector needs clear and long-term rules of the game,” says Dahlsten in a press release.
“The calculations show that the government could have returned to the levels that applied when the reduction obligation was introduced and that a future development takes more into account the real conditions for, for example, the supply of biofuel,” he says.
Dahlsten also points out that there are now even stronger reasons to further speed up electrification. In order to cope with the green transition and maintain competitiveness, the government must now present purchase support for electric heavy and light trucks and charging infrastructure. Electricity production must also increase and the electricity grids must be strengthened and expanded, he says.