Press release 22 September 2008
Ministry of the Environment

Major investment in climate and the marine environment in the environment budget

The Government is strengthening the environment budget. Particular priorities are climate and the marine environment, but funds have also been allocated for investments in the future management of predatory animals, the application of shore protection and regulatory reform. In addition, major climate investments are being made in other expenditure areas in the Budget Bill.

"Never before has a government invested so much in the environment. We in Sweden will do all we can to save the climate and become an pioneer country by driving the vehicles and creating the housing necessary to protect our climate. The Budget also lays the foundation for continued work for a high level of ambition and for powerful measures to improve the marine environment," says Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.

With the autumn Budget Bill the Government has raised the total appropriation for expenditure area 20 - General Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation - by almost SEK 800 million compared to the figure for 2006 to over SEK 5 billion per year for the period 2009-2011.

In the Budget the Government presents a broad package of climate and energy measures totalling SEK 3 billion, and a targeted investment in climate aid amounting to SEK 4 billion. The Government is substantially raising its ambitions for international climate investments. An extra SEK 670 million will be added to the appropriation for the period 2009-2011.

"Sweden will do all it can to save the world´s climate, but we can´t save the world´s climate in Sweden. The Government´s investments here in Sweden and in green technology in developing countries demonstrate Sweden´s ambition to get the countries of the world on board for a new climate agreement in 2009. International climate investments lead to major emission reductions for the money. The SEK 670 million that has now been allocated is equivalent to investments in emission reductions costing SEK 6-7 billion in Sweden," says Mr Carlgren.

In December 2008 the Government will present its Climate and Energy Bill. In it the Government will present a national target for emission reductions, as well as guidelines for changes to environment and energy taxes that will help Sweden to meet its share of the EU climate and energy policy targets. The end of the green car rebate in 2009 will raise the issue of changes in taxes to enhance environmental governance.

Extensive investments are already being made in measures to adapt Sweden to changes in the climate. The Government is allocating SEK 584 million for the period 2009-2011. This investment covers funds to improve the state of knowledge about the risks of landslides and avalanches, to improve the national Terrain Elevation Databank, and to enable the county administrative boards to take on a coordinating role in regional adaptation work.

The Government has launched a major investment in our marine environment in order to improve the environment of the Baltic Sea and the Skagerrak and Kattegat. It is now taking the next step in this investment. An extra SEK 655 million will be added to the special appropriation for the marine environment in the period 2009-2011. This means that with this Budget, the Government is investing a total of just over SEK 1 billion during the electoral period in a powerful agenda on marine environment policy.

"Marine environment issues require active and broad commitment, both in Sweden and abroad. The main share of investments in the marine environment has to be made on land. We are investing both in more long-term measures against emissions, and in measures that can produce quick results for our seas," says Mr Carlgren.

The Governments ambition is to strengthen cross-sector work on marine environment issues. A coherent Marine Environment Policy Bill will be presented to the Riksdag at the beginning of 2009.

The environment will be one of three key areas in the Government´s programme for research funding in the coming years. SEK 185 million of the environment budget has been allocated to environmental research for the years 2009-2011. The Government considers that strengthening research into low-resource production solutions, transport systems and renewable materials is crucial in order to be able to tackle environmental challenges and provide opportunities for growth, employment and exports. Research into the marine environment will also receive greater appropriations, with an additional SEK 10 million per year being allocated to the newly established Marine Environment Institute.

Biological diversity is a cornerstone of the Government´s environmental policy and represents the largest individual item on the environment side of the Budget. The total appropriation for the period 2009-2011 is just over SEK 5.5 billion. Previously, it has not been deemed possible to achieve the Riksdag´s acreage target, under the Sustainable Forests environmental quality objective, for the formal protection of valuable forest by 2010.

"The previous Government and the parties backing it left us with completely insufficient rules, methods and procedures for the protection of forests. Following the newly reached agreement with Sveaskog concerning set-asides of land, and as a result of further developments in work to create new methods and instruments, as well as other major landowners´ set-asides for protection, the Government considers that it will be possible to achieve the environmental objective on the formal protection of forests by 2010. We are now on the way to achieving the protection of valuable nature for future generations that past policy would not have made possible," says Mr Carlgren.

The Government intends to develop shore protection so as to provide clearer protection in the areas that are under strong development pressure. At the same time, a greater degree of local and regional adaptation will be possible. The Ministry of the Environment has presented a proposal for new, appropriate shore protection (Ds 2008:21), and the Government will present a bill later in the autumn. In order to improve the application of future legislation on shore protection in municipalities and counties, an extra SEK 27.7 million is being allocated for the period 2009-2011.

The Government wants to improve and simplify both the regulatory framework and the application of rules for planning and building. From 2009 the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning will be allocated SEK 5 million per year to develop better application of the Planning and Building Act. The total funding provided will amount to SEK 35 million per year from 2009.
In 2009 the Government will present the Riksdag with a proposal on the future management of predatory animals. In the Budget the Government has announced an investment of SEK 27 million for the period 2009-2011 in skills enhancement measures at the county administrative boards.