prop · GX0334en · 2009-10-21 00:00:00 — also has low national emissions per capita and per unit of GDP compared with most other industrial countries. The relatively low emissions are largely due to a high proportion of hydro and nuclear power in electricity production and substantial use of biofuels, which in turn is due to the energy and climate policy in effect. Emissions from various sectors of the Swedish economy differed considerably between 1990 and 2007. In , most greenhouse gas emissions currently come from transport and industry. Emissions from electricity and heating production and from residential and commercial heating are, however, very low compared with emissions for the same purposes in other industrial countries. In 2009, as a step in developing the climate and energy policy and meeting the required emission targets, the Government presented A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy (Govt. 2008/09:162 and 2008/09:163) which was adopted by the Riksdag in the summer of 2009 (Committee Report 2008/09:MJU28, . 2008/09:300 and Committee Report 2008/09:NU25 Riksdag Communication 2008/09:301). Under this policy, greenhouse gas emissions in in 2020 should be 40 per cent lower than in 1990. The target refers to those activities not covered by the emissions trading scheme. To meet this target, it is the Government's intention to supplement policy instruments with financial policy instruments in the tax area. The Government also intends to implement reductions promptly and in full, in line with measures decided by the EU. Furthermore, within the framework of the national target, will implement measures reducing emissions in other countries, such as green investments in developing countries or measures in other EU countries. The national interim target for 20082012 remains firm. This means that Swedish greenhouse gas emissions in 20082012 will be at least four per cent lower than in 1990. The use of fossil fuels for heating will be phased out by 2020. This development is of considerable importance to the impact have on the climate. The Government intends to gradually improve energy efficiency in the transport system, end dependence on fossil fuels and thus reduce their impact on the climate. In the climate bill, A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Climate (Govt. 2008/09:162), the Government presented an action plan for a fossil-fuel independent fleet of vehicles by 2030, which includes both tax proposals and initiatives for renewable fuels and alternative technology. With these sustainable energy and sustainable transport targets and measures and those reported in the following sections, the Government's aim is that by 2050, will have a sustainable and resource-efficient energy supply without any net emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. With the Riksdag's approval of the bill A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Energy (Govt. 2008/09:163, Committee Report 2008/09:NU25, 2008/09:301), a number of new renewable energy targets have been established for . By 2020, the percentage of renewable energy is to be at least 50 per cent of total In the same year, the percentage of renewable energy consumed in the transport sector is to be at least 10 per cent. these targets are based on the requirements established for in the Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (dir. 2009/28/EC). The consumption of renewable energy is increasing in all sectors owing to a number of different measures, above all, as a result of the carbon dioxide tax and the electricity certificate system. percentage of renewable energy compared to final energy consumption has grown steadily since the beginning of the 1970s and in 2007 came to 43.9 per cent. Bioenergy and hydro power account for most of this The Riksdag had previously adopted a target for renewable electricity in the framework of the electricity certificate system that involved an increase of by 2016 compared with the 2002 level. Government has recently estimated (see Govt.Bill 2008/09:163) that a new target to be achieved by 2020 should be established corresponding to an increase of compared with 2002. In 2008 a total of 14.2 TWh of renewable electricity was produced in the framework of the electricity certificate system, which is deemed to be in line with the Riksdag's target. electricity production accounted for the largest part of renewable energy production. power was the fastest growing source of renewable energy at 39 per cent compared with In 2007, renewable vehicle fuels made up about four per cent of the transport sector's energy consumption, primarily via low-level blends of gasoline and diesel, corresponding to , an increase of from the year before. The Riksdag in 2002 established a planning target for wind power of until 2015. In 2009, the Riksdag approved a national planning frame for wind power equivalent to an annual production capacity of through to 2020, of which is land based and is sea based. In the 2009 bill Assessment (Prövning av vindkraft) (Govt. 2008/09:146) several reforms were proposed to facilitate the expansion of wind power and reduce administrative costs and increase predictability for businesses without lowering the requirements for a legally secure and scrupulous An example of the changes proposed is that an integrated assessment of wind power plants will be made at the environmental permit hearing and that the current requirements for detailed development plans and permits have mostly been eliminated. Another proposed rule change is that matters concerning the installation of power lines that have been authorised under the Environment Code will not need to be examined in a proceeding on network concessions. efficient energy use can help reduce the impact on the climate. With the Riksdag's approval of the bill A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Energy (Govt. 2008/09:163, Committee Report 2008/09:NU25, 2008/09:301), a national energy efficiency energy target has been established for . target will lead to a reduction in energy intensity expressed in terms of energy consumption in relation to GDP of 20 per cent by 2020 compared with 2008. In the above-named bill, the Government also presented a national action plan for energy efficiency, which is to help achieve the national energy intensity target and the target of a 9 per cent energy savings by 2016 relative to the annual energy consumption average in 20012005, in line with the directive on energy end-use efficiency and energy services (dir. 2006/32/EC). In the 2009 Budget , the Government appropriated million for the years 20102011 for future energy efficiency initiatives at the local and regional level and for initiatives for sustainable energy consumption. Within the framework of this work, the has presented several concrete tools and programmes for energy efficiency in SMEs, which are currently designed for the energy intensive industry and have produced excellent results. The initiatives also include, for example, measures to promote the market introduction of energy efficient technology (particularly in dwellings and business premises) and municipal energy and climate advice. In the 2010 Budget , these measures were allocated an additional million for 2012. Moreover, the Government will allocate million annually for the financing of a five-year programme for energy efficiency in 20102014 to reinforce and broaden energy efficiency measures, over and above current policy provisions. The programme includes increased action on energy and climate on the regional and local level work, initiatives for information, consultation, support for technology procurement and market introduction of energy efficient technology, network activities and the introduction of a support system with energy audit vouchers. As seen in the bill on transport policy objectives, Objectives for (Mål för framtidens resor och transporter) (Govt. 2008/09:93), adopted by the Riksdag in 2009, transport policy is an important part of the Government's policy for more jobs and growing companies. Carbon dioxide emissions from domestic transport made up close to 32 per cent of total emissions in in 2007. Firm action is needed to reduce emissions in the transport sector. The Government intends to gradually improve energy efficiency in the transport system, end dependence on fossil fuels and thus reduce their impact on the climate. To encourage and increase the pace of the shift to more environmentally sound vehicular traffic, it was proposed in the bill A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Climate (Govt. 2008/09:162) that new green cars be exempt from the vehicle tax for the first five years. The green car rebate introduced on to speed up the market penetration of green cars in for a limited time was thus replaced by a long-term tax exemption. According to the Government, the proposal should come into effect on 1 January 2010, but apply retroactively to cars that first came into service on 1 2009. difference compared with the green car rebate is that the tax exemption applies not only to cars purchased by private persons but also to those purchased by businesses, for example, company cars. The green car rebate has had the desired effect. In when it was introduced, there were about 68 000 green cars in . By summer 2009, there were 228 000. than 30 per cent of new car sales are green cars. With the ordinance on environmental and road safety requirements for government agency cars and car (SFS 2009:1), environmental requirements were further tightened beginning 1 February 2009 and farreaching traffic safety requirements were introduced. The general rule now is that all cars purchased or leased by central government agencies are to be green cars. In the 2010 Budget , the Government proposes, within the framework of a new five-year programme for energy efficiency (20102014), expanded measures to promote the development, use and spread of new energy efficient technology by means of technology procurement and associated measures for market introduction. The emphasis is on energy efficient road transport vehicles and energy efficient in agriculture and forestry. Since the growth of cities and built-up areas has a major impact on climate, competitiveness and quality of life, the Government appointed a commission of inquiry, the Delegation for Sustainable Cities, in autumn . The Delegation has a broad remit to work for two years towards sustainable urbanisation. By using integrated, sustainable city planning and new environmental technology, cities environmental impact will be reduced at the same time that attractive and competitive environments are created. The Delegation deals with issues concerning how more private and public cooperation can be achieved and how expertise in architecture and city planning can be further improved and be a part of climate related environmental technology exports. The Delegation also deals with and decides on the financial support for the development of sustainable cities that was introduced in 2009. In 2009 and 2010, a total of million is available for support to urban development projects that have considerable potential for reducing climate impact and that may make internationally advanced, attractive and sustainable urban environments to be used for demonstration purposes to support cooperation and exports. Swedish expertise on sustainable urban development and environmental technology has international exposure in the form of SymbioCity, which has been developed by the in cooperation with the Government Offices and the environmental technology sector. The Government and a number of public authorities also participate in various forms of international cooperation on sustainable urban development, such as EU informal cooperation in the area, the UN- HABITAT and the . Cooperation with on environmental policy and sustainable urban development has been initiated. Government has appointed a special coordinator for this work. The Government has also been actively pursuing more international cooperation in other areas related to environmental and energy technology. For example, it has entered into agreements with the , and . Climate initiatives in development cooperation In international development cooperation, the Government has announced a special climate initiative amounting to approximately billion from 20092012. The objective is primarily to contribute in an effective to long-term efforts to adapt to climate change in the poorest countries, but also to contribute to developing countries' measures to limit the percentage of greenhouse gases by such means as increased energy efficiency, enhanced access to better technology and alternative energy sources and reforestation projects. Contributions will primarily be made through existing multilateral initiatives, but also in bilateral cooperation with the focus on . In October 2007, the Government appointed an international commission for climate change and development. The aim was to increase the focus on the link between climate change and development in poor countries. One of the main tasks was to ensure that future development assistance takes into account climate impact and the risk of disasters in developing countries. The results of the Commissions work were presented in the spring of 2009. The Commission has focused on adaptation to climate changes and its links to risk reduction. In its final report, the Commission points out that adaptation is context specific and that in the work to address climate change, it is essential to emphasise the importance of the local level and the human dimension in adapting to climate change. Development cooperation should be used as a catalyst to generate other types of financing for adaptation: financing with and without aid and public and private funding. The Commission thinks that no new mechanisms and institutions are needed but that governance and coordination of existing ones must be improved. In spring , the Riksdag approved the bill A Coherent Swedish Policy (Govt. 2008/09:170, Committee Report 2008/09:MJU29, 2008/09:299). The aim is for the resources of the sea and areas to be used in a sustainable way to ensure that the ecosystems are maintained and restored while allowing industries that are linked to the sea to develop, grow and contribute to strengthening competitiveness. In the bill, the Government presents instruments for supporting the development of new activities linked to the sea. The Government also mentions high priority measures required to increase employment and develop entrepreneurship and infrastructure in the sector. Environmentally friendly management non-toxic and resource-saving ecocycles In 2008 the Government presented a bill on chemicals registration (Govt 2007/08:80), with proposals to change provisions in Swedish law on chemicals when the new EU legislation on chemicals Reach comes into effect. With Reach, people's health and the environment will be better protected, while chemicals industry will become more competitive and the development of alternative and safer substances will be encouraged. The Government has also begun work on the follow up of the Reach Inquiry's final report which was presented in 2008. This work includes proposals for an organisation for effective supervision of adherence to Reach and other legislation on chemicals. Harmonised legislation together with effective supervision creates the basis for good competition for the actors concerned, in this instance mainly the chemicals industry. Environmental taxes and other economic policy instruments are of major importance in achieving future climate and energy targets. economic policy instruments provide different incentives and need to be coordinated in order to be effective. One important premise of environmental policy instruments is that to the extent possible, they should be designed so that the polluters pay for their impact on the They should as much as possible be cost effective, technology neutral and administratively simple. The Government in the bill A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Climate (Govt. 2008/09:162) announced some structural changes to the tax system with the aim of making it simpler to implement well- targeted and appropriate changes in policy instruments. changes made to the tax structure, the Government has announced tax proposals that are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help achieve the targets for the percentage of renewable energy and increased To eliminate any possible gaps in information or knowledge, taxes and emissions trading or other market-based instruments should be supplemented with other policy instruments in order to implement Swedish climate and energy policy. The bill A Cohesive Climate and Energy Policy Energy (Govt.Bill 2008/09:163) presented principles and supplementary measures needed to resolve gaps in information and knowledge in various sectors so that the market-based instruments are given a chance to function better. The work on eliminating gaps in knowledge about the climate and energy develops gradually from general information about the climate issue to more detailed information and advice to households, property owners and companies in various sectors about possibilities and measures to reduce energy consumption and thus the impact on the climate. A support system for energy audits of SMEs will be created and better information portals developed for the construction sector and other sectors. In this work, the Government will also promote the possibilities of mobilising and making use of the knowledge and drive that can be found in different actors at the local, regional and national levels. is a key actor in pushing ahead with the work on environmental standards in public procurement. Working methods and quality in the development and updating of environmental criteria have been further elaborated. In view of the current economic crisis, the has focused even more on providing guidance to contracting authorities to enable them to combine financial and environmental gains. has continued to introduce cutting-edge criteria in its work on environmental standards in public procurement. As a result, environmental standards are divided into three different levels with the highest level of environmental performance (the cutting-edge level) trying to reach the best environmental technology available in the market. In this way, contracting authorities are given the chance to provide encouragement to the market for environmental innovations by giving these goods and services preferential treatment in procurement. has initiated an innovation forum where various stakeholders meet to discuss the design of an appropriate cutting edge criterion which is desirable and possible to meet. In 2009, the Government decided on an ordinance on energy efficiency measures for public authorities. This involves requirements that may give additional incentives to authorities to specify environmental standards in public procurement. 3.5Easier and more attractive to start and run a business. To create a more competitive business environment and to encourage private initiative through better regulation To promote a more entrepreneurial culture and to create a supportive environment for SMEs The Government's ambition is for to have the best business climate in Europe. Economic development in depends on having a businesses climate that allows businesses to start up, survive and grow, as well as on how well the potential for innovation is used. current economic situation, it is particularly important to support the development of entrepreneurship in and to give high priority to measures to stimulate growth in more companies. In order to improve companies' possibilities to grow and be in the global market, the Government intends to draw up an internationalisation strategy with particular focus on SMEs. will support SMEs the to act internationally. achieved by a review of all Government measures in order to ensure that they are adapted to SMEs' needs. The work to improve business conditions has continued, including the Government's administrative simplification. Measures have been taken to facilitate the participation of small enterprises in public procurement. policy is also directed at improving social protection systems, encouraging women´s entrepreneurship and increasing access to capital. As to the financing of new SMEs, the ambition is to coordinate resources, ensure a geographic presence and define central government measures in the area more clearly. In 2008, over 58 400 new companies were started in , about the same number as in 2007. The percentage of companies started by men declined by two per cent while the percentage started by women increased by three per cent. In 2008, 32 per cent of start-ups were started exclusively by women and 6.5 per cent of start-ups were started jointly by men and women. Easier to run a business The Government's approach to the work on administrative simplification underlines the connection between administrative simplification, economic growth and increased employment. As a result of the extensive work on administrative simplification, which was initiated in autumn , the necessary tools for a systematic regulatory reform are now in place. For the first time, the Government can see a trend break, with administrative costs for business declining. A four per cent reduction between 2007 and 2008 is, however, only a step in the right direction towards the Government's ambitious target of a 25 per cent reduction in administrative costs for business in 2010 compared with 2006. On 4 2009, the Government submitted the Communication Regulatory Reform (Regelförenklingsarbetet, Govt. 2008/09:206) to the Riksdag. describes the Government's administrative simplification, which includes 940 measures. In 2008, over 290 simplification measures were implemented or finalised. The Government gave a new remit to the ministries and certain central government authorities in 2009 to augment the basis for the Government's 2009 action plan on administrative simplification. Work is under way on the process associated with the action plan (dnr N2008/4837/MK) which provides the basis for the Communication with the aim of achieving greater efficiency and faster results. It is, for example, made clear that the administrative costs following from a proposed law must be reported. Furthermore, the ordinance (2007:1244) on impact analysis of regulations ensures that the important work under way on impact analyses of proposals for new or amended rules is carried out in a similar way throughout the regulatory chain. A regulatory council, the , was established in 2008. It is the Councils task to ensure the quality of impact assessments of acts, ordinances and regulations as they are being prepared by the Government and public authorities. will also scrutinise the formulation of proposals for new and amended rules that may have important effects on companies' working conditions, ability to compete and so forth. will work for a limited time to accelerate regulatory simplification. 's work will be evaluated in 2009. As of , the Council had expressed an opinion on 135 proposals for new or amended rules. Of these, 61 have been approved. the Council has opposed the proposed regulations in their entirety. cases, the Council's scrutiny has resulted in criticism of the quality of the impact analysis conducted. in the Government Offices and Guidelines for the Government Offices' Submission of Background Material to the in effect from 15 2008 to 1 October 2008 will form the basis for the 2009 evaluation of the Government Offices' work on impact analyses. Measuring companies' administrative costs is a central part of the work on administrative simplification. It is carried out in close contact with the business sector.