The team concluded that Sweden has a comprehensive approach to climate change, including efforts to address all sources and sinks in inventories, projections, and policies and measures. A number of policies and measures have been implemented, most notably the CO 2 tax introduced in 1991 and now covering approximately 75 per cent of these emissions, which, together with other tax measures, is expected to account for 70 per cent of the estimated effects of measures in 2000. This effect will be achieved mainly through taxation measures. Such measures, including a wider application of the CO 2 tax, would, according to Sweden, often require international coordination. If Sweden pursues the decision to phase out nuclear power by 2010, it is likely to result in a sharp increase in CO 2 emissions.
Swedish forests constitute a large carbon reservoir.
However, even though at present the sink capacity is considerable in comparison to the CO 2 emissions, the net sequestration is expected to level off in a few decades. Keeping the level of carbon stored in the forest will demand a continued sustainable forestry policy. The team found that Sweden, being a country adapted to a high natural climate variability, has not implemented specific adaptation measures as a response to climate change. Nevertheless, studies are being carried out and it is recognized that this issue, including the vulnerability of relevant sectors of the economy, needs to be examined further. Sealevel rise is not of great concern because the rate of uplift is greater than projected changes in sealevel.