Environmental ambitions for Sweden's EU presidency

A commentary by members of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) urging the Swedish government to use its presidency of the Council of the EU in 2023 to increase the European Union's sustainability ambitions and lead on the European Green Deal.

• Sweden should use its EU presidency to ensure the European Green Deal remains the central response to the energy crisis and to initiate discussions on future priorities for the next EU Commission after 2024. The authors argue that Sweden is well-positioned to exceed the ambition of existing legislative proposals and successfully conclude negotiations for the "Fit for 55" package.
• To prevent "backsliding" on climate goals caused by member states subsidising coal and solid fuels for heating and power, Sweden should prioritise investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. SEI research indicates significant potential for energy efficiency in EU industry and buildings, and Sweden is encouraged to increase its own commitment to the Energy Efficiency Directive.
• Sweden should promote "free and green trade" by pushing for enforceable environmental and social criteria in all EU trade agreements. This includes seeking sanctionable sustainability standards in negotiations with India, Indonesia, and Australia, and enacting deals with Chile, Mexico, and Mercosur.
• The authors propose that Sweden champion "just resilience" to address transboundary climate risks, avoiding protectionist approaches that reduce imports from high-risk developing countries. This involves strengthening global resilience, such as supporting food production adaptation in drought-prone countries, as part of the EU's domestic and international engagement.
• Sweden is encouraged to lead an EU-wide effort to monitor and track consumption-based emissions (emissions generated in other countries for items imported into Sweden) via Eurostat. The authors suggest defining an EU-wide target for reducing these emissions, potentially during the informal environment ministers' meeting in April 2023.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Environmental ambitions for Sweden's EU presidency. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/environmental-ambitions-sweden-eu-presidency/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Environmental ambitions for Sweden's EU presidency. 2022. https://www.sei.org/perspectives/environmental-ambitions-sweden-eu-presidency/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Environmental ambitions for Sweden's EU presidency |date=15 November 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/perspectives/environmental-ambitions-sweden-eu-presidency/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022environmental, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Environmental ambitions for Sweden's EU presidency}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/perspectives/environmental-ambitions-sweden-eu-presidency/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }