Little budget crumbs continue to be scattered to the press and public for consumption. Yesterday, it was the Green Party’s time in the sun, who announced how much is proposed to be spent on various climate measures ().
The biggest recipient for climate money is what they call the Great Step for the Environment (klimatkliv). It sounds better, and more western, in Swedish, but is basically a pot of money set aside for local and regional environment initiatives.
The website for the fund, which reads like an infomercial, puts it like this: “Do you have an idea to reduce society’s climate footprint? Then apply for funding from Great Step for the Environment. Through smart, innovative solutions we can reduce greenhouse gases and move towards a more climate-smart society.” Great Step for the Environment is receiving an additional 1.16 billion kronor, for a total of nearly 2 billion kronor in the 2020 budget.
The next Great Step is given to industry to help them change over to a more environmentally friendly way of working. Great Step for Industry (industrikliv) will have about 600 million that can be applied for by businesses that are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions either in their industrial processes, or through working to collect and store greenhouse gases. Great Step for Industry is not such a great step, perhaps, getting less than half of what GSforE gets.
The following budget items get only less money, and are somewhat less clear in their method:
- 400 million kronor for steps to look after valuable nature (åtgärder för värdefull natur), which includes national parks, reserves and marshlands
- 240 million kronor for measures on behalf of the ocean and water environment (åtgärder för havs och vattenmiljö)
- 200 million kronor for safeguarding valuable nature, (skydd av värdefull natur) like forests
- 80 million more kronor to document the health of, and changes in, the environment (miljöövervakning)
- 70 million kronor for measures to help and support pollinators (pollinatörer) – bees, and other important insects) Measures might include, for example, planting more meadows, or flowers planted by roadsides or in the middle of roundabouts, etc.
- 65 million for clean oceans (literally a drop in the bucket)
- 50 million for “green cities”
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsverket) is happy not happy. “It’s welcome, but not enough” was the rather predictable response. “The pollinator support is terrific, but where is the tax on pesticides?” was one complaint ().
In total, the budget for environment measures is 2.9 billion kronor, a level that could be a reflection of the level of popularity for the two Green Party leaders (not so popular, see this post). In which case, it’s both awful and ironic that the environment suffers from its association with the Green Party.