The UN's climate panel has released a new climate report and the Nacka district court has issued a summons against the state after the environmental organization Aurora sued the state for a lack of environmental policy in November. There are two topics that have been discussed on Swedish opinion pages during the past week. Several debaters have also discussed the role of researchers in climate activism.
In connection with the UN's climate panel, IPCC, publishing its latest climate report, the Swedish government's work has been criticized.
- Scientifically, Greta Thunberg and the other activists undoubtedly have a point, writes Aftonbladets editorial writer Anders Lindberg and refers to the environmental organization Aurora, which in November sued the Swedish state for lack of environmental policy.
He believes that law may be the right way to go. Rebecka Bohlin, lead writer at Dagens ETC, also writes about climate change and Greta Thunberg.
- The emission reductions must therefore take place here and now. So where is the politics? Where is the collaboration, commitment and action?
She also criticizes Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari's (L) reduction of the climate report's meaning.
Calls for quick action for a green transition also come from Erik Berg, Pourmokhtari's successor in Liberalernas Ungdomsförbund (LUF), and Viktor Karlsson, LUF's climate policy spokesperson, in a debate article in Expressen.
- Romina Pourmokhtari has pointed out the direction for an ambitious climate policy that is based on science and the green transformation of industry. Now is the time to move from words to action, they write.
Another kind of call comes from lead writer Andreas Gustavsson at Today's ETC. He calls for the minister's resignation, also with reference to the IPCC report.
- Romina Pourmokhtari cannot be satisfied herself. Her only ambition cannot be to spend a term as some kind of punching bag for the government's shortcomings, he writes.
Research and climate activism
Another debate that has been raised in connection with the IPCC's report concerns the role of scientists in climate policy. The historian Johan Gärdebo and others are skeptical about the participation of researchers in climate activism.
- Instead of intellectual debate of ideas, where deep differences of opinion and ideological divides are tolerated, the public is filled with aligned lists, they write in a reply in Sydsvenskan on the debate article "researchers may have to become activists" which was published earlier in March.
Other writers object to this skepticism. They write that the climate issue has an importance that cannot be weighed against other political interests. The researchers' task is not to say the changes must take place - without reminding to they must happen.
- That researchers come together to remind us of this is not herd behavior or political lobbying, but honest research communication, writes Thomas Hörberg, Associate Professor in Linguistics, and others in South Sweden.
Environmental and climate policy
When are we going to listen to Greta if not now?
Rebecka Bohlin, Today's ETC
The left must respond with a fair transition
Nils Brandt, member of the Reformists; Christer Ericson, Member of the Left Party, etc., Today's ETC
Susanne Nyström: The climate cannot wait for Swedish politicians to finish the culture war
Susanne Nyström, Dagens Nyheter
If the climate minister wants to take her responsibility, she must resign
Andreas Gustavsson, ETC
Time for Pourmokhtari to deliver for the climate
Erik Berg, chairman of the Liberal Youth Association; Viktor Karlsson, climate policy spokesperson Liberala ungdomsförbundet, Expressen
The Swedish state is wrong, Greta Thunberg is right
Anders Lindberg, Aftonbladet
27 scientists cannot be wrong. Or?
Johan Gärdebo, historian at Uppsala University and the University of Cambridge; Edwin Klint Bywater, civil engineer and environmental scientist; Fanny Forsberg Lundell, professor of French at Stockholm University, Sydsvenskan
Sweden needs more brave researchers.
Maria Wolrath Söderberg, docent in Rhetoric at Södertörn University, Sydsvenskan
We cannot negotiate with nature
Thomas Hörberg, docent in linguistics, Sydsvenskan
Sustainable motoring must be given a central role in Sweden
Mattias Goldman, 2030 Secretariat, Dagens ETC
Peace and conflict
"We want to see a statutory ban on nuclear weapons on Swedish soil."
Ulf Holm, Member of Parliament from Lund (MP); Bassem Nasr, Member of Parliament Malmö (MP), Sydsvenskan
Sweden has done everything we promised NATO
Ingvar Persson, Aftonbladet
When the propaganda gets into your emotions
Göran Greider, Today's ETC
20 years ago I was one of those who were wrong about the Iraq War
Isobel Hadley-Kamptz, Dagens Nyheter
China and Russia
A dark time awaits if men like Xi and Putin are allowed to dominate the world
The editorial staff, Dagens Nyheter
Xi Jinping on a state visit to Putin
The editorial board, Svenska Dagbladet
National elections in Cuba
Gabrielle Gunneberg, Global Program Director, Civil Rights Defenders; Erik Jennische, head of the Latin America department, Civil Rights Defenders, Omvärlden
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