Sweden’s climate transition has global side effects
Sweden’s pathway to net zero emissions strengthens innovation and development at the national level, but can also create sustainability challenges in other parts of the world. This is shown in a new article analysing how key climate technologies affect several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As Sweden transitions to reach net zero emissions by 2045, technical solutions are at the centre. Electrification of transport, expansion of renewable energy, hydrogen production, bioenergy and carbon dioxide storage are some of the measures that are identified as crucial. But how do these technology choices affect sustainable development in a broader perspective?
A recently published article in Energy, Sustainability and Society analyses how these climate technologies interact with the global goals for sustainable development. The analysis shows that the effects within Sweden are largely positive.
More positive effects in Sweden
The article shows that the technologies together contribute positively to several sustainability goals in Sweden. The links to the following are particularly clear:
- Innovation and technology development
- Industrial competitiveness
- Employment and economic development
- Reduced climate emissions
The transition thus strengthens several goals at the same time, not least Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Sustainable Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and Goal 13 (Climate Action).
Negative effects in global supply chains
At the same time, the analysis shows that certain negative effects occur outside Sweden’s borders. Increased demand for minerals and raw materials may contribute to environmental degradation, health problems, and governance challenges in countries where these resources are extracted.
These impacts primarily relate to:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Goal 15: Life on Land
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
This means that, if not designed with a broader sustainability perspective, the climate transition risks counteracting other global sustainability goals in other parts of the world.
A result from Mistra Carbon Exit
The article is a result of Wexsus’ participation in the Mistra Carbon Exit research programme, during the time when the organisation was called the Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development. The programme brought together researchers from several disciplines to analyse how Sweden can achieve net-zero emissions in a long-term sustainable way.
To highlight how the climate technologies highlighted in the program affect different sustainability goals, the analyses were carried out with the support of the SDG Impact Assessment Tool, a tool developed within the business to structure and broaden sustainability assessments.
Today, two of the authors of the article, Anders Ahlbäck and Martin Eriksson, work with research collaboration at Wexsus.
"Now that Sweden is in an election year, the climate transition needs to be discussed more broadly than in terms of emission targets. Our analyses show that technology choices also affect other sustainability goals, both here at home and globally. This hides both synergies and goal conflicts, which places demands on politicians to take the entire 2030 Agenda into account when making future choices," says Anders Ahlbäck.
Need for a holistic perspective
The study contributes to knowledge development and dialogue on sustainable transition by pointing out the importance of integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into climate policy and drawing attention to how national technology choices affect global value chains.
Climate transition is not just a question of emission reductions. It needs to be designed so that it strengthens sustainable development both within and outside Sweden's borders.
