🏆 The fall of a climate champion — biggest carbon surge in 15 years alarms scientist

🕒 Last updated on August 5, 2025

For years, Sweden was seen as one of the strongest countries in the world when it came to fighting climate change. People knew Sweden as the home of eco-friendly cars, clean cities, and strong climate rules.

Sweden’s green legacy is fading fast

It even inspired other countries to take big steps to protect the planet. But today, things have changed. Sweden is no longer leading the way. Instead, it is now being called out for falling behind.

This shift started after the country’s 2022 election. A new government took charge, made up of conservative leaders and supported by a far-right party. Since then, Sweden has moved its focus away from the environment. It is now more focused on building up its military, cutting immigration, and lowering fuel prices. These choices have had a big impact on Sweden’s climate goals.

One of the biggest signs of this change is how Sweden is cutting back on green programs. The government stopped funding high-speed trains, cancelled support for electric cars, and even dropped plans for new wind energy projects in the sea. It also increased taxes on solar power and pulled money from green innovation funds that were helping people switch to cleaner ways of living.

Instead of helping people move to cleaner energy, the government made fossil fuels cheaper. It raised support for gas and flying and made it easier for people to use regular gasoline without biofuels mixed in. All these decisions caused Sweden’s carbon emissions to go up by 7 percent last year. That’s the biggest jump in 15 years.

What happened to the climate role model?

Sweden’s drop in climate efforts is worrying many experts and climate groups across Europe. Sweden has already pushed the European Union as a whole to establish ambitious climate goals. It helped show that a country could grow its economy while cutting pollution. Since the 1970s, Sweden’s carbon emissions have fallen by more than half while its economy has doubled. It was proof that protecting the planet didn’t have to hurt jobs or income.

Now, however, Sweden seems to be going in the opposite direction. Other countries in Europe are watching this change closely. Some experts say that Sweden’s fall is hurting the entire EU’s ability to stick to its climate promises. In fact, many European countries that were once very ambitious on climate—like Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria—are also pulling back. Only Denmark appears to be staying on track.

This shift is being noticed around the world. In a recent climate ranking, Sweden fell all the way to 41st place. Just three years ago, it was in 4th. A group of scientists in Sweden even wrote a public letter warning that the government was ignoring science and making bad decisions that could harm the country’s future. They said this could hurt both democracy and the environment.

Even Sweden’s forests, which naturally remove carbon from the air, are now absorbing less than before. That’s a big concern because healthy forests help fight global warming. Instead of protecting them, the country has allowed more logging, which reduces their ability to help.

Climate talk continues, but action falls short

Despite all these changes, Sweden’s leaders still say they care about the environment. They point to a few areas where the country is spending money, like paying for carbon reductions in other countries and building new nuclear power plants. But both of these actions are being questioned.

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Some critics say that buying carbon credits from poorer countries doesn’t actually fix the problem. All it does is transfer the pollutants from one location to another. They also warn that it creates unfair pressure on countries that are already struggling with climate issues. Others worry that nuclear energy, while clean in terms of emissions, takes many years to build and costs a lot of money.

Inside Sweden, many people are confused and upset by the changes. The country once stood proud as a leader in clean energy, smart policies, and green innovation. Today, it feels like all that progress is being undone. People who care about the planet are asking why this is happening—and how long it will last.

All of this is happening at a time when the world is watching Europe for leadership on climate action. The EU still has big goals to meet under the Paris Agreement. But if key countries like Sweden step back, those goals may be harder to reach.

Even as Sweden’s government downplays the criticism, the facts are clear. Climate investments are shrinking. Fossil fuel use is growing. Emissions are rising. And one of the world’s strongest climate champions is quickly losing its place on the global stage.