COP 21 –Sweden

The COP, or the annual Conference of the Parties, is the international political response to climate change that was founded to review the conventions implementation. In 2015, the conference known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, or COP21, was held in order to achieve a universal agreement on climate to keep the global warming below 2 degrees. This years conference included over 25.000 official delegates from government and organizations, UN agencies, and NGOs.

So, what was Sweden?s position in COP21 this year? In COP21, world leaders adopted 17 global sustainable goals which are to be achieved by 2030. In order to put this into action, the Government offices of Sweden stated that the Swedish Government has started a High-Level Group including nine leaders from all around the world for goals to be put into practice. The High-Level Group is planned to function in numerous means to lead discussions between governments, agencies and organizations.

The following people served as the High-Level Group for Sweden's policies on COP21:

-Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff

-Colombia?s President Juan Manuel Santos

-Liberia?s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

-Sweden?s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven

-South Africa?s President Jacob Zuma

-Tanzania?s President Jakaya Kikwete

-Germany?s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel

-Tunisia?s President Beji Caid Essebsi

-Timor-Leste?s Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araúj

Stefan Löfven, The prime minister of Sweden, further stated that Sweden would ?work hard to break the link between development and fossil fuel dependence.? To do so, he pointed out that Sweden will work within a group of nine leaders from different regions ?to ensure the new U.N. goals are implemented.)

The Swedish Government has stated that a generous development assistance policy, an ambitious climate change agenda and long experience of consensus politics make Sweden an important actor that many countries listen to in negotiations. They have targeted numerous challenges such as environment and climate agenda, as well as the poverty agenda. The Swedish Government came up with three main priority areas:

First plan was to move from the capital flight and tax evasion to investments in sustainable development. Tax revenues are the basis of the countries welfare and poverty reduction. However, because of the capital flight and tax evasion, considerable amount of sums that should?ve been invested in sustainable development have been wasted. Thus Sweden is participating very actively to combat these factors for sustainable development.

The second plan was to take steps toward a green economy. Initially Swedish government stated that the poverty reduction is impossible without the social, economic and environmental sustainability. As a leading country in protecting environment, Sweden believes that it must show that green growth is possible. Thus through climate financing, Sweden?s development assistances have increased pressure on ?multilateral actors? such as United Nations.  They have provided incentives for increased investments in sustainable energy and infrastructure in order to promote the use of sustainable energy. In addition, the government has put a price on carbon dioxide to reduce the use of fossil fuel. Through these acts, Sweden looks forward to contribute to enabling, tangible steps towards a green economy at global level.

The last plan was to push for gender equality that will create sources. Sweden believes that the equality between both genders will serve as an effective tool to increase sustainable growth. Through these plans Sweden seeks to play an active part in participating in COP21s global sustainable goals.