The Swedish government has appointed an inquiry to offer proposals on how to implement a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, and when fossil fuels should be phased out by.
“Sweden will be the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation,” said Sweden’s minister for financial markets and housing, Per Bolund.
“The transport sector is responsible for a third of Sweden’s emissions of greenhouse gases, and thus has a significant role to play in the climate transition.”
Sven Hunhammar, director of sustainability and environment at the Swedish Transport Administration, will chair the enquiry.
He has previously worked at the Stockholm Environment Institute, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Transport Analysis and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
The enquiry is to:
– Analyse the conditions for introducing a national ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, and how to exempt vehicles that run on renewable fuels and electric hybrid vehicles from such a ban;
– Analyse how to bring about an EU-wide ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of fossil fuels in the EU;
– Make the necessary legislative proposals, albeit not in the area of taxation, where the enquiry may only analyse measures and conduct impact analyses;
– Propose a year by which fossil fuels should be phased out in Sweden, and the measures needed for this to happen in the most cost-effective manner possible.
The enquiry’s terms of reference are based on point 31 of the January Agreement, the policy agreement between the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the Centre Party, the Liberal Party and the Green Party.
The final report is to be presented by 1 February 2021.
