twenty years ago, I was working on a biography of Axel Oxenstierna. It was much longer than I had thought – there was a very märkvärdigare history than just the 1600-century wars to tell. Oxenstierna’s statecraft is timeless – he had an incomparable ability to distinguish large from small, to choose actions that set the stones rolling with the minimum of effort.
carbon dioxide Emissions must be the first major task which the nations of the world manage and solve together. Then, it is a rewarding tankelek to think about, how the old chancellor could have gone to the weigh.
First and foremost, would enough international cooperation to have arrived.
Gunnar Wetterberg. Photo: Ingemar D Kristiansen
I was a negotiator in the UN system and the OECD. It was a miserable time. Confidence in the market knew literally no boundaries, anything would of commerce arrange. International cooperation was seen as a bit outdated and somewhat ridiculous, the regulatory framework and the institutions weathered down.
the Two crises turned this: the climate and Lehman Brothers. The looming sammanbrotten made to the policy return. Finally ached the paris agreement forward with all his uppföljningsmaskineri. It was a first step in the international cooperation in the rebirth, but it required many more.
One cannot stress enough the importance of the political agreements and actions. Although it is excellent that each and every one is asked to do more to contribute to the climate issues solution, so it is absolutely crucial that the states draw the markets in the right direction. To get access to the large emissions must be the economy’s major players on the breakneck short period of time to replace both the technology and business models.
Although it is excellent that each and every one is asked to do more to contribute to the climate issues solution, so it is absolutely crucial that the states draw the markets in the right direction.
is the paris agreement so far insufficient. The basic problem is that the climate threat is international, but Parisavtalets mechanisms are essentially national. Each state must report how it plans to curb emissions, but the evidence suggests that they have been promised the measures will not be enough.
With responsibility divided the individual states to turn their steps inward. Hubbub about the Swedish flygskatten bear the sight for ye say, why should an individual state to do something that at risk to benefit others? Then try to governments to cope with their contributions, the measures only affect their own population – but then risk both politicians and kilmatpolitiken to lose legitimacy, as in the yellow västarnas France.
If the measures are to be effective, they must also cover all goods and services in international trade. If you will be able to access the export and other sectors, all states must agree on the rules that apply to everyone.
be klimatdiplomatins the main task in the coming years. By taxing all emissions are increasing pressure to reduce them. The carbon tax will also limit emissions from transport, whether it is about solsugna passengers or packages from Wish and Alibaba.
By charging for all emissions to achieve far more than with one-off actions here and there. A powerful carbon dioxide paves the way for the new technologies needed to reduce emissions. Contributions can only be directed against the problems we know already today; the carbon tax could spur the imagination and the inventiveness of solutions across the register, tricky things that we today cannot even imagine.
What have the economists been preaching for several decades. In connection with William Nordhaus received the prize in economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, he held a public lecture for the centre for Business and policy studies (SNS). Nordhaus argued strongly in favour of a tax of 100 dollars per tonne of carbon dioxide, which gradually should be increased to 200 dollars in order to give full effect. Sweden is, today, the countries with the highest carbon dioxide tax in the world – in the 125 dollar per tonne – but it does not include production for export.
, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen out in the Wall Street Journal along with a number of economics laureates. They argued that the united states should take the plunge. The money from the tax would be collected and periodically distributed as a lump sum to all citizens, equally for all. Thus would the poor be compensated for the increased consumer costs. It is a possible technology to increase popular support through equitable distribution.
The old governors of the Federal Reserve stayed on to propose 40 dollars per ton. Not even the US dares to impose a high enough tax on their own. It underlines the need for the paris agreement extended to also include agreements on carbon taxes and other measures, which affect trade across borders and countries in competition with each other.
Therefore need to be 100-dollarmålet be the Swedish foreign and EU policies, the key issue over the next few years. The Swedish government should collect our experiences of the tax and the share of them to others, to show what is possible and what problems need to be solved. The candidates in this spring’s EUROPEAN elections, should go to Brussels and Strasbourg in order to put the EUROPEAN parliament’s pressure on the governments. The EU is big enough on its own to introduce taxation in the internal market, as the Fed-heads proposed for the USA’s part.
Axel Oxenstierna. Photo: Google Art Project
I think Axel Oxenstierna would have asked the question: What measures are most effective?
the UN’s international panel on climate change (IPCC) has made inestimable advantage by persistently analyze the climate change and lay the foundation for a 1.5-gradersmålet. But in the same way should possible measures and technologies are also analysed, so that the states and the public opinion can help to find the most effective ways to reduce emissions. The IPCC should get a systerkommitté of practitioners, and in each country there should be similar bodies which breaks down the analysis at the national level.
Read more: Gunnar Wetterberg: So can the forests be a modern movement
With such bodies would debate about environmental policy measures to be hyfsas. How big is the effect of a dieselförbud 2030, if the motorists in the next few years to buy gasoline cars instead? What are the dangers and benefits would be for a renewed development of nuclear power? What techniques we must use in agriculture, if we are to support ten billion people and at the same time increase the role of forests as a carbon sink? With a scientifically based consensus on such issues, it would be easier to agree on international agreements and national measures.
not have put all their trust in international cooperation. He would have asked the question: how can Sweden do their part to drive the development forward?
the Argument that it is cheaper to reduce emissions in other countries are not. Even if klimatbiståndet has an important role to play, so, Sweden must also act as a laboratory and develop the technologies and solutions that can be used by others.
The most important contribution we can leave by researching and developing the forest-based industry. The wood is our most remarkable raw material. Generations of inventors have dreamed of the possibilities. Alfred Nobel took out a black dress in artificial silk, during the second world war, cows eat cellulose laced with syrup, for that the people would get grain to make bread and porridge.
Axel Oxenstierna would have asked the question: how can Sweden do their part to drive the development forward?
today, research has caught up with the dreams. The forest is not only a carbon sink, it holds the promise to oljeparentesen may is coming to an end. Träkläderna is a growing reality, tall oil is used to provide diesel to cars and airlines muzzles on new fuels from lignin.
Between 30 and 60 per cent of all the emissions associated with the construction. Cement accounts for six per cent of all the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Steel accounts for another eight per cent – and it used half to build with. To this will all the energy goes to lighting, heating and air conditioning. How we live should be one of klimatarbetets main concern.
Just where Sweden could pave the way for an important reduction of emissions. With new technology, it has become possible to glue together the boards to the beams and allow the wood to replace steel and concrete. A wooden beam draws only one-sixth as much energy to produce as a steel beam. The wood weighs less than the other materials, and draws thus not as much energy in transportation and the foundation of the world.
in Order to achieve this, the state has a key role to play. The public sector is the builders ‘ most important clients – local authorities, county councils and municipalities can take the lead in timber construction. For it to be practicable, training is a key issue. Architects, byggingenjörer and the construction crew must be at least as good on wood as concrete.
With more wood will forestry to be better paid. Then more trees planted, not only in Sweden, but even more in other countries that need them even more. A couple of weeks ago speculated The Economist in the unprofitable soils in England would be afforested, as EU aid falls away – in this case, one of the few positive Brexitföljderna.
have put great emphasis on who should do the job. He had an unparalleled ability to shake up capable people to the most important tasks – even when he was forced to go around the adelsprivilegier which he himself had wrought. The brightest and most uppslagsrika researchers, practitioners, diplomats and politicians must be dragged into the climate change process. It is not enough anymore to Swedish EU policy is managed with the left hand – that is, together with Europe we can do the most to save the future.
