The Swedish Climate Policy Council’s mandate and assessments

Since 2018, Sweden has had a climate policy framework that guides policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It comprises the national climate targets, the Climate Act and the Swedish Climate Policy Council, which provides independent scrutiny. The overarching target is for Sweden to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 at the latest and negative emissions thereafter.

The Swedish Climate Policy Council assesses whether the Government’s overall policy is consistent with the climate targets adopted by the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag). Its mandate covers not only individual measures or policy areas, but all policies that affect the development of society and greenhouse gas emissions.

There is no established methodology for assessments of such breadth. The Council’s approach combines research and experience from several academic disciplines and is developed through international exchange and dialogue with researchers and other experts. We continuously monitor government decisions and each year summarise emissions trends, policy developments and in-depth analyses of selected areas.

The assessment covers both specific policy instruments — their potential, impact and cost-effectiveness — and the broader context in which they operate. Under the heading Leadership and governance, we analyse institutional arrangements, processes and political leadership. Together, these components provide a picture of how the overall policy mix affects the climate transition and the prospects of meeting the climate targets.

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Leadership and governance

The Swedish Climate Policy Council’s assessments draw on seven complementary perspectives on effective and durable climate policy. The perspectives are interdependent, and their relative importance varies across contexts and time horizons.

Direction and long-term perspective
A clear direction, predictability and broad political support create stable conditions for coordination and investment.

Cost-effectiveness
The climate targets should be achieved through efficient use of society’s resources over both the short and long term.

Stakeholder engagement
Central government needs to mobilise and work with different levels of government, businesses, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

Policy coordination
Climate policy needs to be coordinated across policy areas and across global, European, national, regional and local levels, so that different measures reinforce one another.

Innovation and learning
The transition requires technological and societal innovation, as well as ways of working that enable experimentation, feedback and continuous improvement.

Public acceptance and engagement – a just transition
The legitimacy and feasibility of policy depend on whether it is perceived as fair, effective and open to public influence.

Institutional capacity
Public authorities and other institutions need sufficient resources, expertise and structures to plan, coordinate and implement the transition.

Achievement of the climate targets
The seven perspectives highlight the strengths and weaknesses of policy, but do not in themselves show whether policy is sufficient to meet the quantitative climate targets. This requires separate impact assessments and quantitative analyses.

Policy instruments

Policy instruments need to be assessed both individually and as a package, because their design, interaction and effects determine how far policy will take Sweden towards its climate targets. The Council’s in-depth analyses examine the effectiveness of policy instruments and their combined impact on emissions, normally in four steps.

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Step 1: Solutions
Identify possible technological, behavioural and other solutions, and their potential to reduce emissions.

Step 2: Mapping barriers
Map market, administrative, social and other barriers that constrain the implementation of the solutions.

Step 3: Review of policy instruments
Analyse whether adopted and planned policy instruments address the identified barriers and whether the overall policy mix is well designed.

Step 4: Impact assessment
Assess how much of the solutions’ potential the policy instruments can unlock and how far the overall policy mix will take Sweden towards its climate targets.
Taken together, the analysis shows how far the policy instruments are capable of enabling the transition and reducing emissions through 2045.

Continuous development
The Swedish Climate Policy Council continuously develops its methodology and analytical framework through research, exchange of experience and dialogue with organisations, experts and practitioners. We welcome questions, comments and other contributions to this work.