At the Diet on the morning of April 17, Swedish Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren gave a talk on Sweden's policies for combating global warming at the invitation of the DPJ's Global Warming Countermeasures Headquarters (Chair: Vice President Katsuya Okada).

Minster Carlgren began by praising the priority placed on climate change issues in debate within the DPJ. He also expressed his admiration for Japan's efforts to improve energy efficiency.

He explained that Sweden's success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 40% since the mid-1970s was the result of a series of policies and approaches including the introduction of a carbon tax and regulations that resulted from the EU's program to combat global warming. Specially, he said that the introduction of the carbon tax in 1991 was instrumental in shifting fuel for district heating away from fossil fuels and towards biomass fuel, resulting in the improved efficiency of energy usage.

Minister Carlgren presented his views on international frameworks for reducing greenhouse gases. He said that industrialized countries should play a leading role and actively work to reduce their emissions. He also stressed the need to achieve results through the development, increased adoption and transfer of environmental technology.

DPJ diet members who attended the lecture asked questions about the use of nuclear power generation and forest biomass in Sweden and also asked for advice on how to encourage industries that produce a large volume of emissions to actively cooperate in emissions reductions. These questions produced a lively exchange of ideas.

In concluding the session, Global Warming Countermeasures Headquarters Chair Okada said that hearing about Sweden's achievement of generating 40% of its energy from sustainable sources was a meaningful stimulus that would provoke Japan to think about changing its approach. He also thanked Minister Carlgren for finding the time to deliver the talk to DPJ members despite his busy schedule as he accompanied Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on his visit to Japan.

(08/04/17)