Making Sweden An Oil-Free Society

Making Sweden An Oil-Free Society

In 2005 the government of Sweden appointed a commission to draw up a comprehensive programme to reduce Sweden's dependence on petroleum, natural gas and other ‘fossil raw materials’ by 2020. In June 2006 (less than three months before the 2006 general election) the commission issued its report, entitled Making Sweden an OIL-FREE Society (Swedish: På väg mot ett oljefritt Sverige). The report cited four reasons to reduce oil dependence:

• the impact of oil prices on Swedish economic growth and employment;
• the link between oil, peace and security throughout the world;
• the great potential to use Sweden's own clean renewable energy resources in place of oil;
• the threat of climate change resulting from the extensive burning of fossil fuels.

As of 2005, oil supplies provided about 32% of the country's energy supply, with nuclear power and hydroelectricity providing much of the remainder. Although the report did not propose to end the use of oil entirely, the 2020 date was suggested as a marker on a continuing process of the "oil phase-out in Sweden".

Following defeat of the incumbent government coalition in the 2006 general election, the proposals were not included in the energy policy or in any law. “Sweden’s energy policy, in both the short and the long term, is to safeguard the supply of electricity and other forms of energy on terms that are competitive with the rest of the world. It is intended to create the right conditions for efficient use of energy and a cost efficient Swedish supply of energy, with minimum adverse effect on health, the environment or climate, and assisting the move towards an ecologically sustainable society.”