Earth Equity News

Sweden's Carbon-Tax Solution Propelled it Top-Ranking Green Country. By Gwladys Fouche, London Guardian, April 29, 2008. "In 2007 Sweden topped the list of countries that did the most to save the planet -- for the second year running -- according to... environmental group Germanwatch. Between 1990 and 2006 Sweden cut its CO2 by 9%, largely exceeding [its Kyoto Protocol] target... while enjoying economic growth of 44% in fixed prices... But 'this was not considered ambitious enough,' explains Emma Lindberg, a climate change expert at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. 'So parliament decided to cut emissions by another 4% [below 1990 levels]'... The main reason for this success, say experts, is the introduction of a carbon tax in 1991…'Our carbon emissions would have been 20% higher without the carbon tax,' says the Swedish environment minister, Andreas Carlgren."