Den svenska regeringens förvirrade klimatarbete
The aim of this study is to clarify the Swedish government?s purpose of participating in theEuropean Union Emission Trading Scheme. Taking as its departure point state-centricinternational political economy this study presents three plausible hypotheses on what thepurpose might be. Either it is to promote consumers interests, or to promote the Swedishnational climate goal ?Reduced impact on climate?, or to promote the profit of Swedishcompanies. The study sets out to test the hypotheses through four different methods in orderto disprove them. Through a text analysis of four different government proposals, through aquestionnaire sent out to 98 companies included in the Swedish National Allocation Plan,through an interview with a ministerial civil servant and through a game theoretical matrixbased on the government?s own preferences.The conclusion should be of interest to industry, environmentalists, politicians as well as tojournalists and scientists. From a theoretical point of view the conclusion explains the reasonfor priorities and setting of rules by the government within energy politics as well as withinclimate politics. The study concludes that the climate is priority number one and industry ispriority number two and this explains why, according to an industrial spokesperson, industrialinterests are not being met to a full extent. However the tide may turn in the future if thegovernment decides to include carbon dioxide sinks in the Emission Trading Scheme. Thegovernment believes that storing carbon dioxide for a limited amount of time is worse thanreducing actual emissions.