Sweden : A Pioneer of Acidification Abatement

Summary, in English

In Sweden, the combination of the country’s natural ecological vulnerability to acidification and its geographical location has been domestic focal points for the treatment of the ‘acid rain’ issue. Political interest in the acidification issue in Sweden emerged in the late 1960s, when the problems of long-range transport of sulphuric compounds and their harmful environmental effects were first highlighted by scientists. In 1967, the newly established Swedish Environmental Protection Agency submitted a plan to the Social Democratic government for lowering the sulphur content in fuel oil to 2.5 per cent weight. Based on the requirements stipulated in the First and Second Sulphur Protocol, and the Nitrogen Protocol, Sweden’s implementation and compliance records have been successful. Sweden has fulfilled the binding obligations enshrined in all these three protocols. Abatement costs in the 1980s benefited from the major investments in energy saving technology in the industry sector that took place in the economically expansive period before the oil crisis in the 1970s.

• Author: Karin Bäckstrand; Henrik Selin
• Editor: Arild Underdal; Kenneth Hanf
• Department/s: Department of Political Science
• Publishing year: 2000
• Language: English
• Pages: 87-108
• Publication/Series: International environmental agreements and domestic politics : the case of acid rain
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315199566
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Political Science; History of Technology
• Keywords: förvaltningspolitik; Politisk makt och demokrati
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 1-84014-394-0; ISBN: 978-1840143942; ISBN: 978-1-138-71308-6; ISBN: 9781315199566