Min Heo
Sweden
Promoting the Proliferation of Green Technologies
Climate change is one of the top concerns of the Swedish government in its
environmental position. If we do not slow rising global temperatures, there will be serious
repercussions to the earth due to our mistakes. Currently, the world temperatures are rising at a
fair rate. An update by the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute of the scientific
basis for climate work shows that the consequences of climate change are probably more serious
than what the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2007. The global rise
in sea levels was then estimated to reach 0.2-0.6 meters. Scientists now believe that sea levels
may instead rise by 0.9-1.6 meters. Overall, global surface temperatures have increased about
0.74°C (plus or minus 0.18°C) since the late-19th century, and the linear trend for the past 50
years of 0.13°C (plus or minus 0.03°C) per decade is nearly twice that for the past 100 years as
based by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These shocking facts can have
serious consequences for plants, animals, and our health. Sooner or later, we will be seeing more
and more water shortages than we already are. The greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is
depleting our ozone layer and leading to more cases of skin cancer. These are only two of the
many detriments that rising global temperatures cause. So, we are a big promoter of green
technology. Our position in the environmental field is that we must do all we can to slow rising
global temperatures. We believe that everyone should contribute in some way and hope that
everyone agrees we have to slow the rising temperatures of the earth.
As said earlier, we should all make the effort to reduce emissions and slow the rise of
global temperatures. This was agreed to in the Copenhagen Accord, in which it was stated that
“developed countries shall provide adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources,
technology and capacity-building to support the implementation of adaptation action in
developing countries.” We must all work together; even the small and developing countries have
to extend a hand toward a smaller goal. While the developed countries such as the United States
may be big greenhouse gas emitters, smaller developing countries such as African countries must
be careful that they do not emit too much either. Being small does not mean they cannot pollute
the air we breathe. In fact, the developing countries could emit just as much as developed
countries due to unchecked carbon emission. We all have to be careful of our emissions if we are
to change the current rate of temperature increase. So, we believe that for the world to slow
rising temperatures, everyone must lend their support to the cause.
Currently the Swedish government is working on a plan to go emission free by 2050.
This plan includes a roadmap on how we are going to get there. The first step is tasking the
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency with drawing up scenarios and policy instrument
proposals. Also, the Minister for the Environment will appoint a reference group of
environmental organizations, the business sector and the research community, and an active
dialogue and collaboration - regional and municipal level, the business sector and the research
community. Our effort to go emission free is on display in numerous efforts. One example is in
the Budget Bill in 2008 in which the Swedish Government presented a package of measures in
the area of climate and energy that included new funding of more than 3 billion dollars. The Bill
contains a special initiative for climate and development worth some 4 billion dollars. The goal
of emissions free countries is a goal that the UN should embrace. An emission free planet would
go a long way in slowing rising global temperatures.
We promote the continued excellence of the IPCC. This includes the recently ended
Kyoto Protocol, which states that industrialized countries must reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Leading the fight against rising global temperatures, the IPCC has the complete backing of
Sweden and hope that the IPCC continue providing excellent care to our planet. Other than the
IPCC, we promote the use of green technologies. At the moment, green technology is not an
integral part of society, although we can see hints of what could be a promising future. Electric
cars are in production like the Nissan Leaf, dams are being built worldwide to produce
hydroelectricity, and specifically, Iceland uses geothermal energy successfully and to great
extent. Sweden has contributed its own to green technology. In the 2012 Budget Bill, SEK 200
million dollars were proposed to be invested in a super-green car rebate over the next three years
by the Swedish government to promote environment friendly cars and make them a regular part
of society. Investments in green technology are another step that the UN should consider
proposing as a step toward a stronger environment friendly economy. If we are to reach zero
emissions in the future, the best way to do so is to promote green technology. Countries both in
and outside the UN should promote the use of solar panels, wind turbines, and other sources of
renewable energy. Rather than fight over depleting oil reserves, why do we not just invest in
scientific research for new renewable energy sources without greenhouse gas emissions. In the
future Sweden would like to see the whole world become a true green planet without the burden
of greenhouse gasses polluting our atmosphere. We want to see earth as a clean planet, with zero
emissions and green technology for all. The only way we will get there, though, is if we all
contribute in promoting green technology. Otherwise, we will be stuck in the past, left with our
vehicles rumbling and eating up gasoline before belching smog full of pollutants in to the air.
Lets look for a brighter future.
Sources:
"Home - Government Offices of Sweden." Home. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/5745>.
"Global WarmingFrequently Asked Questions." Global Warming Frequently Asked
Questions. Web. 28 Feb. 2012. <http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html>.
302 Found. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
<http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2009/cop15/eng/l07.pdf>.