Response to interpellation 2023/24:656 on fossil-free competitiveness within the construction and civil engineering sector
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD considers that the green transition goes hand in hand with competitiveness and growth. KD wants to promote efficient use of excavated materials, strengthen market introduction support for environmental machinery, investigate the need for charging infrastructure, expand requirements for climate declarations, introduce planning incentives for housing conversions, and invest in new nuclear power 1. KD argues that Boverket should develop the transition towards a circular economy, that the revision of the construction products regulation can contribute to better resource utilization 2, and that planning incentives in the budget are an important initiative 2. MP argues that the government's climate measures miss the targets 3 and that a climate-delaying policy creates obstacles for the business sector 4. MP wants a national action plan for energy efficiency 3, mandatory climate requirements in public procurement 3, and a focus on resource-smart building materials 3.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! Katarina Luhr has asked me if I intend to take any initiatives in line with the 14 demands in the action plan for the construction and civil engineering sector's transition to fossil-free, if there are any specific measures in the action plan that I see as extra urgent, and how I, in that case, intend to handle these.
The green transition goes hand in hand with competitiveness and growth. The construction and civil engineering sector's roadmap for fossil-free competitiveness is therefore an important initiative to unite the industry in the transition towards a fossil-free economy. The updated plan shows that the industry is making progress and that further commitments are being taken by actors throughout the entire value chain. The Government is implementing and preparing several measures in line with the requests that the industry presents in the roadmap.
For example, the government is reviewing the regulatory framework regarding the handling of soil and rock masses based on proposals submitted by Naturvårdsverket. The purpose is to promote an efficient use of excavated material by increasing resource utilization and reducing transport needs.
Following the government's proposal in the budget bill for 2024, the market introduction support for environmental work machines, including electric work machines, has been strengthened to accelerate the transition to fossil-free. The government also continues to invest in the expansion of charging infrastructure throughout the country. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has additionally been tasked by the government to analyze the need for measures to promote charging and refueling infrastructure for work machines. The assignment shall be reported by March 1, 2025, at the latest.
In the government's climate policy action plan, the government assesses that the requirement for climate declarations for buildings should be expanded to meet the requirements that may follow from the EU's directive on the energy performance of buildings. More building components and processes should be covered while the administrative burden is limited. Furthermore, Boverket's proposal on limit values for the climate impact of buildings is currently being referred.
I share the industry's assessment that there are significant resource and climate benefits to optimizing and converting the existing building stock. It can also be more economically feasible in a recession because it does not require as large an investment as new production from scratch does. The Government is therefore introducing a planning incentive for conversions from premises to housing in order to increase the municipalities' economic incentives to plan to enable more conversions.
Finally, I want to emphasize that the government shares the industry's assessment that secured access to fossil-free electricity and efficient licensing processes are crucial for the green transition. The government recently submitted an energy policy direction proposal to the Riksdag where the energy policy is being restructured to meet an increasing electricity demand in the short, medium, and long term, as well as to ensure a secure energy supply and an effective climate transition.
The Government wants to provide good conditions for all fossil-free types of energy, which is fundamental for a reliable electricity production. The Government assesses in particular that new nuclear power is needed to meet future electricity needs and to increase the security of supply in the electricity system. To make the environmental permit processes simpler and more efficient, the Government intends to implement parts of the proposals submitted by the Environmental Assessment Inquiry. In addition, the Government has appointed a new inquiry on simplified and shortened permit processes according to the Environmental Code. The Government has also recently submitted a bill with legislative proposals aimed at contributing to a clearer and faster process for renewing, reinforcing, and expanding the electricity grid.
Katarina Luhr (MP)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the answer! Today, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's analysis was released, which shows that the government's climate measures miss the climate goals in both the short and long term. This is clearly serious and needs to be highlighted.
Fossilfritt Sverige was started by the government ahead of the UN climate summit in Paris in 2015, and there, the business community and organizations gather to together increase the pace of the climate transition. The goal is to build a strong industry and create more jobs and export opportunities by having Sweden be at the forefront in climate work.
Fossilfritt Sverige works on developing political proposals for the government on measures that will contribute to reducing climate emissions in the best possible way. Since Fossilfritt Sverige started, 22 different industries have developed their own roadmaps to show how companies can be strengthened by becoming fossil-free or climate-neutral.
In February this year, the construction and civil engineering sector submitted its updated roadmap to Housing Minister Andreas Carlson. Developing the roadmap has been a major undertaking. It has been developed by seven industry organizations together with Trafikverket and Fossilfritt Sverige. Representatives from Byggföretagen, Byggherrarna, Byggmaterialindustrierna, Fastighetsägarna, Innovationsföretagen, Installatörsföretagen, Sveriges Allmännytta and Trafikverket have sat in the working group. I do not think I am exaggerating much when I say that the work has required blood, sweat, and tears.
The roadmap contains the industry's goals and measures so that the construction and civil engineering sector can halve its emissions by 2030 and reach the goal of net-zero emissions by 2045. The industry is simultaneously sending 14 appeals to the Riksdag and the government regarding measures that need to be in place for the climate work to be carried out and the climate goals to be reached.
We stand today at the beginning of a climate crisis, and it is truly no news to anyone. Every year we receive new reports that it has been the warmest year, a record-early summer, the warmest summer, or the warmest March ever measured. In parts of the world, we already see major problems with high temperatures and shortages of water and food due to drought. Here in Sweden, we have also seen many examples of the climate changing. It is everything from cancelled winter sports events to floods, landslides, heatwaves, and forest fires.
What we see today is only a beginning. The more fossil fuels we use, the greater the climate effects we will see. Every ton that we emit or refrain from emitting counts. Where the emissions occur does not matter, which means that no one will escape. We need to do everything together to reduce emissions as quickly as possible, and it is urgent.
We see today that climate emissions are increasing due to the government's reluctance to reduce emissions from road traffic, but climate work must take place at many different levels and within all sectors. Minister Carlson therefore has a large part of the climate cake left to work with, even in the event that he would like to duck from emissions coming from cars and aviation.
A little more than a fifth of Sweden's climate emissions come from the construction and real estate sector. It also accounts for approximately one-third of Sweden's energy use and produces more waste than all Swedes' household waste combined. It is only the mining industry that produces more waste at the current time.
There are, therefore, many measures that together can lower the total emissions within the construction sector and in that way save both climate emissions, electricity, and various natural resources.
In the roadmap, 14 recommendations are given to the Riksdag and the government so that the climate goals within the construction and civil engineering sector can be met. As I said, the issue concerns approximately one-fifth of Sweden's climate impact. Now I would really like to know how the Minister for Housing will take the roadmap forward.
The Minister highlighted a number of measures that the government has introduced some time ago in his introduction. I would therefore like to know if there will be any new initiatives from the government based on the roadmap and if there are any measures that the Minister wants to prioritize extra so that the construction and civil engineering sector can move faster in its important work of reducing its climate impact.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I touched upon several of the points and requests contained in the roadmap from the construction and civil engineering sector. I was present at the presentation and received it. I am very grateful for the commitment that exists in the sector among all those who have been involved in developing it.
The members of the board believe that it has taken blood, sweat, and tears to achieve this, but I hope it hasn't been that much blood. I have met a great commitment and a great joy in the sector, not least because it is shown with great clarity that it is possible to combine strengthened competitiveness with accelerating the transition. They very often go together.
Not least, one can look at Sweden in a global context and at the EU level. We lead the development many times here. The Swedish business sector is far ahead in developing methods that I foresee will be able to be exported to other countries as the requirements tighten across the entire EU level.
This is something that the government has been keen to achieve. During the Swedish presidency, we negotiated several important acts in this matter. Two of the cornerstones in the government's work program were precisely transition and competitiveness. These can be joined together, and it shows the industry's roadmap.
There are several things. I will not go into all parts. The member asked, Madam Speaker, if I intend to take any initiatives and if there are any specific measures in the action plan that are extra urgent.
Part of this concerns what I was touching upon. Point 11 of the requests concerns that materials should not be classified as waste unnecessarily. The Government intends to review the regulatory framework in order to increase resource utilization and reduce transport needs, based on the proposals from Naturvårdsverket and the points submitted in the consultations.
Emission-free work machines are included in point 13: Promotional efforts were needed to transition from fossil to emission-free work machines and vehicles. The Government has, among other things, strengthened Klimatklivet to be able to support companies and other operations throughout the country that want to transition and reduce their emissions, as well as the support for the expansion of charging infrastructure. The new investments shall also go towards climate premiums for electric work machines and heavy and light electric trucks.
Another part concerns what is also present in one of the sector-specific roadmaps, for example for concrete, where we see that Trafikverket's climate requirements in procurement have been noted. It can be a way of working with the initiatives that exist by setting requirements through procurement that promote development. As I said initially, Madam Speaker, it is something that I believe can mean that we get export products from our own country that strengthen jobs and growth while at the same time we succeed with the high-set goals to reduce emissions.
As I said in my response, an important part concerns increased electrification. It is a crucial factor for reducing emissions to virtually zero in several sectors. It also runs as a common thread through several of the measures highlighted that we must increase the production of fossil-free electricity, and to meet the future electricity needs and increase the security of supply in the electricity system, new nuclear power is particularly needed.
In that context, I would like to turn the question back to Katarina Luhr, who represents Miljöpartiet, as to why one still maintains the opposition against the fossil-free and secure energy source that nuclear power is.
Katarina Luhr (MP)
Madam Speaker! We are currently in a climate emergency. According to what has been measured, 2023 was probably the world's warmest year to date. With the measures currently in place, we are heading towards a warming of 2.5-3 degrees, which will make parts of the earth completely uninhabitable. We cannot hesitate; we need to do everything to prevent this. The work needs to be done now and not later, which can be one of the answers when it comes to the opposition to nuclear power.
The Minister highlights a number of points that I can agree are relevant and important for reducing the environmental and climate impact from the construction sector specifically. I myself am, for example, enthusiastic about both fossil-free construction machinery and the conversion of empty offices into housing, something that was also mentioned in the response.
Perhaps more interesting are measures that the Minister glides over a bit quickly or perhaps omits entirely. An important point raised in the action plan is energy efficiency. By building energy-smart and through energy renovations, we could save energy equivalent to several nuclear reactors, energy that could be used where it is better needed today. It is something that could be done quite quickly and which could also have a very large effect.
In the roadmap, it is proposed to introduce an energy efficiency condition in the housing and service sectors. Miljöpartiet would like to have a national action plan for energy efficiency specifically in housing and premises, but also increased support for effective energy efficiency measures. This is a very important issue. The EU is now coming with new requirements for Sweden, and clear steering from the government will be required to reduce energy use within the real estate sector at the rate that is required. These are measures that are good for most of us.
Another important issue that is highlighted is how our tax money is used and that public investments should come with climate requirements, something that the Minister also took up. This should be a self-evident matter in all procurements and all investments. For the business sector to be able to make investments that steer towards climate benefit, someone needs to buy their services, and our tax money should not support the technology that keeps us in old fossil technology when there are better alternatives. And the technology exists when we set the right requirements. We invest and procure for amounts in the billions within the public sector, and therefore it is important to set requirements and see what we get for the money. It is high time to introduce climate requirements within all public procurement.
Last but not least, I really want to highlight the issue of climate-better building materials with an emphasis on resource smartness, reuse, and recycling of materials. This is an issue that is about both saving resources and reducing climate emissions. In my previous post, I pointed out that the construction sector is a major waste producer. Minister Carlson himself points out that the conversion of buildings has received support, but a larger number of measures would need to be introduced to initiate better management of both buildings and building materials so that we achieve the climate gain we need. The action plan proposes some of these, but we need many more than that.
All these different measures are needed, and many more in addition. Based on that, I want to ask the Minister for Housing what he thinks about these questions which are highlighted as extremely important in the industry's roadmap. How shall we work further to reduce our energy use within the housing and construction sectors? Will the government make use of climate requirements in public investments going forward? Which measures does the Minister want to prioritize regarding reuse and recycling of construction materials? Will the government introduce limit values for the climate impact of buildings after the proposal has been out for consultation?
These are questions that are not particularly clear in the government's own climate action plan.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! The Member of Parliament is asking several questions, which is understandable since there are 14 demands to the Riksdag and the Government that form the basis of the interpellation. I believe one could have had an interpellation debate per demand, Madam Speaker, so I will go through some of the questions being asked, and I ask for respect that the time limit does not allow me to go into each question in the detail it might have deserved.
Regarding point 9, which concerns promoting circular construction material flows by letting Naturvårdsverket, together with the industry, develop material-specific criteria for relevant material flows that define when waste has become a product again, and which is one of the points the member develops around, it is the case that Boverket is carrying out a three-year assignment to develop the work on the transition to a circular economy in the construction and real estate sector. The agency shall, among other things, analyze how the reuse and recycling of existing construction materials and existing buildings function today. Boverket shall propose measures to promote circular construction and circular management and, if necessary, submit necessary legislative proposals. That assignment shall be reported by December 20, 2024, and it is now up to Boverket to work on this. I also foresee that one can incorporate some of the things that the industry points out which address the same issue.
The revision of the construction products regulation can contribute to a development of the market for recycled and reused material and at the same time a significantly reduced climate impact from construction products. This regulation is expected to, among other things, enable harmonized test methods for reused construction products and make it mandatory for producers to report the climate impact of construction products. The revised construction products regulation is expected to, among other things, entail requirements for construction material producers to declare products' climate and environmental properties, which is also something that can lead to better resource utilization and better circularity.
On that theme, Madam Speaker, there is also the matter of utilizing existing stock more effectively. There are certainly more measures that could be taken, but the planning stimulus that we have in the budget, I see as an important and welcome initiative to facilitate and enable changes in detailed plans which today may prevent the use of offices and premises as housing.
The Government further considers that the state's role regarding the policy for energy efficiency should primarily be based on energy markets where policy instruments aim to correct market failures, primarily external effects and lack of information, but also behavior-related barriers.
The Energy Authority has on three previous occasions been commissioned to investigate the needs and consequences of different ways to design a quota system for energy saving. The authority has concluded that such a system should not be introduced in Sweden, partly because the instrument is not judged to be socio-economically efficient as it is not considered to correct any market failure that other instruments do not already aim to correct.
It is a part of this. This falls within another minister's area of responsibility, but it is of course important to see how one can also raise the standard in areas through necessary renovation efforts while simultaneously improving energy efficiency. It is something that we can continue to discuss.
I see that my speaking time is running out. I therefore want to return to the electricity and energy needs themselves. It will be important to have more electricity, both now and in the future, and therefore it is important to be able to have two thoughts in one's head at the same time.
Katarina Luhr (MP)
Madam Speaker! I appreciate the answer, which was more exhaustive than I had expected.
It has become very clear that large parts of the business sector are pushing for better climate work right now, both because they understand the importance of reducing climate emissions and because it is something that is needed for Swedish companies to continue to be competitive and modern on an international market.
Unfortunately, the government is lagging behind, and unfortunately, a climate-delaying policy from the government's side will also trip up the business sector because it is clear that no one can manage a progressive climate effort on their own.
There is an infinite amount to do at the political level, but here the business community asks for 14 important measures that the Minister for Housing has the power to work further with. I hope that the Minister for Housing will take this seriously.
The responsibility is great to take measures within the areas of construction and other infrastructure. It is there that many of the measures are needed. What Minister Carlson does or does not do will play a major role in what the climate emissions will look like going forward.
The construction and civil engineering sector's roadmap underlines the importance of an active, long-term, and predictable national policy. I would like to know if we will see more measures introduced during the mandate period that facilitate a more climate-smart construction sector. Will we see limit values for the climate impact of buildings before the next election? The industry stands ready and is waiting.
The industry organizations within the construction sector have now done their part to drive the climate work forward, but now it is high time for leadership moving forward. I hope with all my heart that the Minister takes the roadmap with them and understands the value of the work that has been put in, and that the Minister takes responsibility to ensure that, at the very least, the construction sector will be given the conditions to reach its climate goals by 2030.
I thank you very much for the debate. Now, many of us are waiting for action.
Statsrådet Andreas Carlson (KD)
Madam Speaker! I want to thank the member for the commitment. This highlights that there are synergies in having the housing minister portfolio and the infrastructure minister portfolio in the same department and in the same portfolio. It is about important societal construction issues, which in particular concern building sustainably and circularly as well as combining fossil-free status with the development that needs to occur to strengthen jobs and growth throughout the country.
I have described several measures where investigations are already underway. I do not want to preempt them, but the processes are already in motion regarding the specific proposal raised at the end concerning the climate impact of buildings. Boverket's proposal on limit values is out for consultation, and views are being gathered right now. The last day to respond to the consultation is May 31, 2024. I look forward to returning to that issue and several other pressing issues that have been raised in this debate at a later time. I thank you for today's debate and for Katarina Luhrs' commitment.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.