Reduce emissions in Sweden with 40 per cent by 2020 – and finance the same amount of reductions in developing countries
This position paper focuses on goals and targets in the Swedish national climate policy. Church of Sweden will present a position paper on climate and development in 2008, which will discuss support to climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. Introduction The position of Church of Sweden on climate policy has its starting point in a long-standing commitment to the climate issue within the framework of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The WCC has a consultative status to the United Nations (UN) and has participated as an NGO-representative in the negotiations within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) since the Convention was signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Church of Sweden has on several occasions participated in the WCC delegation at these meetings. The position is also based on the Guidelines for the international department’s work on climate issues and on statements delivered by Church of Sweden to the Swedish government. 1 As will be seen from these documents Church of Sweden believes that Sweden should act from a perspective of global justice in decisions and negotiations concerning climate change. Further, Church of Sweden stresses the urgency for Sweden to pursue a forceful climate policy nationally, as well as internationally, and that early action in the climate issues are of decisive importance. Church of Sweden sees climate change as an issue of fundamental global importance for the future, from an environmental perspective as well as from a justice and development perspective. Climate change is an obvious example of how all people belong together. It embraces important issues of equity between rich and poor countries, between those who are affected by the large emissions and those who