Around 10,000 people demonstrated yesterday in Stockholm, Sweden, in defense of the climate, less than a month before the parliamentary elections, AFP journalists at the scene noted.
“We are so many people who are concerned about this climate issue that I think it eases me a bit and gives me strength to believe there is a way forward to solve this problem,” said 21-year-old student Kliff Lindberg, who is participating for the first time in a protest.
The rally began at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) in a cheerful atmosphere, with researchers, youth and sports associations, unions, rural associations, religious communities and human rights organizations present.
Activist Greta Thunberg, who was also there, told AFP that she had little hope because “there is absolutely no party in Sweden that proposes a policy that matches what science considers necessary to avoid a climate catastrophe.”
“If we continue like this we will witness a collapse, in fact we are already witnessing it,” she said.
According to a Verian poll published on Thursday by SVT, 37% of those questioned consider the environment their main electoral priority.
In power since 2022, the right-wing government led by Ulf Kristersson, supported by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, has been the target of criticism by a commission charged with ensuring the implementation of the country’s climate objectives.
Sweden has set as an objective to reduce transport-related carbon dioxide emissions by 70% by 2030, compared with 2010 levels, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
However, during its term, the current government reduced gasoline taxes and eased the obligations imposed on fuel suppliers to integrate low-carbon alternatives into their product range.
