"Sweden crowned the top government for sustainable development”?!

According to the GlobeScan Sustainability Leaders 2024 report, some 500 sustainability experts have crowned Sweden as the top government for sustainable development – but from our front-row seat, it’s not that simple.

The survey underlined that the exponential rise of sustainability regulation on transparency and climate action demonstrates that countries are moving the needle, but this may not necessarily have the desired outcome in the short term. Over half of the surveyed experts report a significant backlash against sustainability, with over eight in ten in North America seeing this trend. Globally, 52 percent of experts believe this backlash will slow the transition to sustainability in the coming years. So Sweden may top the list of countries, but this does not mean that the country encapsulates leadership.

We see this backlash in Sweden, too. Its long-term sustainability goals often lose out to short-term priorities. Take the recent flying tax cut – a move made despite clear evidence it would raise emissions. Add to that slow progress on energy and electrification, plus conflicts with special interests, and the gap between ambition and action becomes clear.

No country is immune to the backlash GlobeScan mentions in its report, but shouldn’t Sweden, with its commitment to the green transition, be setting a stronger example? 🌿

Read more:
GlobeScan Report
The Guardian

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