Sweden’s fall to 15th place in the Climate Change Performance Index 2027 is a serious external warning about the country’s climate direction. It should not be dismissed as a technical dispute. But neither is the ranking a complete verdict on Sweden’s overall climate performance.
DN reports that Sweden has fallen another two places from last year, reaching its lowest position since the index began in 2005. That leaves the country ten places below its position when the Kristersson government took office. According to the report cited by DN, government climate decisions have moved Sweden further from its 2030 and 2045 targets.
The criticism is specific. DN reports that Sweden ranks 40th out of 68 on the emissions-trend indicator, while the index also gives low marks for climate policy and energy use. For a country that long occupied a leading position, four consecutive annual declines point to a problem of direction, not merely an uncomfortable league-table result.
Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari disputes the way high energy use per person lowers Sweden’s score. In comments to DN, she argues that a comparison becomes misleading if it does not account for whether energy is fossil-based, Sweden’s low net emissions per person, and the electricity needs of energy-intensive industry supplied with clean power.
That objection deserves consideration, but it does not answer the whole criticism. A large supply of fossil-free electricity can be a strength without resolving questions about emissions trends or whether climate policy is sufficient for Sweden’s own targets. The material supplied by DN does not include the index’s full methodology or underlying data, so it cannot settle how well the minister’s criticism applies to each component.
The conclusion is not that Sweden’s climate work has no value. It is that 15th place should increase pressure for a credible route to 2030 and 2045, while the government explains precisely which parts of the CCPI comparison it believes should be designed differently.
Sources
- Dagens Nyheter · Source date: 2026-11-11
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-11