"We want people to be able to repair their clothes to a greater extent, then a tax like this will be a very strange signal," says Marcus Hartmann, Head of Sustainability at H&M Sweden.

The cultural news has been in contact with several of the largest Swedish fashion companies; H&M, Lindex, Kappahl, Gina Tricot and NA-KD. All are critical of the change in the law, which they believe puts obstacles in the way of the green transition and risks leading to fewer people choosing to hand in their clothes for mending.

Extended length of garments important

"It is very unfortunate that politicians are making decisions that go in completely the wrong direction and counteract the transition that we need to see in the fashion industry," says Anna-Karin Dahlberg, Sustainability Director at Lindex.

Sandra Roos, who has a similar role at Kappahl, is on the same track:

- That's bad. Using garments more times is one of the most important tools for reducing climate impact. We at Kappahl and also the industry in general are very questioning about this because it goes against the EU's textile strategy," she says.

You fashion companies make a living selling new clothes – don't you want people to buy new instead of repairing?

"We want to make money – but also meet our climate goals. The fashion industry must change its business model, through, for example, rental and second-hand sales in stores. You could also offer customers repairs and refreshments of garments," says Sandra Roos.

"May delay the transition"

The Climate Policy Council, which is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the government's climate policy, writes in its annual report, which came out on March 29, that the VAT increase "can be expected to lead to a certain increase in greenhouse gas emissions from newly produced goods (...)" and "if the change delays the transition to a more circular economy, including through its signal value, the long-term effect may be greater."

Culture News has sought Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari for comment. A memorandum from the Ministry of Finance states that the reason for the VAT increase on repairs is to make the VAT system more uniform.