Seven Swedish industrial plants, including Preem, St1 Refinery and the electricity company Eon, were approved last year to make significant increases in their emissions. All in all, this is a permit for new emissions of more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to figures from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

- Of course, it's very worrying. We need to see an emission curve that quickly goes the other way, says Johanna Sandahl, chair of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

Sweden cannot influence

The companies that have been granted a license are included in the trade in EU emission allowances, and therefore Sweden cannot influence the increase. This is what Tomas Kåberger says at the Climate Policy Council, an expert body whose mission is to evaluate how well the government's policy is leading to the attainment of climate targets.

- The emissions trading system is not enough for us to reach the Swedish climate targets to completely get rid of emissions in 2045. If we are to achieve the Swedish targets, either the EU must tighten emissions trading or that we introduce supplementary instruments in Sweden, says Kåberger.

However, the fact that companies have been given permission to make additional carbon dioxide emissions does not mean that the total emissions in Sweden will increase by the corresponding amount.

Compensates with renewable diesel

Sweden's largest fuel company, Preem, which has been authorized to increase its emissions at its refineries in Lysekil and Gothenburg by upwards of 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, expects to bring home that increase in emissions through the production of renewable diesel.

- If you count on the net, it will mean reduced carbon dioxide emissions, says the company's sustainability manager Malin Hallin.