If Preem gets permission to expand its refinery in Lysekil, the business could become Sweden's largest emitter.

The plans have upset both environmental organizations, local residents and the business profile, and AB Volvo's former chairman Finn Johnsson.

But with the current environmental legislation, the government can do nothing.

Law change required

In order to stop the construction, it is necessary that Swedish environmental legislation be revised, says the Climate Policy Council.

In its annual report of 2019, the Council recommends that Sweden "introduce legislation that gives the government the right to test the establishment of activities that counteract the opportunities to achieve the national climate targets".

Something that seems to be a reality, according to information to SVT.

- According to information, the Ministry of the Environment is currently preparing a directive to amend this law, says SVT's commentator Erika Bjerström in Aktuellt.

"There will be changes"

- There will be changes in environmental legislation.

According to Bjerström, the directives were included as part of the January agreement with the fairly general wording: "All relevant legislation will be reviewed so that the climate policy framework will have an impact (Investigation will be added in 2019)."

- This means, in plain text, that if the law is changed, the government would be given the right to test activities that are contrary to the Swedish national climate goals, she says.

May affect Preem's build

As it will take several years for Preem to get all the necessary permits, a possible change in the law may stop the expansion in Lysekil.

- There are also some signals that Preem may rethink for financial reasons. Preem's calculations on how profitable it would be to convert bunker oil to diesel are several years old, says Erika Bjerström.

See more in the clip above.