Climate researcher: "Sweden may choose: Preem or Paris agreement"

- We must reduce the use of fossil fuels, not produce more. Sweden already has problems completing the Paris Agreement and must choose. If Preem's development is approved, it will be impossible to fulfill the agreement's commitments, says British climate scientist Kevin Anderson.

Tomorrow, the Land and Environmental Court will make its announcement on the matter of Preem's refinery in Lysekil. The oil company wants to expand to make petrol and diesel from heavy oil purified from sulfur, an investment of SEK 15 billion, which is expected to create hundreds of permanent jobs and three thousand temporary jobs during construction.

At the same time, emissions from the refinery will initially increase by one million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, at a time when emissions must greatly reduce in order to curb climate change.

Preem believes that they can produce gasoline and diesel more efficiently than competitors, which means lower carbon dioxide emissions.

- If we do not do it in Lysekil, someone else will produce this for significantly worse climate benefit, says Cristian Mattsson, trade union chair for IF Metall at Preemraff in Lysekil.

Preem will also increase the production of renewable fuels and has just opened a test facility to capture carbon dioxide. But that's not enough, according to Kevin Anderson, who was the Witness's expert witness during the Land and Environmental Court negotiations earlier this year.

- Every molecule of carbon dioxide that Preem adds to the atmosphere will affect the climate for centuries.

- Claiming that something is more effective and therefore continuing to use it does not solve the climate problems, it makes the situation worse.

It will be the government that will decide the matter, after the Land and Environmental Court has made its decision. Cristian Mattsson at IF Metall has central support from the union and also hopes for support from the Social Democrats.

- When Sweden is about to start up after this pandemic, it would be grateful if we had any industries left. So prompt handling by the government of the case is in demand.