Sweden’s government said this week it planned to abolish a tax on plastic bags as at November 2024, a move heavily criticised by environmental groups. “We’re convinced that the Swedish people use plastic bags wisely in their daily lives and that there’s no reason they should be extra expensive,” Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari told Swedish broadcaster SVT.
The proposal comes one week after the government, in power since October 2022, announced that it planned to cut petrol and diesel taxes. The proposals have raised concerns that the new government’s climate policy is backsliding after years of pioneering efforts.
According to AFP, the Scandinavian country introduced a tax of three kronor ($0.27) on plastics in 2020, though
