Klimat, vår generations största hot mot mänskliga rättigheter? : Diskursiv klimaträttvisa i Sverige, för våra kommande generationer

Sammanfattning

The environmental politics in Sweden are portrayed in the Swedish environmental discourse to be both ambiguous and a pioneer state internationally. Sweden has an established aim to solve the sixteen identified grand environmental issues in Sweden until the next generation (2025). For example, Tracy Skillington, mentioned in the field of research, argues of an absence of climate justice for future generations. This paper will therefore examine the way Sweden relates to future generations in the Swedish environmental politics through a lens of climate justice. I will approach this subject through a discourse analysis of three Swedish propositions which can be used to understand the background meaning of legislations, and therefore also can be regarded as authoritarian in the Swedish environmental discourse. The analysis will be based on the logic of signs in the discourse and structured according to the analysis tool, problem – reason – solution. The main problem in Swedish environmental discourse can relate to the ambiguous formulation of the generational aim. Sweden expresses, in their environmental discourse (proposition 1997/98:145), a confidence to solve the environmental issues until the next generation, meanwhile maintaining other political priorities such as economic growth. Sweden describes an overall change of society to sustainable development. In the Swedish environmental discourse terms such as justice and crisis are excluded, which forms and characterizes the Swedish discourse. The problems in Swedish environmental discourse are being visible though the environmental aims seem unreachable on the set timeline. There are three identified reasons in the Swedish environmental discourse, nature as an economic human resource, the environmental quality issues in Sweden depends on other states environmental actions due to the transnational problem and the initial environmental goals are portrayed as impossible to fulfill. Sweden legitimize their environmental discourse through the solutions found in the three propositions. The choice to use generation to describe the Swedish aim, could be understood to unify the Swedish environmental discourse. In the propositions, a change in the meaning of the generational aim will be shown, which makes a prominent difference for future generations. In proposition 2016/17:146, a transition to climate is made which means less focus on future generation in the Swedish discourse. The next generation has a prominent role in the environmental discourse of Sweden, but it turns out unclear what exact meaning the generation of today include in the term next generation. The promises made in the first proposition, are emptied of the initial meaning, why it is questionable if climate justice towards the next generation can be reached in the Swedish environmental discourse.