Speaker from Timbro opened up about natural resource fees
For several years, Region Norrbotten has worked to ensure that some of the value created in, for example, mines and power plants stays in the county. At our development conference on April 2, Hanna Stenegren from the civic think tank Timbro pointed out that such a reform is needed.
Great value is created from Norrbotten's natural resources – but too little of it stays here. For over five years, Region Norrbotten has been pushing the line that some of the value from mines, forests and electricity production should benefit the county. But it has been difficult to get a hearing for it outside the county.
It was therefore gratifying that Hanna Stenegren, responsible for climate, environmental and energy issues at the civic think tank Timbro, opened up for natural resource fees when she spoke at the Norrbotten Region's development conference at Pite Havsbad. - You need to create incentives for the municipalities in different ways, via the tax system, allowing tax bases to remain local when it comes to mining and electricity production, she said and was met with applause and cheers in the room.
Of course in neighboring countries
Such a reform would likely mean many new millions to build communities and welfare with, and thus greater acceptance in local communities. In our neighboring countries and other comparable countries, it is a matter of course. From municipalities in Sweden, interest in both wind farms and new mines is currently lukewarm.
Hanna Stenegren emphasized that much of what is needed to implement the green transition is in northern Sweden. – The forest, ore and hydropower have built Sweden strong and will build Sweden 2.0. strong. The two most important pieces of the puzzle are the permit processes and the electricity system. She wished that politics and debate would find a good balance.
– The state should not knock the market out of the way where it is best, but neither should it be ideologically market fundamentalist, nor should it acknowledge market failures and compromise where necessary.
– My call to you is to show that when things go well for Norrland, things go well for the whole country. Stockholm wouldn't be able to survive for very long without the rest of Sweden.
What is the criticism about?
Otherwise, Stenegren spoke mainly about the right-wing criticism of the green transition. What is it about and, what is its significance and what is the way forward? She pointed out four main strands of criticism: Electricity panic, Subsidy allergy, Mistrust of transition and Political realism. The debaters question where the electricity should come from while often being hostile to wind power and driving a North-South conflict. They believe that the state should not continue with subsidies. Other debaters see the entire green transition as socio-economic suicide. The last group questions green credits on the basis that the market's mechanisms for risk assessment are being put out of action.
– You do best not to dismiss right-wing criticism but to respond to it. In the noise of harsh words there is often a legitimate core, said Hanna Stenegren.
Important to address
She pointed out the risks of letting criticism of the green transition in the north go unchallenged.
– Sometimes there is a fatigue because you think the analysis is wrong, you have connected the wrong things, you don't even want to respond because it is so absurd. But what you risk if you don't do it is that the right-wing criticism has political consequences. Among many young people, these are thoughts and ideas that have taken root. The young generation is much more conservative than they have been in many years, less idealistic and less committed to the environment. These are tomorrow's opinion leaders who take inspiration from these debaters. They may think they are right because they don't get the other side in a good way.
Text: Sara Stylbäck Vesa
Photo: Simon Eliasson
