Sweden

 

6 02, 2026

Swedish Youth Sue Government Over Climate Inaction

2026-05-25T22:20:45-04:00Tags: |

Aurora, a Swedish youth-led climate justice association, has made a second attempt to hold their government accountable for not contributing their fair share when it comes to decarbonization. Although Sweden has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2045, Aurora argues that the government is excluding high-polluting sectors from its plan. This plan would help to limit global warming to 1.5C (2.7F), but 15 years too late. The group is more confident this second time as the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice have ruled that insufficient mitigation and adaptation measures is a violation of international law. In fact, at the beginning of this year, Bonaire, a Caribbean island territory of the Netherlands, won their case against the Dutch government for failing to protect them from climate change. As Ida Edling, Aurora’s spokesperson, says “We still have a chance to get out of planetary crises and build a safe and just world, but only if rich and high-emitting states like Sweden stop breaking the law and start immediately transforming their societies.”

13 08, 2024

How ‘woke’ marketing lets fast fashion brands get away with environmental and labour abuses

2025-04-09T22:22:56-04:00Tags: , , |

Fast fashion brands have increasingly been using "woke" marketing that targets women by promoting messages of feminism and environmentalism but, in reality, this often serves as greenwashing to obscure their harmful practices. These brands exploit gender stereotypes, positioning women as natural nurturers and caretakers and encouraging them to engage in "ethical" consumption as a way to make a positive impact. Instead of promoting sustainable behavior, such as reducing overall consumption, brands like H&M and Shein frame purchasing more products as a solution to environmental issues. This tactic of greenwashing is widespread across industries and seeks to shift the burden of environmental responsibility onto women while concealing the continued exploitation of female garment workers and the industry's contribution to environmental degradation. By using these greenwashing techniques, brands manipulate women into believing their consumption choices alone can drive change, diverting attention from systemic issues such as overproduction, waste, and labor abuses.

24 05, 2022

(Re)designing the city for women

2025-05-24T19:10:46-04:00Tags: |

The Årstidernas park in Umeå, Sweden features a gazebo designed specifically for teenage girls, reflecting their inputs to ensure safety and comfort. This initiative is part of a broader effort to make urban spaces more accommodating to women, addressing issues often overlooked in city and urban planning. Gender equality officers like Annika Dalén and Linda Gustafsson play crucial roles in urban policy, ensuring that new projects, from parks to bike routes, meet the needs of female residents. Umeå's gender-focused approach, in place since 1978, has gained attention across Europe, emphasizing that gender-sensitive urban design enhances safety and inclusivity for all residents. Gustafsson emphasizes the deep relationship between gender and sustainability, explaining that “Umeå is committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030,” but “if we don’t work simultaneously to combat climate change and achieve gender equality, we’re not going to get there.”

23 02, 2021

Urban Girls and women redesign their cities using digital tools | UN-Habitat

2024-02-15T11:54:58-05:00Tags: |

This article highlights the creation of a toolbox, titled Her City, from a group of young women in the Botkyrka municipality of Sweden that want to redesign their city into one where they all feel safer. The women joined forces with local municipalities in order to reconceive how the Fittja neighborhood can be transformed for the better. To do so, research labs with the young women and girls, stakeholders, and local authorities were created to collect data on what it is like to design a city from a girl or woman’s perspective. Data collection included interviews, safety audits, explanatory walks, and observations. Using the data, the group developed action plans to redesign the neighborhood through the use of Minecraft. These Minecraft plans were then sent to the Mayor of Botkyrka and the planning commission. One of the participants, Moné Ukonu, describes how the project began with the group walking around Fittja and highlighting all of the things that made them feel unsafe. Through Minecraft, the women were able to test out their ideas for a new city and see what they could do with the space. The current pilot in Fittja is being facilitated by UN-Habitat and the independent Swedish think tank, Global Utmaning, and has garnered widespread media attention. UN-Habitat has teamed up with other organizations to provide mainstream access to the toolbox, with the ultimate goal being to have any city that wants to build a city for the inclusion of all its citizens be able to do so through the use of the toolbox as a guide. Photo Credit: Tove Levonen

2 08, 2019

From The Archive: The Local’s First Interview With Greta Thunberg

2020-12-02T21:54:27-05:00Tags: |

In this article first published in the Local (Swedish) newspaper, Greta Thunberg describes herself as a climate radical. At 15 years old, she decided to make a stand for climate change by protesting outside Sweden’s Parliament every day so politicians would take climate issues seriously. The choice of location ensured the protest would attract attention from tourists and professionals passing by; such as being approached by Minister for Social Affairs Annika Strandhäll. Greta chose to raise awareness about climate change and counteract the lack of youth voting power by refusing to attend school, which is obligatory until the age of 16. Involved in environmental issues since she was 11, Greta started organising herself to do something about the worrying effects of climate change. By the 5th day of protest, she was joined by 35 people sitting outside parliament, including Fatemeh Khavari, spokesman for the young Afghans against Swedish deportations policy. Photo Credit: Catherine Edwards/The Local

18 11, 2015

Sami Woman Sofia Jannok Sings

2017-09-22T10:15:38-04:00Tags: |

In this video, Indigenous Sami woman Sofia Jannok sings a traditional folksong, or “yoik” entitled “Gulahallat Eatnamin” which translates to “We Speak Earth” and proceeds to explain her people’s ancestral connections to land in what is now known as Europe. She explains how the Sami people of the Arctic are experiencing the impact of climate change: rainy winters and reindeer starvation threaten their way of life. Filmed before the COP21 climate talks, she urges us to take to the streets as she anticipates doing with 350.org. Photo credit: Sofia Jannok

14 10, 2015

Sami Woman Sara Marielle Beaska On The Danger Of 1.5 Degrees

2017-09-25T09:59:34-04:00Tags: |

In the arctic where the Sámi people live, the temperature has already risen by 1,5 degrees. Sara Marielle Beaska sings a yoik, or traditional folk chant, she wrote herself. The song is entitled “Gulahallat Eatnamic” translating to “We Speak Earth.” Beaska urges people to film themselves performing this yoik and share it widely. Photo credit: 350.org

12 10, 2013

Swedish Co-Op Creates A Stake For Women In Wind Industry

2017-09-21T21:11:02-04:00Tags: |

The creation of the all-women wind energy co-operative Qvinnovindar in Falköping, Sweden, began in 2007, when Wanja Wallemyr gathered with nine women to collectively finance a community wind project. The initiative has grown to over 80 women members and has received awards for its vanguardism in a predominantly male industry. Photo credit: Grist

22 02, 2010

Solvatten: A Solution To Clean Water Challenges

2017-09-21T20:28:53-04:00Tags: |

Over the course of 11 years, Petra Wadstrom, a Swedish inventor, designed the Solvatten solar-powered water purifier to help provide clean water to 1.2 billion people who currently lack access. Wadstrom hopes to inspire teachers and students through her invention and to open up discussions about climate change and poverty alleviation.

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