Romina Pourmokhtari, Sweden’s youngest-ever minister at 25, currently holds the dual role of overseeing Climate and Enterprise. Recently, she found herself at the center of controversy as the government’s climate policies faced a no-confidence vote. Critics argue that her government has failed to implement concrete measures to combat climate change, with Sweden on track to miss its 2030 targets. The decision to cut taxes on petrol and diesel, along with reducing the biofuel blend mandate, has been cited as a major setback.
At a conference hosted by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, Pourmokhtari addressed the financial struggles of Northvolt, Sweden’s leading battery manufacturer, which aims to compete with industry giants like CATL and Tesla. Pourmokhtari made it clear that public financial support for Northvolt was off the table, arguing that private capital is sufficient to sustain the company.
In an interview after the event, Pourmokhtari emphasized Sweden’s global contribution to reducing emissions through the export of clean technology. She mentioned her recent inquiry into how much of a carbon sink Sweden could create by exporting goods and services that lower emissions worldwide. This move, however, risks backlash from environmentalists who question whether Sweden is doing enough domestically.
