Extended support for climate initiatives - The ‘Klimatklivet’ initiative is part of the state budget that the Swedish Parliament agreed for 2017. Since 2015 over SEK 1 billion has been allocated to local climate investments, and by 2020 a further SEK 700 million per year will be handed out.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is focusing on local investments for the greatest possible climate benefit. The main aim of the Klimatklivet initiative is to reduce emissions that affect the climate. Measures that can be supported are concrete climate initiatives in areas such as transport, industry, residential, commercial, urban development and energy. Schemes may involve, for example, replacing fossil oil with biofuel.
Wibax has received support via Klimatklivet – In 2016 Wibax applied for and received financial support via Klimatklivet for conversion from fossil heating to bio-oil heating at three of our terminals where we store products that required heated cisterns. So far the plant in Skelleftehamn has been converted, and a further two plants will be converted during 2017. Wibax is actively working on several fronts to minimise our emissions and this grant provides a greater incentive to become fossil-free, as the investment costs do not need to be that great.
Cheaper heating with bio-oil – A government measure to reduce the use of fossil fuels is a gradual reduction of tax relief, which has seen the relief fall to just 20 per cent in 2016. This is happening at a time when the oil price, which has been at a historically low level, is on the way up. This has a deep impact, and means a lot for the overall economy, where it leads to powerful financial incentives for conversion to bio-oil, in addition to the existing environmental benefits.
For more information about the types of measures that can receive support, who can apply for support and the application process, visit the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s website: https://www.naturvardsverket.se/klimatklivet
