Activists in Sweden Call for Public Referendum to Ban Peat Extraction Amid Climate Concerns

In Grimsås, Swedish activists have taken direct action by restoring a local bog in protest against Neova's ongoing peat extraction plans. These efforts come with police arrests, highlighting tensions around the issue. At the heart of the movement is Edvin Eriksson, a 28-year-old Gothenburg resident and member of the grassroots group Återställ våtmarker. Eriksson is leading calls for a public referendum on peat extraction, emphasizing that this initiative emerges from the people rather than politicians to demonstrate how democracy can effectively address climate challenges.

The activists argue that peat extraction is a major source of carbon emissions, surpassing those from domestic flights in Sweden, and liken peat to “Sweden’s brown coal.” They advocate for a total ban on peat extraction to combat climate change and criticize politicians for prioritizing short-term political survival over long-term environmental solutions. This sentiment reflects concerns over increasing authoritarianism globally and a climate crisis often overlooked by political leaders.

Inspired by climate activists like Greta Thunberg, Eriksson and his group stress that the current democratic system has failed to respond adequately to environmental demands. The "disobedient referendum" they have initiated aims to empower citizens and show that democracy can work by giving the public a voice on this pivotal environmental issue.

As this grassroots campaign gains momentum, it underscores growing public engagement in Sweden around climate action and challenges faced by traditional political structures to meet those demands sustainably.