Green Party calls for ‘better world’ for kids

After coming second in elections to the European Parliament in May, Sweden's Green Party is hoping to repeat its success at the polls on 14 September.

Unlike most of the country's political parties, it has released a summary of its manifesto in English.

"The climate issue is about what kind of world we want to hand over to our children and grandchildren," writes co-spokesperson Åsa Romson.

"We ca make Sweden into a global example that takes responsibility and shows the way".

Here is The Local's guide to the party's key policies:

Climate change

• Cut Sweden's emissions by investing in "smarter" energy projects, developing more modern trains and other transport and promoting an end to the "buy and throw society"
• All electricity and heating in Sweden to come from renewable energy sources by 2030
• All cars and trucks to run on fossil free fuels by 2030
• Phase out nuclear reactors
• Cut long distance freight travel, with more shipping and plane deliveries
• Work with the EU to ban dangerous chemicals
• Tougher legislation to protect animal welfare

Employment

• Create 30,000 more jobs linked to developing renewable sources, planning and constructing new climate-friendly neighbourhoods and designing faster trains
• Cut red tape and costs for employers, with small businesses no longer liable for sick pay 
• Make it easier for staff to take a sabbatical, to study, gain new skills elsewhere or spend time with their family
• Give all high school pupils the chance to get a summer job, by encouraging local authorities to collaborate with industry and businesses
• Change sick leave rules to make it easier for people with long-term illnesses to work part-time
• Create a more secure job market by discouraging short-term and hourly contracts
• Shorten the working week to 35 hours

Education

• Expand vocational work schemes, apprenticeships and adult education schemes
• Increase pay for teachers
• Offer bilingual education for students from other countries
• Pre-school classes to have a maximum of 5 children
• Abolish tuition fees for overseas students

Gender equality

• Ensure equal pay legislation is implemented
• Improve health and safety in female-dominated professions such as nursing, cutting sickness rates and mental health issues
• Extend parental leave for fathers
• Introduce quotas for women on the boards of listed companies
• Invest in women's shelters and tackling domestic abuse
• Transgender citizens to be included in equality and hate crimes legislation

Welfare, health and elderly care

• Increase staffing for nursing homes
• Improve help for homeless EU migrants
• Invest in maternity care

Housing and infrastructure

• Work with construction companies to create 30,000 small climate-friendly rental properties
• Give residents more opportunity to design their communities 
• Increase availability of high speed broadband across Sweden

Immigration

• Make it easier for children born in Sweden to obtain citizenship
• Improve access to housing for asylum seekers

Foreign policy

• Stop selling arms to countries run by dictators or involved in current armed conflicts
• Protect the Arctic
• Work for an international ban on fossil fuel subsidies

Read more about what Sweden's other main parties are promising:

Sweden's elections – who's who?