“Unlike before, the whole bloc of parties supporting the government is now backing Sweden’s climate goals,” Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari said in a press conference.

The four parties – the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals and Sweden Democrats, also known as the Tidö parties after the country manor where they signed their coalition agreement – will now work together with the goal of reaching net-zero in 2045, she added.

“All parties in the governing bloc are now also backing the national interim targets, which are important checkpoints along the way,” Pourmokhtari said.

The U-turn from the Sweden Democrats means that Sweden’s parliament is now fully united in support of the climate goals, which are based on three principles: they should have an international perspective with a focus on reducing global emissions, they should incorporate developing technology with more fossil-free electricity and they should be combined with economic growth.

“Climate policy should be effective, it should be tolerated by citizens and it should create jobs and growth. We don’t want a policy of shutting things down,” Sweden Democrat spokesperson on climate and environmental policy, Martin Kinnunen said, before adding that work to review the goals is ongoing.

“There will be an overview of the interim targets and the Climate Policy Council will also be given new assignments,” he said.

One example is the 2030 interim goal for transport, which the government’s investigator John Hassler wants to replace with a new goal focusing on electrification.

“We think it’s good that that’s being reviewed, and if you want to review something then that’s something you strive to change,” Kinnunen said.

He dismissed the suggestion that the Sweden Democrats’ decision to give their backing to the 2045 climate goal was a concession for the party, describing it as “at its foundation a good agreement for Sweden and for the collaborating parties”.