from avanza - probably posted before...15 Jan 2020 15:23
The environmental movement is skeptical about the mining industry in Sweden. But increased mining operations in Sweden are needed for the sake of the climate.
Seventeen earth metals are the basis for climate change. Among them are batteries for electric cars, parts of wind turbines, and electronic components for smartphones and computers. A lot of the metals appear to be found in Swedish mountains, according to the Swedish Geological Survey, SGU.
Yet Sweden is becoming irrelevant as a mining nation. The number of applications for test drilling has almost halved in two years. The Fraser Institute think tank, which ranks mining nations, has moved Sweden down from fifth place to 21st on the list of prominent mining nations.
The reason is mainly political: the government delays crucial decisions. "A wet blanket has been laid on the entire industry and the cause is a crippling legal uncertainty as a result of the government being unable to decide these cases," MP Linda Modig (C) told SvD (10/1).
Business Minister Ibrahim Baylan (S) replies that the permit processes must be reviewed - which he is right - but gives no answers as to why the government is dragging the questions in the long bench. However, those who have followed the mining questions may have their guesses. The environmental party is generally critical of new mines. In 2018, a ban was imposed on the excavation of uranium, even though none existed in Sweden, and although a number of players warned that the ban would have consequences for the mining of other valuable metals as well.
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