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During the pandemic, the government has distributed at least ten times more crisis aid to the aviation industry than to the train industry. Jens Holm, a Left Party climate policy spokesman and chairman of the Riksdag traffic committee that featured the rescue efforts, is deeply disappointed.
– This clearly shows what the government prioritizes in a crisis. It is more important to keep the aviation sector in arms than to save the railroad, which is remarkable when the government claims to have such lofty climate ambitions, he says.
Environment and Climate Minister Per Bolund (MP) believes that Jens Holm makes a “creative calculation”, which does not take into account the so-called green reset in the autumn budget, where the government gives 1.4 billion SEK to state freight . Green Cargo train company.
– We have a green restart in the budget that is unique in the world, says Per Bolund.
Train travel decreased significantly
But even with the fall budget in mind, aviation has still received more money. The Climate Policy Council’s review of crown subsidies points to the same problem.
“The government has not settled on any sustained rescue effort targeting train traffic, even though, like air traffic, it has dropped dramatically during the pandemic.”they write in their report released Thursday.
Train travel has also dropped dramatically. According to KTH calculations, train travel was reduced by 60 percent last year (the corresponding figure for air travel is 75 percent) and SJ is deducted with huge losses.
Due to a loss of revenue, the state railway company recently decided to prematurely terminate the agreement with Mälardalstrafik, something that affects more than half a million daily commuters.
The Left Party, like regional politicians, believes that the survival of the regional train is a matter of state, but the government’s response so far is that SJ should operate for commercial reasons.
Lack of climatic requirements
The Climate Policy Council also questions that most aviation investments are not surrounded by climate requirements. Only in relation to SAS that received a capital injection of SEK 5 billion this summer, counterclaims were made, which the board assesses “may contribute to reducing emissions in the long term.
SAS has announced that they will reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2025, five years ahead of schedule. By 2030, emissions should have been cut in half compared to 2005, which is double compared to previous plans.
The airline will also investigate the possibilities of commercial collaborations with rail operators and lead the increase in the participation of biofuels. Per Bolund states that the requirements are strict in an international context.
– Jens Holm closes his eyes because we not only gave money for the flight, but also set very high environmental requirements. Sweden and Scandinavia set the strictest requirements that any country has placed on any airline to get that money, and SAS accepts far-reaching environmental requirements. It wouldn’t have happened without the resources, says the climate minister.
“Silly stuff”
Jens Holm calls the statement “nonsense.” He believes that the SAS promises are rather a natural continuation of the climate work already started by the airline.
He compares it to how the French government forced Air France to close domestic flights on routes where there are train connections that take a maximum of two and a half hours. In the same way, the government could have demanded that SAS stop flying between Gothenburg and Stockholm.
– The counterclaims against SAS are not clear and will not lead to the closure of unnecessary routes. The government could have chosen to interrupt part of the domestic flight.
Had you lacked support for the flight if you had to decide?
– No, not really. But the government should have given less to the aviation sector and more to the alternative, to spur a switch to rail during the pandemic. So far, that opportunity has been completely missed, says Jens Holm.
Government crisis support to aviation
Rescue efforts for aviation during the pandemic
Credit guarantees for airlines (3/17): SEK 5 billion, of which SEK 1.5 billion to SAS.
Public service obligation airports in Norrland and Gotland (6/4): SEK 105 million.
Regional airports, operational support (6/14): SEK 100 million.
Civil Aviation Administration (14/6): 900 million SEK.
Capital contribution from Sweden (6/15): SEK 3.15 billion.
SAS Credit Guarantee (6/15): SEK 5 billion.
Loan for traffic management at non-state regional airports (1/12): 164 million SEK.
Total: SEK 14,419 million.
Railroad rescue efforts during the pandemic
SEK 730 million for railway maintenance.
200 extra in environmental compensation for the transport of goods by rail.
Total: SEK 930 million.
The calculations have been made by Jens Holm in the work on the book “The pandemic as opportunity”, which will be published later this spring. It does not include general crisis support of 5 billion for regional public transport or 1.4 billion in the budget for Green Cargo. For aviation, additional government funding for emergency airport ambulance flights does not count.
