Unlike most other Swedish establishment politicians, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson is highly skeptical of the climate alarmist rhetoric that dominates – and wants the EU to slow down its climate initiatives.

Åkesson does not believe that the “climate threat” is in reality as serious as it is often portrayed by politicians and the media, nor does he buy the argument that we must hurry up and do everything we can before it is too late.

– I don’t share the view that there is such a hurry, he tells the tabloid Aftonbladet. Instead, he wants to put more resources into military rearmament.

– I am absolutely no expert, but everyone I talk to who has really familiarized themselves with what the IPCC’s various reports and scenarios say, there is no reason whatsoever to panic or climate anxiety, or anything like that at all.

Instead of quick and ill-considered measures that can have very negative consequences for society at large, the leader of the Sweden Democrats argues that we should invest in a long-term transition and electrification.

As expected, Åkesson’s departure from the established narrative on the climate issue has not gone down well with everyone.

Climate professor: “Very urgent”

Markku Rummukainen is a professor of climatology at Lund University and until 2023 represented Sweden on the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – a body tasked with compiling and presenting research on alleged climate change, global warming and its consequences.

The climate professor raged against Åkesson’s move, firmly stating that his views contradict the IPCC reports – and unlike the SD leader, Rummukainen emphasized that it is “very urgent” to stop climate change.

– Yes, it is. There are, of course, different options for the way forward depending on what we do. There are opportunities to limit climate change between 1.5 and 2 degrees. If we don’t take the climate issue seriously, we will end up with higher numbers.

– According to the IPCC, all emissions matter. We are already seeing, and being affected by, the impacts of climate change. These include rising temperatures, rising sea levels and more extreme events such as more intense heatwaves and heavier rainfall. The effects are increasing rapidly with emissions, he continues.

“Following Putin’s lead”

Green Party spokesperson Daniel Helldén is also outraged by Jimmie Åkesson’s comments and says he has “got the whole climate issue backwards“.

Helldén also makes repeated attempts to link the SD leader with Russia and Vladimir Putin – because Russian gas and oil exports are said to benefit if the EU does not invest heavily in “green” energy.

– It would strengthen the states that we are now trying to arm ourselves against. The policy he is pursuing is really following Putin’s lead. He must be cheering what he is saying.

– Russia’s huge exports of gas and oil are higher than the aid Europe gives to Ukraine. If the EU were to put the brakes on climate action, Russia could continue exporting. It will be Putin who wins from it, he repeats.