Sweden

Sweden is part of the European Union, which means EU directives must be incorporated into Swedish law, and EU regulations become directly part of Swedish legislation. If Swedish regulations conflict with EU regulations, the EU legislation take priority. Sweden's governance is organized into national, regional, and local levels, all with democratically elected bodies, similar to Norway. Land use planning and its responsibility are managed by the county administrative boards (at the regional level) and by municipalities (at the local level), both guided by the Swedish Planning and Building Act.

Efforts for more sustainable land and water use, as well as sustainable landscapes, are both international commitments governed through the EU's biodiversity strategy and a part of Sweden's national efforts to achieve environmental quality objectives, Agenda 2030 goals, and outdoor recreation targets. Numerous laws govern climate adaptation work in Sweden, both directly and indirectly. The main law, directly related to climate adaptation, is the Planning and Building Act. An example of an indirectly related law is the Environmental Code, which aims to promote sustainable development and a healthy environment.

The government has issued a regulation on climate adaptation, Myndigheters klimatanpassningsarbete, requiring 32 national authorities and all 21 county administrative boards to develop action plans for their respective areas of responsibility. The regulation also mandates that these authorities and boards conduct climate and vulnerability analyses, establish objectives/goals for their climate adaptation efforts, and create action plans to achieve these goals.

Sweden has national environmental goals that partly guide efforts related to biodiversity. There are certain interim targets relevant to climate adaptation, but none explicitly mention NBS.

Sweden has a strategy from 2022 called “The Strategy for Sweden's Global Development Cooperation in Environment, Climate, and Biodiversity (2022–2026)”, which aims to support worldwide sustainable development, by promoting climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management through international partnerships, capacity building, and innovative solutions. The strategy also aligns with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In August 2018, the government established the National Expert Council for Climate Adaptation, tasked with evaluating Sweden's climate adaptation efforts and providing recommendations for future actions. The first report was submitted to the government in 2022, which also addressed the need for NBS.

In March 2024, the Swedish government updated its national strategy for climate adaptation, emphasizing that NBS should be considered in climate adaptation measures.

Under the Local Nature Conservation Initiative (LONA), municipalities can apply for grants to create new or restore existing wetlands. Projects can also be initiated and managed by associations and other local actors. In 2018, wetlands were introduced as a separate grant category within LONA, and three years later, in 2021, the benefits of wetland restoration for achieving climate goals were highlighted.

Through the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap), municipalities can apply for state grants for natural disasters, including support for NBS.