The battle is about Sweden's wetlands. When dry, they release carbon dioxide that harms the climate. At the same time, they are a source of peat that is used to make arable land for, for example, forestry and vegetable cultivation.
Necessary, according to the peat industry – harmful to the climate, according to activists and researchers who specialize in the issue.
"If you look at the climate, the peat industry needs to stop taking up peat. It's just like stopping taking up oil. We simply cannot afford emissions. Then it doesn't matter if peat is regenerated in 1,000 years," says Amelie Lindgren, researcher in physical geography at the University of Gothenburg.
Swedish peat: Difficult to replace
But according to the trade association, peat is currently difficult to replace.
"It is needed for forestry, food production and animal husbandry. Some parts can be replaced with compost, but far from everything, says Rita Larsson at Svensk torv.
The issue has become debated, not least because of the attention around the activist group Restore Wetlands.
The government recently announced that it is spending new money on rewetting wetlands. Something that has been called "greenwashing" by Restore Wetlands.
"It's about over three billion in the coming years, it's not small money. This is as far from greenwashing as you can get, says Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L).