WWF Sweden Youth is a non-profit leadership program that trains today’s and tomorrow’s sustainability leaders.  Their mission is to enable young people to impact matters relating to sustainability and the future. They challenge old truths and develop new ways of thinking in a group where diversity is their strength. They are driven by creating change and spreading hope!.

While Björn was a guest speaker at Almedalsveckan, WWF Sweden Youth took the opportunity to talk to him about his favourite ABBA song and what gives him hope, amongst other things.
 

Björn Ulvaeus:  Naaeej ...  It's not so

Interviewer: ABBA-Bjorn's favourite song?
Björn Ulvaeus: It's just that we wrote a hell of a lot of good songs.
Hi! My name is Björn Ulvaeus.

Interviewer: Nice to meet you.
Interviewer:  Who are you?
Björn Ulvaeus: I am, among other things, a songwriter, entrepreneur and one of the members of ABBA.

Interviewer: Of all the songs you've written, which is your favourite?
Björn Ulvaeus: I don't have a favourite song. We wrote them and right at the time of writing it was the best we could do and then I thought about it and then ... Afterwards ...
No I simply don't have a favourite.

Interviewer: You move on from that in some way?   Or?
Björn Ulvaeus: Naaeej ... It's not so. It's just that we wrote a hell of a lot of good songs and It's hard to choose one.

Interviewer: What gives you hope Bjorn?
Björn Ulvaeus: A united Europe.

Interviewer: What can all of us who don't have a given power role do to ensure that we get a united Europe?
Björn Ulvaeus: The first and most important thing is of course to vote.

Interviewer: But you Björn, it's quite interesting how you've gone from being a songwriter to standing here where you are right now.  Do you want to tell me a little about it?
Björn Ulvaeus: I've always been socially engaged. And this is just because the threat feels so acute now. If you have a platform like I have, I think you have to raise your voice and do something.

Interviewer: What was the last straw that made you want to get involved?
Björn Ulvaeus: That's what's happening in America. About how the president walks free past the courts and does exactly what he wants.

Interviewer: Can you recognize this in Sweden in any way?  Or are we immune?
Björn Ulvaeus: We're not immune, but we have stronger support for democracy in Sweden, I think, than the US has ever had.


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Björn Ulvaeus:  Then the person still gets a five.

Interviewer:  Recycling is not that important to you, is it?   I thought we would test and run a little trend!  If I say this that ... A person is ten out of ten but doesn't believe in climate change?
What are they then? Out of 10?
Björn Ulvaeus:   person ...?

Interviewer: Now now ...
Björn Ulvaeus:   You have to explain again.   I think I would have given them two.

Interviewer: If they vote blank?
Björn Ulvaeus:   Then I would have given them zero

Interviewer: If a person was five out of ten but recycling?
Björn Ulvaeus:  Then the person still gets a 5.

Interviewer: Okay.  Recycling is not that important to you, is it?
Björn Ulvaeus:  Gender quotas are really important.

Interviewer:  Okay Mmm.  But not recycling?
Björn Ulvaeus:    Well recycling too.  But no ... it doesn't have the huge effect that it should have. But we do it anyway. So he gets a five.
Five is still five.