Question

Hilde is focusing her research-based informative essay on why Sweden is considered one of the most sustainable countries in the world. Hilde is particularly focused on Sweden’s carbon emissions.

Hilde has written down the following research question: How has Sweden addressed its carbon emissions?

Which question is the most effective revision of Hilde’s research question?

What are the main contributors of carbon emissions in Sweden?
How did Sweden’s environmental policies reduce carbon emissions?
How do people in Sweden feel about the country’s carbon emissions?

Answer 1

Best choice: "How did Sweden’s environmental policies reduce carbon emissions?"

Why: It directly matches Hilde’s focus on how Sweden has addressed its emissions, is specific and researchable, and invites evidence (policies, technologies, timelines, and measured emission changes). It allows a clear, informative structure (policy → implementation → impact).

Optional improvement for clarity and accuracy: change the tense to present perfect — e.g., "How have Sweden’s environmental policies reduced carbon emissions?" — or add a timeframe: "How have Sweden’s environmental policies reduced carbon emissions since 1990?"

(Note: The other two could work as subquestions — “main contributors” as background, and public opinion as context — but they’re less central as the main research question.)