This thesis investigates the implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the Swedish forest sector, with the purpose to understand why the ratification has become so controversial and what the further implications may be for international environmental conventions. Employing a mixed-methods approach a three-part data collection of policy documents, media articles, and interviews with involved actors was done and later analysed through thematic analysis and an implementation-theory framework. From this, it was found that the main contention from the involved actors were based in conceptions of rights and values, and it is recommended for future research to investigate conflicts between different sorts of rights and sovereignty in the context of environmental policy.