Sweden has 16 environmental quality objectives that are to be reached by 2020 at the latest. The overall goal is to pass on to the next generation a society in which the major environmental problems have been solved. Sweden has made considerable progress in a number of fields, but much remains to be done.
Sweden is ranked eighth in the world in terms of ecological farmland. Photo: Yulia Usova / Image Bank Sweden
Sweden was an early starter in terms of sustainable thinking. In the 1960s, it recognized that the rapid loss of natural resources had to be confronted and took a lead in organizing the first UN conference on the environment — held in Stockholm in 1972. Since then, it has continued to work actively with environmental issues, both nationally and internationally.
In 1999, the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) adopted 16 environmental quality objectives (EQOs) and 72 national interim targets. These objectives are continually evaluated by the Environmental Objectives Council, a special government-appointed body. In its latest report, published in the spring of 2008, the council concludes that over half of the objectives will require further action if its goals are to be met. Subsequently, the government plans to present a new bill on the EQOs to parliament.
One of the most important EQOs focuses on the need to limit climate impact. The burning of fossil fuels — oil and gas — accounts for the largest contribution to the greenhouse effect both in Sweden and the rest of the world.
Sweden is one of the few industrialized countries to have reduced carbon emissions. Between 1990 and 2006, these declined almost 9 percent. Over the same period, the economy grew 44 percent. An important reason for this is that oil is no longer used for heating purposes to the same extent and has largely been replaced by district heating based on biofuels. Compared with 1980, the decline is significant. That year, Sweden released 80,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In 2006, the figure was slightly more than 51,500 tons.
Although Sweden has cut carbon emissions, the Environmental Objectives Council says its target for reduced climate impact will be difficult to achieve by the year 2050. One of the reasons is that overall global emissions of greenhouse gases continue to increase, causing the global mean temperature to rise.
Carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden
1996–2006
The level of carbon dioxide emissions in Sweden decreased by 16 percent between 1996 and 2006.
Swedish environmental legislation
Legislation plays an important part in Swedish environmental work and an Environmental Code went into effect in 1999. It contains a number of new provisions, including the following:
- General rules of care and consideration that everyone has to comply with in order to protect the natural environment.
- Environmental quality standards establishing limits for how much the natural environment can stand in terms of maximum and minimum substance levels in soil, water and air.
The Swedish Environmental Code also prescribes that an environmental impact assessment must be carried out before permission can be given for an environmentally hazardous activity. This takes into account the impact on humans, animals, soil, water, air, the landscape and the cultural environment.
Hazardous activities are defined as any usage of land, buildings or stationary installations that results in the emission of pollutants into the soil, air or water, or that causes a nuisance through noise, shaking or radiation. This applies to, among other things, industry, waste plants and wastewater treatment facilities. Anyone polluting someone else’s property or spoiling it in some way may be liable for damages.
Our environment: A borderless challenge
Environmental problems often cross national boundaries, with acidifying and eutrophying air pollutants and marine discharges a case in point.
For Sweden, the most important international environmental treaties are the Helsinki Convention and the Oslo and Paris Conventions, established to protect neighboring seas. The Stockholm Convention, aimed at phasing out the production and use of some of the most hazardous chemicals, was largely a Swedish initiative.
Sweden is also active in the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, which oversees the implementation of worldwide environmental action plans decided in Rio in 1992 and in Johannesburg in 2002.
EU membership has also led to changes in Swedish environmental policy. On the one hand, Sweden has been forced to give up some of its stricter standards. On the other, the EU is better able to influence countries whose emissions may rain down on Sweden. The EU also has greater clout than its individual member countries in negotiating global environmental conventions.
Saving the Baltic Sea
One environmental problem for which many different countries bear responsibility is the pollution of the Baltic Sea. The drainage basin of the Baltic is populated by some 80 million people and the Swedish marine environment is also affected by Central Europe.
Environmental problems in the Baltic Sea are particularly serious and some researchers warn of an ecological collapse. There are several reasons for this. Emissions from agriculture are leading to marine eutrophication, and both industry and waste treatment plants are polluting the sea with heavy metals, chemicals, household waste and environmental toxins. In the North Sea, Skagerrak (between Denmark and Norway) and Kattegat (between Denmark and Sweden) are also affected by these problems.
Marine politics a priority
International cooperation in relation to the Baltic Sea is taking place on different fronts. For the Swedish government, marine politics is a priority, and it has set aside SEK 500 million (about USD 62 million) for measures in this sphere up to the year 2010. These include supporting the construction of wastewater treatment plants in St Petersburg and Kaliningrad. The government has also decided to establish a special marine environment institute.
The Swedish environmental budget for 2008 amounts to over SEK 4.7 billion. The largest single policy area in the budget is biological diversity. Green cars are another significant item. In total, SEK 340 million has been set aside, with SEK 240 million covering the SEK 10,000 subsidy granted to buyers of new green cars. One new car in three sold in Sweden today is a green car.
Saving the Baltic Sea is priority for the Swedish government.
Photo: Elena Kraskowski / Folio.se
The Swedish environmental sector — a growth market
Environmental technology is a new economic sector in Sweden. In 2006, the environmental technology sector reported turnover of about SEK 97 billion, and exports of just over SEK 25 billion. The Swedish government regards environmental technology as an important growth market. Accordingly, the Swedish Trade Council has been allocated SEK 30 million over three years and instructed to step up its efforts to promote Swedish environmental technology exports.
Sweden is skilled in a number of areas, but its main strength lies in producing systemic solutions for fields like waste management and renewable energy. In 2006, 54,200 people were working in the primary environmental sector (companies more than 50 percent active in the environmental field) and 28,314 in the secondary environmental sector (companies less than 50 percent active in the environmental field). The highest rate of employment is found in the waste management, surveillance, control and renewable energy industries/sectors.
Eco-labeling keeps things green
Sweden has long been a leader in eco-labeling goods and services. In 1985, the KRAV label was established for organic foodstuffs to help consumers make environmentally sound choices. Goods carrying this label have to satisfy certain requirements. No chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be used.
In 1989, the Nordic Council of Ministers introduced the swan label (Svanen) as an official eco-label for the Nordic region as a whole. Its purpose is to facilitate sustainable consumption. The swan label guarantees that the environmental impact of goods and services throughout their lifecycle has been examined and approved, from raw material to waste product. The goal is a sustainable society in which future generations will be able to meet their needs at least as fully as present generations.
Shore protection under review
In spring 2008, the Ministry of the Environment unveiled new regulatory proposals for protecting Swedish shorelines. Under these proposals, stricter shore protection will apply where exploitation is extensive. At the same time, the rules are to be relaxed where access to unspoiled shores is satisfactory and exploitation limited. The draft bill, called The Swedish Shoreline: A Valuable Environment, is under review.
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