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SPAC Watch
SPAC Watch Research - Sweden
Accountability
• Sweden's National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002 - In the Swedish NSSD, sustainable consumption and production is dealt with mainly as an international issue.
• One of the general policy goals of the Swedish Consumer Agency is "to promote patterns of production and consumption that lead to long term sustainable development". [i]
• Sweden's 15 environmental quality objectives for life are very SPAC focused
• " Sustainable development indicators for Sweden - a first set 2001" The indicators are divided into 4 categories (i) Efficiency, (ii) Equality/Participation, (iii) Adaptability and (iv) Values and resources for coming generations.
• The Swedish Environmental Objectives Council brings out annual reports called " de Facto " to continuously monitor and evaluate progress towards achieving the environmental objectives.
• Sweden has been very active in promoting the profile of SPAC internationally. It is one of the main driving forces behind the Marrakech process and has hosted and funded several other international conferences on SPAC.
Responsibility
• Sweden's National Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002 - In the Swedish NSSD, sustainable consumption and production is dealt with mainly as an international issue. Page 16 of the strategy states, "middle income and developing countries have now adopted western consumption patterns too, and this makes it necessary to pay attention to the situation as regards natural resources and eco systems". Core area 6 of the Strategy, dealing with economic growth and competitiveness states, "Consumption and production in the industrialized countries is the largest single cause of adverse impacts on the global environment. It is necessary to remedy this state of affairs and achieve sustainable consumption and production patterns."
Implementation
• Nordic eco-labeling scheme - the White Swan
• "Local authorities (e.g. Local Agenda 21 administrations, consumer counselors and other units within municipalities) administer sustainable consumption and production at the local level." [ii] "In June 2002, 164 of the country's 289 local authorities had adopted " Local Investment Programmes " and received support. The results show that the programmes have had excellent results especially concerning climate goals with an estimated 3% CO2 reduction. The programmes as well as other Agenda 21 local initiatives have contributed towards increased awareness in the business community, public sector and NGOs on how our consumption and production patterns affect sustainable development and why we must act" [iii]
• CO2 taxes in Sweden - http://www.iisd.org/greenbud/sweden.htm
Endnotes
[i] "Fact Sheet on Sweden: Swedish Consumer Policy", Swedish Institute, March 2002 < http://www.sweden.se/upload/Sweden_se/english/factsheets/SI/SI_FS81s_Swedish_Consumer_Policy/fs81s.pdf >
[ii] Economic aspects of sustainable development in Sweden, < http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/sweden/eco.htm >
[iii] "From point source pollution to sustainable production and consumption", Swedish National Committee on Agenda 21 and Habitat, < http://www.internat.naturvardsverket.se/documents/issues/inveprog/pdf/jburga21.pdf >