Swiss Experience in preparing national SoE reports

Federal Department of the Environment,Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

Swiss Experience in preparing national SoE

reports

Meeting on Environmental Assessments, UNECE - WGEMA,

Geneva, 16-17 April 2013

Nicolas Perritaz

International Affairs Division

reports

Swiss Context

3 Swiss experience SoE Reports, FOEN, PEN, April 2013

Swiss context

Swiss environment under pressure

• Switzerland’s environment is subject to severe pressures (pollution, use of natural resources, urban sprawl) due in particular to industry, agriculture, transport, households and tourism.

• These pressures stem from very high population densities, a high level of economic activities and high incomes. The mountain environment, especially fragile to climate change, is under threat of landslides or floods.

Source: FOEN 2012

Relations with the European Union (EU)

Switzerland-EU

Environment-relevant aspects

Source: FOEN 2012

Switzerland as EEA member countrySwitzerland became the 32nd EEA member country on 1st April 2006

Source: EEA 2012

Switzerland as EEA member country• The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN is the Swiss National Focal Point to the EEA (located at the

International Affairs Division).

• As a full member, Switzerland participates without restriction in the EEA activities, has direct access to all data and information that is disseminated through the European Information and Observation Network (Eionet).

Source: EEA 2012

Switzerland as EEA member countryAdded value of the Swiss membership to the EEA

• Alignement to our environmental reporting system with European and EEA standards

• Harmonisation of the data, indicators, assessment conceptual and methodological framworks

As the results, Switzerland is able:

• to answer to its international reporting obligations (delivered once for multiple purposes)

• to share comparable data

Switzerland delivers 100% of the EEA priority data flows.

These data are used for EEA information products

Source: EEA 2012

Swiss SoE reports

Published by FOEN since 1990…

….some editions prepared together with FSO

State of the Environment

State of the Environment 1993

Environment in Switzerland

Environment Switzerland

2002 Environment Switzerland 2007

Swiss SoE reports

Since 2007, SoE reports are produced on a regular basis; an indicator-based

mechanisms is used

Environment Switzerland 2009

Environment Switzerland 2011 Environment

Switzerland 2013 Environment Switzerland 2015

reports

3. Legal and regulatory basis

for publication of SoE reports

Legal and regulatory basis

The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN is:

• the federal government’s centre of environmental expertise

• part of the Department (Ministry) of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC

The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN has in its core duties:

• Knowing the facts (on the state of the environment and changes to it; early warnings of environmental problems)

Double role of the FOEN:

•Ministry (Policy)• Focus: Political interpretation, assessment• Products: SoE reports, Indicators, environmental

status reports online, thematic reports, forward-looking information

•Agency (Information)• Focus: Monitoring, ‘public service’, open data• Products: Data and map portal

• Environmental Protection Act (USG), 1983The Federal Council coordinates the federal and cantonal data collection. The public authorities have to provide information to the public concerning environmental protection and state of the environment. The overall environmental data management, data exchange and environmental reporting is coordinated by the FOEN.

“The authorities inform the public properly about the environment protection and the state of

environmental pollution.“

• Federal Law on Statistics,1990Provision of public statistics for the public (ie statistical information compiled by the Government and its offices), including environmental data

• Aarhus ConventionSwitzerland has signed but not yet ratified the Aarhus Convention. Ratification needs an addition to the USG. The change of this law is in discussion in the parliament in 2012-2013 and should enter into force before 2014, if approved

If the Aarhus Convention is ratified the information requirements would be specified in the Federal Environmental Protection Act :

• Switzerland has to inform about the state of the environment at least every 4 years

reports

4. Institutional mechanisms

for the production of SoE reports

Institutional mechanisms

Needs for sharing environmental information

Although the available information clearly indicates the areas facing important environmental problems,

• limitation of data availability and comparability,• non-systematic use of indicators, and • lower environmental awareness

…pose difficulties in sharing environmental information

In 2004, FOEN adopted a general concept in Environ-mental Reporting (updated in 2007 and 2011). The implementation of this concept is now resulting in:

• proposing new targeted products such as web services, on-line data available on the Internet, briefings on specific political issues, environmental assessment reports;

• insuring a more effective level of communication with the policy makers, the public and the key partners;

• supporting understanding of the effects and effectiveness of policies.

The general concept in Environmental Reporting has the following components:

• Environmental information systems are strengthened to reach the key clients

• Specific products are properly disseminated to target groups through the most appropriate information channels

• Main target groups are the general public and the policy-makers

• The state-of-the-environment reports are linked with the policy-cycle and launched according to key sessions of the Parliament.

• These reports are designed to provide systematic information about the state of the environment and its development according to the latest knowledge and the data available.

• They are primarily directed at decision-makers and the general public

• They outline the position in Switzerland compared with that of several other European countries.

• Published by:• FOEN • Federal Council from 2015

onwards (Aarhus Convention)• Steering committee• Project Management• Project team• Group of experts (selection of indicators, writing

team)• Mandate holders (translation, layout etc.)

Mandate Holders

Project team

Group of experts

FOEN Board

Steering Committee

Project Management

Graphic concept Data management Writing of the report Report Editing Communication

Experts et writing team

Graphic Designer

Editor Translators

Printer

Project organisation

reports

5. Structure and contents of SoE reports

Country specific sections

Structure and content

Swiss SoE reports Activities

1. Conceptual framework

2. Structure &Content

3. Data management 4. Writing5. Editing

&Launch

Since 2007, Swiss SoE reports include an assessment of environmental policy, are shorter and more structured

• Target groups: Policy makers, interested public• Content – 4 parts:

• Stocktaking of environmental policy implementation (Part I)

• State of the environment (Part II)• Forward-looking information (Part III)• Switzerland in the international context (by 2015)

(Part IV)• Methodology:

• DPSIR model• Indicator-based assessement reports

Part I: Stocktaking of environmental policy implementation

Synoptic part: Investigation on the effects of environmental policy according to objectives laid down in legislation

Air, Climate, Ozone layer, Chemical products, Waste, Contaminated sites, Risk of major accidents, Hazardous organisms, Noise and vibrations, Biodiversity, Nature and landscape, Forests, Soils, Water, International Cooperation (+ Resources, Biotechnology, Chemicals, Non-ionising radiation, Landscape)

• Distance to target analysis, use of indicators• Positive or negative trends

Part II: State of the environment

Analytical part: Assessment and overview of the present situation, developments in the state of the environment and of the measures taken. Environmental themes are considered in a way that supplements the information given in part I 6 chapters« Drivers and Pressure »: Resources and material flows, Energy and electromagnetic radiation, Transport and mobility, Industry, production and commerce, Households and consumption, Agriculture (Economy and production, Households, consumption and tourism)

9 chapters « State, Impact and Response »: Air quality, Climate change, Ozone layer, Water quality, Soils, Landscape and biodiversity, Forests, Natural Risks, Risk of major accidents, Noise and vibrations, Environment and health (Ozone layer in Air quality, Landscape, Biodiversity)

Systematic evaluation, which provides a foundation for preparing SoE reports:

• The main environmental problems were identied using environmental legislation, the latest assessment and problems arisen in the meantime (exhaustive list)

• A DPSIR analysis was performed for each of the problems identified (on this basis, the report structure was established)

• The most appropriated indicators were selected for the issues analysed

• Experts from the Swiss administration participated in the process and in drafting the report (writing teams per chapter)

reports

5. Structure and contents of SoE reports

Use of environmental indicators

FOEN environmental indicators system and review

1. Indicators & Reporting: Indicators as a basis for environmental reporting

2. Indicator Management: Technical solution for indicator management

The Swiss definition of an indicator• Criteria

• Policy relevance• Representative • Understandable , unique and clear• Target availability• Data availability and regular monitoring• Spatial and temporal coverage • Methodological soundness • Internationally comparable

Many (all?) points in common with EEA Indicators, other national indicators?

Use of environmental indicatorsThe Swiss definition of an indicator

• One dataset

• One value per year

• Available for several years

• Assessment

• „Traffic lights“

Use of environmental indicatorsIndicators are basically used for two purposes:

Steering environmental observation (DPSIR flowers)• Setting the Agenda: What must be measured?

• Distribution of financial means

• Environmental Reporting: Products for the public and policy makers

Indicators as a basis for different reporting products:

Online Reporting• Indicator portal:

http://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/indikatoren/index.html?lang=en

• Environmental Status Reports Onlinehttp://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/status/index.html?lang=en

Print products• Environment Switzerland

• Thematic reports

Use of environmental indicatorsIndicator Management: Database• Indicator Metadata• Indicator Assessment• Data• 4 languages (D, F, I, E)

Indicator Management:Workflow

Still a lot of off-line work neededPossible to generate wordfiles to track changes!

Close contact to expertsDifficult for experts to simplify „their“ topicsDifficult to choose the traffic light

Time consuming to be up-to-date!

Environmental reporting: SoE online

Online Products: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/index.html?lang=en

Map viewer www.map.bafu.admin.ch• 4 languages: d, f, i, en

• Status reports (topics, short overview,DPSIR, includes indicators

• Indicators (as shown before)

• Data (planned for mid 2013)• Access to all online databases FOEN• Integrated data sets (i.e. global megatrends)

• Publications• List of available publications including

international reports

reports

6. Publication and dissemination of SoE reports

Publication and dissemination

• Publication cycle: every 2 years (and every 4 years from 2015 onwards)

• Medium: Mixture print/online (in 4 languages)• Release:

• Beginning of July 2013• Beginning of 2015 (according to the policy cycle)

• Dissemination: • Flyer as a supplement in the environmental

magazine• Press release• Internet

Dissemination of environmental informationSince 2005 the FOEN aligned its activities. • Use of Internet was reinforced, giving a new

dimension to data sharing. • Information and products like maps, short state of

the environment reports, indicators, graphs and tables was made available on the Internet covering around 20 environmental issues.

• In 2012 the map viewer has been updated and is now reachable at map.bafu.admin.ch

• All of the mentioned websites will continuously be updated in 2013 with a focus on interlinking maps and tables and more interactivity in data display.

Dissemination of environmental information

• Topics: Air, Biological Safety, Chemicals, Climate, Forests, Habitat, Hazardous waste, Landscape, Major accidents, Natural Hazards, Noise, Ozone layer, Resources, Soils, Species diversity, Species use, Waste management, Waterbodies, Wood.

• Products: Maps, Environmental status reports, Indicators, Short Environmental reports online, other Publications.

• All products are available in 4 languages. They focus on the DPSIR-Model (Driving forces, Pressures, States, Impacts, Responses), allowing an analyses of the environmental state

within the cause-and-effect chain.

reports

7. Links with other assessment reports

Links with other assessment reports

At national level:• Environmental status reports online• Thematic reports• Forward-looking information

At international level: • As a member country of the EEA, OECD and UN (UNECE, UNEP), Switzerland

participates in the publication of international SoE reports.• EEA SOER reports, UNECE Europe’s Environment report, OECD

Environmental Outlooks, UNEP GEO reports• International SoE reports link to the FOEN web pagehttp://www.bafu.admin.ch/umwelt/10822/11752/index.html?lang=en

EEA SoE report

Swiss Experience in preparing national SoE reports

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