Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Environmental evaluation in the EU: a...

Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

Environmental evaluation in the EU: a simple idea and a hard practice in

a complex context

A 10 minute intervention by Lisa Eriksson,

Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

Helsinki, 3-5 October, 2012

To complement the case for collaboration and mutual learning:

• The issue of scale: national, regional and local perspectives.

• Examples from Sweden and a comparison of perspectives using Finland and Belgium.


What about environmental evaluations in Sweden?

• Objectives: A societal transition towards sustainable development and 16 national environmental objectives.

• Scale: National, regional and local objectives and perspectives.



The generational goal

The generational goal means that the basic conditions for solving the environmental problems we face are to be achieved within one generation, and that environmental policy should be directed towards ensuring that.

Visions – two examples

• Ecosystems have recovered, or are on the way to recovery, and their long-term capacity to generate ecosystem services is assured.

• Patterns of consumption of goods and services cause the least possible problems for the environment and human health.


• What exactly do these concepts mean?

• A methodological challenge for evaluation!



The national environmental quality objectives 1. Reduced Climate Impact

2. Clean Air

3. Natural Acidification Only

4. A Non-Toxic Environment

5. A Protective Ozone Layer

6. A Safe Radiation Environment

7. Zero Eutrophication

8. Flourishing Lakes and Streams

9. Good-Quality Groundwater

10. A Balanced Marine Environment…

11. Thirving Wetlands

12. Sustainable Forests

13. A Varied Agricultural Landscape

14. A Magnificant Mountain Landscape

15. A Good Built Environment

16. A Rich Diversity of Plant and Animal Life


Parlamentary decision on…

National level agencies, county administrative boards, municipalities, NGO´s, Corp. Etc.

Activities/

measures

Political objectives

National level agencies: SEPA (coordinating responsibility), Swedish Chemicals Agency, Swedish Forestry Agency etc.

Responsib

le

for follo

w-up

and evaluatio

n Generational goal

Activities/measures that aims at effectiveness

2020 (2050)

Implementin

g,

contrib

uting

16 Environmental quality objectives:

Reduced Climate Impact, Clean Air, Natural Acidification Only, A Non-Toxic Environment, etc…


Parlamentary decision on…

National level agencies, county administrative boards, municipalities, NGO´s, Corp. Etc.

Activities/

measures

Political objectives

National level agencies: SEPA (coordinating responsibility), Swedish Chemicals Agency, Swedish Forestry Agency etc.

Responsib

le

for follo

w-up

and evaluatio

n

Generational goal

Activities/measures that aims at effectiveness

2020 (2050)

Implementin

g,

contrib

uting

State of the environment

”State of” the implementa-tion of environmental actions

16 Environmental quality objectives:

Reduced Climate Impact, Clean Air, Natural Acidification Only, A Non-Toxic Environment, etc…

Tracking progress on a regular basis• Annual reports to the

Government.

• An in-depth evaluation once every parliamentary term.



A chain of effects

Prerequesities: state of environ-ment, drivers

Activities: objectives and tasks

Perform-ance: incentives

Effects, measures in society

Effects, measures in nature

Effects in nature


Evaluation focusing on different levels

Prerequesities: state of environ-ment, drivers

Activities: objectives and tasks

Perform-ance: incentives

Effects, measures in society

Effects, measures in nature

Effects in nature

Cause-effect in nature

Cause-effect

measures in society

The optimal

measures

?

Evaluate all the way?


The basis for assessing progress

• The basis for assessing progress towards the environmental quality objectives: within a generation,

either the quality of the environment which they express, or

the basic conditions (incentives, measures) for attaining that quality, should be achieved.

Some thoughts


• How may the complex chain from policies to the state of environment be illustrated and evaluated?

• Which kind of knowledge may and should evaluations of that kind contribute to?

• What methodological challenges are evaluations of policy instruments and actions presented with?

• Which experiences are connected to those kinds of evaluations? Which difficulties and opportunities?

Society versus natural science

• Historically a strong focus on measuring effects in the natural environment

• A difference in scientific backgrounds – natural scientists meet social scientists

• A variety of methods implies a need for flexible minds and flexible organisational cultures

• Complex systems – where do we start?


Where do evaluations take place?

• Finland – a country with more people working at the Ministry of the Environment than at the Environmental Agency.

• Sweden – a country with more people working at the Environmental Agency than at the Ministry of Environment. Around 500 persons at the agency handing out money financing up to 3000 persons throughout the country. Financing research at universities etc.


A geographical issue

• Belgium covers an area of 30,528 km2 and it has a population of about 11 million people (355 inhabitants/km2): 3 regions, 10 provinces, 589 municipalities.

• Sweden covers 450,295 km2, population of about 9,4 million people (21 inhabitants/km2): 21 counties, 290 municipalities.

• Distance from capital city to EU center Brussels: 0 and 1280 km, respectively.



Wikipedia

What do we learn from this?

• Different contexts meens different approaches are needed!

• Areas of evaluation that have similarities!

• Collaboration and mutual learning!



For the future…

• Views, knowledge, experiences…

…to share?

Illustration by Tobias Flygar

Welcome to share your thoughts with us!

• 2nd European Environmental Evaluators Network forum, 9-10 April 2013, Stockholm

• Theme: Evaluating sustainability transitions

• www.environmentalevaluators.net/europe/


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