Areas of responsibility

• Sustainable development

  Sustainable development must be guaranteed. The riches of nature must be used in such a way that
  we can hand over a world in balance to our children and grandchildren.

• Strategies for the sustainable development of society have become more important in Swedish policy in recent years. The planning, construction and management of the built environment are now regarded as one aspect of overall policy for sustainable development. This shift places new and increased demands on physical planning.

• Climate policy

  The climate problem and ongoing climate change are now taken very seriously all over the world. Sweden has a strategy for reducing national emissions of greenhouse gases. At the same time, Swedens efforts in the area of climate are largely channelled through the EU.

• Environmental quality objectives

  The Swedish Government has formulated 16 Environmental Quality Objectives. The aim for these objectives is to pass on to the next generation a society in which all the major environmental problems have been solved.

• Environment and health

  The concept of environment and health refers to environmentally-related ill-health or health. Environmentally-related ill-health caused by air pollution has generally been reduced through stricter requirements on emissions from industries, incineration facilities and traffic. However, there are a number of outstanding problems that may entail health risks.

• Chemicals policy

  If chemicals are not handled safely, they risk damaging both human health and the environment. The Ministry of Sustainable Development is striving to reduce the use of toxic and ecotoxic chemicals. Work is continuing in Sweden, the EU and globally to ensure safer chemicals management.

• Ecocycle policy

  Our production and consumption give rise to large amounts of waste. Ecologically sound waste management is therefore an important component of ecocycle policy.

• Water and seas

  Many of Swedens coastal and sea areas are strongly affected by pollution, overfishing and physical exploitation. A new unified EU directive for water is intended make work to protect Europes water more effective.

• Nature conservation and biological diversity

  The original task of nature conservation protecting valuable areas and species has expanded over time. In the past decade biodiversity conservation has been given a prominent place in nature conservation work.

• Environmental legislation

  The Swedish Environmental Code entered into force 1999. The fundamental rules of the Environmental Code apply, in principle, to all human activity that may harm the environment. Thus, when one of the objectives of the Code is endangered, the Code becomes applicable. This somewhat unorthodox approach means that the Environmental Code can be applied to all human activities with an impact on the environment.

• EU and International co-operation

  To protect and improve the environment and thereby peoples quality of life, the countries of the world are working together within the UN, the EU and many other organisations. In partnership with other EU Member States, Sweden is driving both global and regional environmental efforts forward.