Environmental Management in the Government Offices

In May 2001, the Government decided to adopt an environmental policy, environmental objectives and an action programme for environmental management in Government Office decision-making processes etc. Three years later, on 6 May 2004, the Government decided on a revision. The main points of the sub-goals and action programme are:

• information is to be given to all personnel and training provided for the staff concerned;
• environmental considerations are to be included in background material for Government bills, proposals referred to the Council on Legislation and ordinances of relevance to the environment;
• drafts of terms of reference for committees of enquiry and instructions to public agencies dealing with issues that may have an impact on the environment are to include a request that an environmental consideration of the proposals is made;
• in the formulation of opinions and instructions in connection with international meetings, the ambition must be to observe ecologically, economically and socially sustainable development;
• measures taken by public agencies in the field of environmental management are to be followed up;
• all ministries are to submit an annual account of environmental management measures;
• internal administrative environmental measures and environmental management in decision-making processes are to be followed up and revised by an external body during 2006.

Environmental effects of administrative operations identified

In the spring of 1998, the Government Offices, i.e. the ten Ministries, the Prime Minister's Office and the Office for Administrative Affairs embarked on the first phase of their own environmental management efforts by identifying the environmental impact of their internal administrative operations. This review covered procurement and selection of goods and services, the consumption of office supplies, disposable materials and environmentally hazardous products, electricity consumption, heating and other resource consumption.

A policy, objectives and an action programme for internal administrative operations with a direct impact on the environment were adopted in 1999 and 2000, and will be revised during the autumn of 2004.

Environmental considerations an integrated component of Government decisions

Government decisions have an impact on the environment, among other things, through the operations undertaken by agencies, companies and others as a result of these decisions. The second phase of the Government Offices environmental management system therefore involves the integration of environmental considerations into the Governments decision-making processes, by identifying and taking into account the environmental impact of the decisions.

The Government Offices contribute to this through their work to prepare material for Government decisions relating to Government bills, ordinances, committee terms of reference, instructions to public agencies etc. The material prepared by the Government Offices is also important for the Governments work with international negotiations, conventions and similar matters with a potential impact on the environment.

Coordination in the Office for Administrative Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment

The Office for Administrative Affairs at the Government Offices is responsible for coordinating environmental management efforts in internal administrative operations with a direct impact on the environment.

Ministry of Sustainable Development is responsible for coordinating environmental management efforts in Government Office decision-making processes etc. For further information please contact: gun.tombrock@sustainable.ministry.se