Reports

Climate Committee
The Climate Committee presented its report “The swedish Climate Policy (SOU 2008:24)” to the minister of Environment Andreas Carlgren, on 4 March, 2008.

Read the summary of the report below.
“The Swedish Climate Policy (SOU 2008:24)”

Scientific Council on Climate Issues presents its report
The Scientific Council on Climate Issues presents its report “Scientific Basis for Climate Policy: Report of the Scientific Council on Climate Issues” to the minister of Environment Andreas Carlgren and to the Climate Committee on 3 September 2007. Read the full report below.
Executive Summary of the report from the Scientific Basis for Climate Policy
Full report “A Scientific Basis for Climate Policy”: Report of the Scientific Council on Climate Issues.

Global growth and the environment
In April 2007 the report Growth and the Environment in a Global Perspective (2007:1). 
was handed over to the Government. The report which includes recommendations to the Government was developed by a special working group consisting of twelve members from the Council. Affiliated to the group were also representatives from different ministries within the Swedish Government Offices.

The report deals with three global challenges:

• Demand for biological resources and the resilience of ecosystems
• Climate change with a focus on energy efficiency
• Environmental challenges coupled to long global supply chains

In a special background report, scenarios are presented for global economic growth as well as for demand for energy, timber, bioenergy, and freshwater up to the year 2050 if present trends prevail.

Prospects for dealing with the environmental challenges that may follow are analysed in the main report and some ideas for initiatives that Sweden could take nationally, bilaterally and internationally are presented.

Read the report:
Growth and environment in a global perspective

Conclusions and assessments are summarized in a special report.

Read the conclusions Conclusions and the background report with scenarios Background report

In September 2006 an international seminar was arranged to discuss preliminary analyses and ideas for action.

Read the summary from the seminar.
Summary of SEAC seminar 20060927.

Council work and reports 2001-2006
During the period 2003- 2006 the Council focused on two clusters with special working groups set up for each of those. One working group concentrated on the sustainable use and management of natural resources, including agriculture, forestry and fishery. During 2004 this working group looked at marine issues and in particular the problem of eutrophication. The work resulted in a paper with recommendations to the A Strategy for Ending Eutrophication of Seas and Coasts (Memorandum 2005:1).

During 2005 the group worked with a Memorandum on a sustainable fisheries strategy.To create conditions for sustainable fisheries in Sweden, the Council recommends the Government to adopt a strategy that A) formulates a vision for Swedish fisheries policy acceptable to all stakeholders, B) implements a number of acute national actions, e.g. reducing overcapacity and making better use of existing (relatively successful) instruments (such as effort regulation and local co-management regimes), C) implements strategic measures aimed at making the ecosystem approach operational, D) develops a plan of action to deal with possible social and economic consequences of a collapse of the cod stock and E) strengthens international co-operation in identified priority areas.

The other cluster deals with decoupling of economic growth from environmental degradation and the need for transition of energy and transport systems, of consumption and production patterns and of construction and urban planning. This working group has focused on climate and energy. In December 2004 a paper on energy savings in buildings was handed over to the Government A Strategy for Energy-Efficient Buildings  (Memorandum 2004:2).

During 2005 the group worked with a   Strategy for reduced transport dependency.To create conditions for sustainable transport in Sweden, the Council recommends the Government to adopt a strategy for reduced transport dependency which A) increases the focus on access and on sustainable transport solutions in overall political management, B) strengthens planning tools and C) reforms economic policy instruments. The focus is on reforming policy instruments that currently steer in the wrong direction and which thereby contribute to transport dependency, sending contradictory messages to societal actors. The Council also proposes ten measures, with considerable potentials to reduce CO2–emissions, to put this strategy into effect.

During 2004 the Council focused on energy saving in buildings and on eutrophication which resulted in the memorandums: " A Strategy for Energy-Efficient Buildings" (2004:2) and "A Strategy for Ending Eutrophication of Seas and Costs" (2005:1).

In connection with the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg 2002 the Swedish Environmental Advisory Council acted as the Government´s link to the scientific community in Sweden. After the Summit the Council arranged a conference in cooperation with the Swedish Research Councils: After Johannesburg - Challenges for the Research Community. A summary of the documentation is available in English. Based on the conclusions at the conference the Swedish Environmental Advisory Council has developed a paper with recommendations reagarding research for sustainable development.

Some of the themes addressed at Council meetings since October 2001 are global institutions, technological development and transfer for sustainable development, decoupling, resilience and vulnerability, child health and environmental risks, the marine environment, strategies for a sustainable energy system, research for sustainable development, as well as questions regarding the Swedish environmental quality objectives. Experts on the various themes have been invited to each of these meetings.

The Council has also invited members of the scientific community to draw up synthesis reports on some of the themes. Resilience and Sustainable Development: Building Adaptive Capacity in a World of Transformation Transformation is a synthesis of case studies and recent insights in the context of emerging theories of complex systems characterised by uncertainty and surprise, compiled by researchers from the international scientific network Resilience Alliance. A report on decoupling, Decoupling – past trends and prospects for the future, was written by researchers from the international scientific network Global Alliance for Sustainable Development.

Between 1994 and 2001, the Swedish Environmental Advisory Council completed a number of direct government assignments. Examples include dialogues with industry -  Sustainable industries and business - proposals on Green indicators and a project on a sustainable Swedish archipelago. All these tasks have been completed and reports submitted to the Swedish Government.

An international conference on strategies for sustainable development, organized on behalf of EEAC, the European Environmental Advisory Councils, was held by the Council on 23 February 2001 in Stockholm. The network also produced a paper on sustainable development strategies which was presented at the conference. 
 

Read the programme.
Read more about EEAC