1: Future Environment
The future environment Other Information:
The concept ecological sustainability emphasizes the ecological and environmental aspect of sustainable development. The efforts
in this area are directed at guaranteeing present and future generations the prospect of a good living environment and prosperity.
Natural assets and biological diversity are very important for public health and, among other things, for the possibility
of regional and local development. Today’s environmental problems entail substantial costs due to production losses, destruction
of materials, impaired health, destruction of the physical cultural heritage and depletion of both renewable and non-renewable
natural resources. The national strategy focuses on nature conservation and biological diversity, the sea and a non-toxic
environment. High priority is given to measures to combat climate change, and a separate core area is devoted to this issue.
Objectives: The overall objective of environmental policy is to hand over a society to the next generation in which the major
environmental problems have been solved. This means that environmental impacts must be reduced to sustainable levels. In Sweden,
ecological sustainability has to a great extent been addressed in connection with the work of developing the 15 national environmental
quality objectives adopted by Parliament. The objectives represent a compass for environmental policy at all levels in Sweden
and in our participation in the EU and international cooperation. 65 sub-objectives and several action strategies have been
developed for the objectives. The environmental quality objective A Non-Toxic Environment means that the environment will
be free from man-made substances and metals that represent a threat to health or biological diversity. The objective A Balanced
Marine Environment, Flourishing Coastal Areas and Archipelagos means that the Kattegat and the Skagerrak and the Baltic Sea
will have a sustainable production capacity and that biological diversity will be preserved. There will be rich biological
diversity in coastal areas and archipelagos, with high experience value and valuable natural and cultural assets. Industry,
recreation and other use of seas, coastal areas and archipelagos will be such as to promote sustainable development. Especially
valuable areas will be protected against manipulation and other disturbances. The main objective of preserving biological
diversity is sustainable use of the components of biological diversity and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use
of genetic resources. The Government intends to present a sixteenth environmental quality objective relating to biological
diversity to Parliament by 2005. More efficient use of energy and transport is dealt with under the core areas Limitation
of climate change and Community planning. Horizontal strategies are needed to achieve a non-toxic environment. One example
is the strategy for an integrated product policy (IPP), which aims to reduce the adverse impacts on the environment that are
caused, inter alia, by chemicals that are circulated in products. Sweden will seek to ensure that the chemical strategy now
being prepared by the EU is an effective tool for dealing with the problems associated with chemicals. Sustainable use of
natural resources, based on a holistic approach according to which the various aspects are considered in the context of view
of ecosystems or landscapes, is the most important element of preserving biological diversity. Sustainable forestry, agriculture
and fisheries are the main elements, but other sectors such as energy, tourism and infrastructure are also very important.
It is essential in connection with nature conservation to ensure local involvement and to make use of local knowledge and
provide good development opportunities for those who are affected. The ongoing revision of the EU’s fisheries policy will
be crucial to efforts to put fisheries on a sustainable footing, but other international cooperation is also important.
Objective(s):
|
