Sweden’s environmental performance – one of 16 targets achieved

Sweden is failing to meet almost all of its environmental targets. The only target that looks certain to be met by 2030 concerns the ozone layer.

‘We are by no means there yet,’ says Sabina Vinnmyr, an officer at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

The Swedish Parliament adopted Sweden’s 16 environmental objectives in 1999, but more than a quarter of a century later, the outlook is bleak, according to an analysis carried out every four years.

‘Of course we’re not satisfied. The aim, after all, is for us to achieve all the environmental objectives. But these objectives are, by their very nature, visionary,’ says Sabina Vinnmyr, comparing them to the goal that no one should die in road traffic accidents.

“Efforts are yielding results”

Among the targets that are falling short and where progress is poor are climate impact, thriving forests and a rich variety of plant and animal life. In some cases, these are global targets, where Sweden’s ability to influence the outcome is limited.

Most other targets, such as thriving wetlands and good-quality groundwater, will not be met either, but the trend there is neutral.

For a couple of the targets, things are moving in the right direction. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency assesses that the target for clean air can be partially achieved.

‘We want to show that the efforts made have nevertheless yielded results.’ We have also managed to reverse the trend in certain aspects of the targets,” says Vinnmyr.

“Worked for 40 years”

Another target where things are moving in the right direction is acidification. It certainly won’t be achieved, but international agreements have reduced emissions into the air – which has had a positive effect on acidification in Sweden.

‘We have been working for 40 years to reverse this, so it can take a very long time. But now we can see that things are moving in the right direction. You mustn’t give up; instead, you must keep working on what you can see is producing results.’

The status of the 16 environmental objectives will now be summarised in a report containing recommendations, which will be tabled before the Government in January.

‘The most important thing is to continue with the measures that are delivering results and to introduce policy instruments and measures where things are heading in the wrong direction,’ says Vinnmyr.