Environment Committee on May 12th, 2008

[Her Excellency Ingrid Maria Iremark, Ambassador of Sweden to Canada, Embassy of Sweden]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I am of course delighted and honoured to be here today, even if the road has been a little bumpy. I would like to extend my thanks to the committee for inviting me and my colleague from Stockholm, who is joining us via video link.

Sustainable development is a key priority for the Swedish government, and we are very happy to have this opportunity to speak about our experiences today. I know you're eager to get into the substance of the matter, but before giving the floor to my colleague, allow me to make the following point.

As representatives of a foreign government, it's not for me or my colleague to comment on the merits of the private member's bill that is in front of the committee today. What we will do is share our own experiences in this field.

Turning to the video screen, I would like to introduce Katja Awati. Ms. Awati is a deputy director in the environmental quality division at the Ministry of Environment. She has, I know, a thorough knowledge of our policies in this field, and in particular of the work on setting environmental targets and evaluating them. Perhaps I should mention that Ms. Awati was in Canada in the fall of 2006, when she participated in a Canadian-Swedish leadership program at the Canada School of Public Service.

It's about a quarter past ten at night in Sweden, and I think Ms. Awati is alone at the Ministry of Environment. I even think she is on parental leave and has come in just for this thing.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

We appreciate your sacrifice, Ms. Awati. Thank you so much, on behalf of the committee.

[Ingrid Maria Iremark]

Mr. Chair, allow me now to give the floor to my colleague Ms. Katja Awati.

[Katja Awati, Deputy Director, Division for Environmental Quality, Ministry of Environment of Sweden]

Thank you for the introduction and for the opportunity to brief you on the Swedish experiences of target-setting in the area of sustainable development.

The Swedish Parliament has adopted 16 environmental quality objectives with the overall goal to hand over a society to the next generation in which the major environmental problems have been solved. The 16 environmental quality objectives represent the environmental dimension of sustainable development. When the environmental quality objectives were adopted in 1999, they replaced all previously adopted environmental targets within the area of environmental policy, and at the same time a whole new system for follow-up and defined responsibility was established. I believe this was a major change from the system we had before.

For each of the environmental quality objectives, we have one central government authority appointed as responsible. The responsibility includes proposing and implementing measures, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on progress. On a regional level, the county administrative boards are responsible for defining and monitoring regional objectives that correspond to the national ones. They're also responsible for supporting the municipalities in their work to adapt local objectives.

To coordinate all the activities within the system, the government has established an environmental objectives council with representatives from the central government agencies, the county administrative boards, the municipalities, the business sector, and the NGOs. Every year the council reports back to the government on the progress toward attaining the objectives, and every fourth year it presents an in-depth evaluation, which may include proposals and adjustments to the interim targets and also to the system.

The system with 16 environmental quality objectives has been in place for seven years now and has become a self-evident part of the Swedish environmental policy. In April this year, a month ago, the council presented its second in-depth evaluation, and I will briefly go through the conclusions regarding the structure and the functioning of the system.

The process has led to stronger partnerships between agencies and also, to some extent, with the business sector and other stakeholders. Views of sustainability have developed, and environmental concerns have become better integrated into society. With regard to the follow-up progress, the division of roles among the agencies with lead responsibilities for the objectives has been developed and improved.

But of course there are many challenges for the future. I dare say this is, with the extent and the number of agencies involved, perhaps the largest collaborative undertaking we have in Sweden. For it to be effective, a high degree of coordination is required. Also, it is important to keep the momentum and the motivation in the system. Therefore strong political support is required, and there is also a continuous need for integrating environmental efforts into every sector of society. Sector responsibility is a key factor, as many environmental problems have to be addressed in the specific sector concerned.

Finally, the overall conclusion from the council is, though, that the efforts to attain the objectives have developed positively and enhanced the sum total of environmental action in Sweden.

I think I'll stop there and leave time for questions.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Martin, I understand you are prepared to answer questions as they relate to this. I believe everyone has a copy of your brief, so for the sake of time I'm going to ask that we go to questions right now and then we'll circulate. Certainly feel free to interject at any point on behalf of the department.

Let's begin with Mr. Regan.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

I must say that members of the committee no doubt join me in feeling somewhat guilty, not only for keeping you up so late, but away from your children when you're on maternity leave. So thank you very much for joining us on a second occasion after the first one was averted, so to speak.

You talked about the role of the council. Is that the key way in which each department is held accountable for maintaining the sustainable development goals and following up on plans? How do you keep each department accountable to make sure they do what they're supposed to do?

[Katja Awati]

I must say it hasn't really been an issue. All the authorities and the departments have been very active in this process. With the change from the system we had before, with the very poor follow-up and very unclear responsibility, everyone needed a change, so it has been quite easy. We haven't had to force this in any way. Our actors have been very motivated to collaborate on this issue.

We need to go back to Parliament every fourth year with a bill from the government to present how we are going to attain the objectives, so that is the answer to your question, I guess. This is a requirement we need to fulfill.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Ms. Awati, could you tell us how in the departments you define the kinds of targets you're setting? Do you define them, for instance, in terms of the concentrations of pollutants and certain things? Do you define them in terms of process? How do you determine what those targets are?

[Katja Awati]

We have defined 16 enviromental quality objectives. They are more like visions--for example, no climate change, clean air, natural acidification only. They're more like visions. But then we have interim targets to guide the more practical everyday work, which state the kind of nature that we would like to change, any kinds of pollutants. They are adopted by Parliament, the interim targets as well as the more practical ones.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

One last question, if I may. When you set the objectives and are working on developing the achievement of those objectives, do you set targets for individual regions of the country, or for the country as a whole?

[Katja Awati]

We set targets for the country as a whole, and then the different regions are responsible for adapting them to the regional level, to set regional targets that correspond to the national ones.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you.

Mr. Bigras.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank you for appearing, albeit at a distance.

I find that the model you've presented us with today is very interesting, even though we should keep in mind that it is very difficult to import a model and implement it as is. I believe you would admit as much.

I would first like to congratulate you on those 15 objectives adopted in 1999, and for the 16^th on biodiversity, which was passed by Parliament in 2005. I would like to focus on those objectives because they are national targets that can be implemented domestically.

To follow up on a question by Mr. Regan, I would like to know whether you set mandatory targets for each region in Sweden. Is there an obligation to meet those targets, given the legislation that was passed by European parliamentarians in 1999?

If I am not mistaken, the European Union has also issued directives. What is the link between the Swedish sustainable development strategy law and the European Union directives? How do you reconcile the European Union directives and the legislation passed by the Swedish Parliament?

[Katja Awati]

I'll start with the question on the regional level. Our environmental quality objectives have no formal legal status. They are policy objectives, although they are adopted by a majority of the Parliament.

At the regional level, the county administrative boards are responsible for working with regional targets that are adjusted to the national ones. They fulfill the objectives, in a good way, but the objectives have no legal status.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

As for my second question, are there European Union directives, and how—

[Katja Awati]

Definitely. They are sometimes integrated into the environmental quality objective system such that they are interim targets, because the EU directives are usually very specific that pollution needs to be reduced, for example, and then they are integrated into the system as interim targets.

That is why this system needs to be, on one hand, very stable and predictable for the actors, the stakeholders, but it also needs to be flexible to be able to adjust to what happens outside Sweden, as Sweden is quite a small country and very much integrated into the EU.

Every fourth year we take into consideration what has happened in the EU and the directives, and then we need to make some adjustments to the system, to the interim targets--not to the vision, not to the overall targets, but to the interim targets.

[Bernard Bigras, Bloc, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

I have no more questions, but I would like to congratulate you for implementing Action 21. Your example has been recognized by the OECD, among others. Your model is setting an example for us all.

Mr. Chair, is there any time left for my colleague Marcel Lussier?

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Yes. Go ahead.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

As part of your climate change strategy, how was Sweden able to reduce its dependency on oil? What kind of legislation did you adopt to limit oil consumption in Sweden?

[Katja Awati]

Well, this is not my area of expertise. We have a lot of biofuels, of course, bioenergy. Of course you also know that we have had a lot of nuclear power, since a couple of years ago.

To limit the carbon dioxide, we have used taxes, economic instruments. We have a price on carbon dioxide emissions.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

How will Sweden produce its ethanol?

[Katja Awati]

We have ethanol production in I think two industries in Sweden. I think we also import a lot.

I must say this is not my area of expertise, so I'm sorry if I can't answer. I can definitely get back to you with more specific figures on how we're doing it and in what amounts.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bob Mills]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Cullen.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Madam Ambassador and Ms. Awati, for being with us.

Maybe I'll pick up where my colleague left off, regarding the question of pricing carbon or pricing carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases. I'm not sure if this is also an area that is not in your expertise. Maybe I should clarify that first before I get into details.