OECD's work on the environment
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an organisation for cooperation between, at present, thirty member countries from the rich part of the world. The OECD Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC) and the OECD Environment Directorate work on giving recommendations for the environmental policies of member countries. One aim is to give these countries an analytical basis to develop an effective environmental policy.
The Environment Directorate conducts reviews of national environmental policies and collects data and research results. Based on forecasts of future developments, it also provides recommendations on effective environmental policy instruments. A particular strength of OECD environment work is the work it does to link various policy areas, such as environment-trade, environment-economy and environment-development policy. The OECD works in a number of environmental policy areas such as the climate, chemicals, waste and natural resources.
OECD environmental strategy for 2001-2010
An environmental strategy for the period 2001-2010 was adopted by OECD environment ministers in 2001. By adopting the strategy OECD countries committed themselves to national action to tackle the worst environmental problems over the coming ten years.
The overall goal of the OECD environmental strategy is to decouple, or to break the link between, economic growth and environmental degradation. Three sectors - agriculture, transport and energy - have been selected for special reform. The removal of subsidies and tax exemptions in these three sectors has particular priority. These subsidies lead to environmental degradation and have to be replaced with policies that encourage the inclusion of environmental costs in the prices of goods and services.
The strategy entails a commitment by OECD member countries to achieve four objectives by 2020:
- maintaining the integrity of ecosystems through the efficient management of natural resources emphasising biological diversity and freshwater;
- measuring environmental progress using indicators and ensuring that results are available to the public;
- improving the quality of life, partly by reducing the use of hazardous chemicals;
- reducing environmental threats caused by globalisation by working for multilateral environmental agreements and by working to make organisations like the WTO more environmentally aware.
The environment ministers also agreed on how to measure progress when the strategy is implemented and what they think the OECD can do to contribute to this. Ten key indicators will be used: climate change, the ozone layer, air quality, waste generation, freshwater quality, freshwater resources, forest resources, fish resources, energy resources and biological diversity. Guidelines for environmentally sustainable transport were agreed on the same occasion.
OECD reviews national environmental policies
The OECD carries out reviews of member countries' environmental policies at regular intervals. The purpose of these reviews is to help improve the OECD countries' domestic and international environmental policies by reviewing their national environmental objectives and how they are implemented. The review process is also intended to also help spread knowledge about various countries' environmental policy to other countries.
OECD review of Swedish environmental policy
In 2004 the OECD evaluated for the second time how Sweden is fulfilling its national objectives and international commitments in the environmental field. The OECD highlighted Sweden as unique among member countries in its work on consolidated environmental legislation (the Environmental Code) and in its work on the green tax shift. Sweden also received praise in the OECD report for being good at implementing the polluter pays principle. In the chemicals area Sweden also received a positive assessment for having taken a leading role at international level.
Mid-term report to OECD
In its review the OECD also made some 40 recommendations for how to better achieve Sweden's environmental objectives and for a more effective environmental policy. In the report "OECD Environmental Performance Review: Sweden's Progress Report 2007" the Government made a mid-term report on what it has done with the recommendations, see the link on the right.
OECD Environment Policy Committee
OECD environmental work is held together by the Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC). The work of the Committee largely consists of cross-cutting, horizontal activities focusing on sustainable development.
