Regional cooperation for a better environment
In cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment we have decided to focus on partnerships that have great relevance for Swedish and global environmental initiatives.
The Swedish EPA participates in several important regional and international cooperation. Regional cooperation takes place in the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Nordic cooperation and the UN Economic Commission for Europe. We also cooperate with the countries that make up the Baltic Sea Region.
Swedish EPA’s global cooperation
The Swedish EPA’s global cooperation occurs within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and several other international environmental conventions. Swedish EPA contributes also to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Together with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Swedish EPA has a development programme with global focus. The Global Programme, focusing on sustainable natural resource management, has four sub programmes and runs until 2019. Within the sub programmes, Swedish EPA cooperates with several international organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), the World Bank and Environment for Development Centers.
Swedish EPA will also carry out a Global Climate Programme with focusing on climate including issues on transparency systems in the Paris agreement, sustainable urbanisation and principles of good governance.
Swedish EPA is also Sweden’s focal point for the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10YFP).
International environmental conventions
Environmental conventions focus on various issues, for example climate change, stratospheric ozone layer protection, air quality, chemicals and nature conservation. The conventions are tools for promoting cooperation and the development of international environmental law and actions. Some conventions apply regionally, others globally.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s experts participate in the work and negotiations under the conventions and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Our experts also participate in the EU preparatory negotiations, which shape the positions of the EU.