Since 2013, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has worked proactively to develop collaborative relationships and initiatives with the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, MMA, the federal environmental authority IBAMA and several other stakeholders in the private, academic and municipal sectors.
The collaboration is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2013 between MMA and the then Swedish Ministry of Environment and Energy. The co-operation is financed mainly within the appropriation for bilateral agreements, but there are also other sources of funding.
Sustainable Waste Management
Within the framework of the cooperation on sustainable waste management, initiatives are underway regarding municipal waste management planning, food waste prevention and marine littering.
Municipal waste management planning – training of trainers
According to Brazilian law, all municipalities in Brazil must produce their own waste management plan. However, at present, few have produced any. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's efforts are aimed at meeting the need for tools and knowledge in how to do it. Representatives from selected municipalities receive knowledge and tools in context-adapted municipal waste planning and are trained as mediators on a number of course occasions.
Food waste prevention
Food waste affects both the environment and the economy. To reduce the amount of food that is discarded, it is important that more actors become aware of this - throughout the food chain.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's work builds on previous activities that have been implemented to contribute to the goal of halving the food waste by 2030. From 2019, the effort focuses on contributing to improved statistics as a basis for policy development, measures and follow-up throughout the food chain.
Marine littering
Together with our partners, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency also implements projects focused on preventing marine littering. The projects are financed by the authority's plastic project grants and the purpose is mainly to identify land-based emission sources and establish action plans..