Research and environmental monitoring to follow up Swedens environmental quality objectives
Research and environmental monitoring give us knowledge about the state of the environment, how to solve environmental problems and whether actions are leading to improvements.
Research
One important task for research and environmental monitoring is to define more closely and follow up Swedens objectives for ecologically sustainable development and environmental quality. Research on ecological sustainability is interdisciplinary. It includes not only natural sciences and technology but also economics, social sciences, culture and lifestyle issues. The results of this research form the basis for environmental policy and the action taken in society. In 2001 a new research council for environment, agricultural sciences and spatial planning (FORMAS) was set up with the Ministry of the Environment as its main sponsor ministry. This specialist research council is tasked with supporting research on and for the development of a sustainable society.
Envrionmental monitoring
The state of the environment has to be monitored through measurements and inventories. By sampling and analysing air, water, soil and living materials we can obtain the knowledge we need about the development of the state of the environment. The Ministry also obtains information in other ways, from detailed field inventories to satellite images that give us information about the environmental situation and biodiversity. One important component of environmental monitoring is following transboundary environmental pollution. These results are then used as input in negotiations on international conventions.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for national environmental monitoring. The Government has set up an Environmental Quality Objectives Council linked to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to work on monitoring and evaluating progress toward the environmental quality objectives.
Relevant agencies and organisations
The agencies and organisations that contribute to environmental research and environmental monitoring are the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS), the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute and two organisations, the Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA) and the Swedish Environmental Research Institute Ltd.
