Institutional conditions for multi-sector environmental policy integration in Swedish bioenergy policy

Abstract

What institutional conditions seem relevant for multi-sector environmental policy integration (EPI) and its outcomes? Analysing the Swedish bioenergy policy process, which represents a positive case of multi-sector environmental policy integration, it is argued that open actor access, use of environmental knowledge, monitoring mechanisms, and both environment-sectoral and inter-sectoral policy coordination are conducive for multi-sector environmental policy integration, which is also affected by external events. To achieve outcomes from multi-sector environmental policy integration, monitoring mechanisms as well as inter-sectoral policy coordination are important.

Keywords:

• environmental policy integration
• multi-sector EPI
• policy coordination
• institutions
• bioenergy

Notes

1. Energy grass, hemp, straw, cereal, wheat, oilseed crops, sugar beet, etc., are also grown for energy purposes, but can also be grown for other purposes (food/fodder/industrial production) and no statistics are available for pure energy purpose crops before 2004.

2. Söderberg (2008) covers the years 1975–2005. For 2006–2009, a new EPI analysis, using the same technique, has therefore been made for this study. For more details on the methodology for analysing EPI development in Swedish bioenergy policy over time, please consult Söderberg (2008).

3. Biomass is also produced in other sectors, mainly the waste sector and the forest sector.

4. 1.5 TWh more renewable energy in five years and 0.75 TWh/year bioenergy electricity increase.