When Sustainability meets Lars Erik Liljelund on a cold April day at the government offices in Stockholm, there are just under three months left until Sweden assumes the EU presidency. The weighty problems of the presidency relate not only to solutions to the global financial crisis but also to solutions to climate changes, stresses on the environment and the quality of life, in other words areas where Formas is spending substantial research funds.
Up to now, Liljelund has been responsible for drawing up a strategy for the Baltic Region. He has just left this behind. Climate negotiations will demand all his time.
The strategy for the Baltic Region will soon be presented. What will it contain?
- The EU strategy for the Baltic Region covers all areas: environment, economy, quality of life. For the first time, the EU is attempting to draw up a comprehensive strategy for a macroregion. Collaboration on environmental issues around the Baltic has gone on before, but this is only politically binding. Through an EU strategy for the Baltic Region we will have a strong instrument for the implementation of the action plan which HELCOM (Helsinki Commission) has drawn up. The Baltic Sea will be a pilot project for the EU Marine Directive. No special resources will be allocated for this purpose. There is other EU money in the region, such as 53 MEuro in the EU structural fund where the strategy may be a guide for prioritisations. In June the final proposal will be issued by the Commission, and in October the European Council which is made up of the heads of states will make its decision.
The Government is to show an example of how the environmental and climate challenges can be countered while competitiveness is also dealt with. What example will this be?
- All the countries in the world are now taking measures to deal with unemployment and financial crises. At the same time, climate changes are a burning issue in politics. Synergies must be found. It is no good waiting to tackle the issue of climate. The agenda should comprise measures which alleviate the recession and also, at the same time, generate jobs. What is needed is longterm investments in a world without fossil fuels. For example, if China will build coal fired power plants, this will need 160 jobs per energy unit produced, while building a solar power plant requires 2,800 jobs per produced unit of energy. If we want to keep people in employment, we must invest in infrastructure that, at the same time, uses little coal.
- This sounds expensive, but the alternative to the above is that 2,620 will have no work. Investment in low-coal technology does not come free. Renewable energy has shorter depreciation periods. And this is now a matter of synergistic effects between dealing with climate effects and preventing an unfavourable economic development.
What areas of research do you think are the most important? What do you think of the argument that what is mainly needed now is more natural science research? We know what needs to be done. What must be done now is to develop knowledge on how behaviour can be changed. Can a recession and financial crisis have any role, and how can the necessary investment in environmental technologies be managed?
- Behaviour constantly changes. I realise that behavioural changes are needed to achieve a sustainable societal development. Rules of conduct are important for changes in society. Examples are that practically everybody now sorts their waste, food colourants have disappeared from baby food, etc. A combination of information and control instruments is good. In Sweden, changes in behaviour associated with the climate system are taking place. For example, it is not forbidden to drive large 4x4s in the city centre, but we see them much more rarely than a few years ago. In the sixties, women could be seen wearing leopard fur. This is not forbidden, but they cannot be seen so often nowadays. Codes govern much of our behaviour and these are put inside a framework of information and policy instruments.
- I realise that there is reason to carry on research in natural sciences, but we must make sure that the whole range is included – fundamental research as well as demand controlled research.
How do you see Formas' role?
- It is extremely important. Environmental research was formerly funded by the Environment Protection Agency. Formas took over this role in 2001. Formas has an important role in continuing to manage the excellent research areas which Sweden has had for many years. Sweden has been a world leader in fields such as ecotoxicology, environmental toxins and similar subjects. Now it is essential that we maintain this excellence and retain Sweden's frontline positions!
What inducements for the private and public sectors and consumers should be developed over the next few years in order to achieve the goals that Sweden is setting up in your sphere of responsibilty? What do you think about policy instruments?
- I believe in a mix of policy instruments and market oriented information. After all, Sweden is a front runner in this field. The Swedish model of an integrated approach, upstream ideas and simultaneous management of several problems is based on an aggressive environmental legislation and market oriented control instruments. This has resulted in a playing field subject to the terms of the market which include control instruments. Examples are nitrogen levies on emissions from heating plants and carbon dioxide levies on emissions from fossil fuels.
What are your expectations that we will have a global treaty on the reduction of emissions?
- This is difficult, but we will have a global treaty. The Kyoto Treaty regulated only 27 per cent of global emissions. This will now be a more comprehensive treaty that must include 80 per cent of global emissions. The prospects appear infinitely better now that the US has a more cooperative attitude. One uncertain point, however, is what the attitude of Congress will be to the President's ambitious proposals. If we can include the US in a good treaty, we will have a favourable response from China and other OECD countries.
- In the EU there are expectations of a widespread endorsement of this treaty, which will comprise many components, by the leading countries in the world. This will be the most complex matter that humanity has ever negotiated about: emissions, environmental technologies for the developing countries, forms of finance for the developing countries and their adaptation to future temperature rises. In order to adapt developing countries to a 2 degree rise in temperature accompanied by a drier climate and floods, it is vital that the developed countries should provide funds for those who will suffer without having in actual fact been the cause of climate changes.
You are a member of China Council, the environmental advisory body of the Chinese government. What is your view of China's role in the global work on the climate?
- China Council meets the Chinese prime minister each year. There is now anxiety regarding the economic developments and environmental problems. Last year, China formed a Ministry of Environment at the initiative of China Council. The task of this is to develop capacity in administration so that the Chinese environmental legislation, which is not bad, may be implemented. An evaluation by OECD shows that this legislation is good, the problem is supervision and observance. China is the country that emits most greenhouse gases and, together with the US, accounts for almost one half of global emissions. China has a highly systematic investment in infrastructure with a green keynote, for instance new railways.
Over the past five years you have been chairman of the European Environment Agency. What role does this agency play in issues concerning the climate, bioenergy and the spread of chemicals?
- The European Environment Agency EEA has an important function. It does things that nobody else does. Its board includes all the EU member countries' directors general on environmental issues. They have at their disposal a secretariat of 150 people. A Europe-based analysis of the state of the environment, its development and the causes of this development in different sectors of society has recently been compiled. A quite large number of thematic reports on both the environmental situation and impacts, and the effectiveness of control instruments, are also published. We know that both the Commission and the Environmental Committee of the European Parliament has found these very useful.
- By order of the Commission, EEA is now analysing greenhouse gases for each EU country and prepares annual forecasts of how the EU will comply with its Kyoto commitments.
If things turned out as you wanted, what would developments be like?
- The prospects for global collaboration have never been better than today! But we have grave problems with a global financial crisis that can only be solved by global collaboration, in exactly the same way as the climate problems. Another serious problem is that even if the EU does not emit any greenhouse gases, we still cannot manage the climate problems on our own. One risk is that the financial crisis will trigger more protectionism and this can be disastrous! Increased collaboration by all countries is needed in order that the climate crisis may be kept in check, and the same applies to the global financial crisis.