KEEP SWEDEN TIDY - Håll Sverige Rent

Being a Political Contact Person is an Honorary Task
Schools and preschools working
with the Eco-Schools
programme choose a political
contact person in the municipality,
who will support and
acknowledge the environmental
and sustainability work of the
school or preschool. The political
contact person is a link between
the school or preschool
and the municipality, ensuring
that the different actors can
communicate and empower
each other. The municipality
learns from the school or preschool
and vice versa.
TEXT KATARINA HELLBERG
International outlook
In Sweden there are more than 3.000
schools and preschools working thematically
with the environment and sustainability
through the Eco-Schools programme.
All these activities are supported
by international directives and legislation.
In December of 2002, the General Assembly
of the United Nations decided to proclaim
a decade of education – 2005–2014 – for
sustainable development, with UNESCO
as responsible organization. The year before
that, and in the beginning of the decade, the
government chose to put in big recourses for
schools to invest in research, education and
further education about sustainable development.
More and more schools and preschools
joined the Eco-Schools programme, the certification
program administrated in Sweden
by the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation. At
the same time, the Swedish National Agency
for Education was commissioned to initiate
the Sustainable School Award. In November
2010, the Ministers for Education of the EU
gathered and agreed on the importance of
Sverker Ottosson, the
political contact person
in Sundsvall:
“Being a political contact
person gives you inspiration,
and new perspectives
on life and problem
solving. In my opinion, the concept is spot
on,” says Sverker Ottosson, municipal
commissioner for the Swedish Green
Party, and chairman of the Committee of
Infrastructure and Service of the Municipal
Council.
The Eco-Schools programme ensures
that at an early age, and in a playful way,
children will learn about the environment
and understand their own role in an ecological
and social context.”
“When you are in a decision-making
position, it is important to have a bearing
on reality, and to have those important
contacts. As a political contact person I
get to know what our children and youths
find important and what they want to
change, and what daily life is like.”
sustainable development in schools, and that
appropriate measures would be taken.
In 2001, the EU environmental policy
was launched. It states that EU politics
and legislation must better reflect environmental
and sustainability issues, the public
shall be informed and included and environmental
concern will be taken when
planning for cities and development. The
environmental policy divides environmental
and sustainability questions in four different
fields: Climate Change, Nature and Biodiversity,
Environment and Health, and Natural
Resources and Waste. The policy suggests actions
such as developing a strategy for sustainable
use of natural resources, increasing the
efficiency in use of natural resources, improving
systems of waste management etcetera. In
the EU environmental policy, the EU suggests
a broad consultation with the governments
of the candidate countries about sustainable
development, as well as a close cooperation
with Non-Governmental Organizations and
companies in these countries. Measures taken
Rosa Lundmark, the
political contact person
in Vantör:
“The concept of political
contact persons within the
Eco-Schools programme
is special, because it
is such a positive task. Usually, being a
politician means that people often contact
you when they are dissatisfied and want to
complain about things. In that respect, this
assignment is unique.”
Those are the words of Rosa Lundmark,
member of the board of the Left Party of
Sweden in Vantör, and vice president of the
City District Committee of Enskede-Årsta-
Vantör in the City of Stockholm.
“I see this as an honorary task in my work
as a politician,” says Rosa.
“It is good for schools and preschools to
be in contact with the politicians. We have
a big department with quite a distance between
the officials and the people who really
work out there on the floor. We get so many
papers to plow through, and this is a way
for me to meet the children and the teachers
and see a whole new side of things.” a
to ensure the implementation of the international
environmental agreements are strongly
encouraged.
Grön Flagg (Green Flag) is the Swedish
name for the Eco-Schools programme, and
with the Eco-Schools programme you can bee
awarded the Green Flag. Eco-Schools is run
by the international organization Foundation
for Environmental Education (FEE).
Eco-Schools was initiated in 1992, and
exists in more than 60 countries all
over the world. The representatives
of the different countries meet every
year for knowledge exchange.
There are also possibilities for the
schools and preschools linked to
Eco-Schools to benefit from other
projects worldwide, as well as to
participate in shared projects about
different themes, such as Climate and Local
surroundings. This shows that the work with
the Eco-Schools programme, and with the
Com-U project receives support at all levels,
both nationally and internationally. a
school and preschool/facts – the keep sweden tidy foundation 7