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construction. Hajer writes in his book The politics of the environmental discourse: Ecologicalmodernisation and the Policy Process (1997), “Policy-making is in fact to be analysed as the creation ofproblems, that is to say, policy-making can be analysed as a set of practices that are process fragmentedand contradictory statements to be able to create the sort of problems that institutions can handle and forwhich solutions can be found (Hajer 1997:15). What Hajer (1997) describes is the process of how wedefine problems to solve the settings of our society, this is a statement that is not going to be addressedanalytically in this thesis but is of importance when one argues regarding the process that Sweden hasgone through while developing current SD policies. The policies have been based on a formation of typesof problems that can be understood and addressed in the Swedish society without changing the currentsetting that the society is based upon, being a capitalistic society where the majority of tools to solve theenvironmental problems are based on this notion. The concept is based on a “that the pressure thatecological interests and ideas impose on economic and industrial practices are being mediated throughscience and technology to transform modern society in a way that can strengthen rather then undermineenvironmental reform” (Vogel 2002/03 cited in Elliot 2004:232). Elliot (2004) claims that the ecologicalmodernisation debate and its version of SD is a merge between environmental protection and a growthfriendly development discourse (Elliot 2004:66). This must be seen as pre knowledge when one describesthe process that has taken place regarding the development of SD policies and the implementation of it.For example Hajer (1997) brings up the issue with the current progress of SD policies since theBrundtland definition of it as being a process where the critique lies in the, by some called, strength of theBrundtland definition. The definition merged previously opposing camps, those being the IMF and WorldBank and the green movement creating a version of consensus around the environmental debate. “Radicalcritics of the Brundtland Report claim that the whole idea of SD is a rhetorical ploy which conceals astrategy of sustaining development rather then addressing the causes of the ecological crisis.”(Hajer1997:12) This merge was only possible through the fact that the Brundtland definition of SD based its ideain some ways on the capitalistic society and its structure. What the critic’s claim as being an unsustainablewin-win perspective where economic development will lead to a better environment, so called ecologicalmodernisation. The normative discussion regarding this pre condition is not going to be addressed in thisthesis, but one should be aware of this discussion when analysing the development of environmentalpolicies within a welfare state. The discourse around the version of SD and the process of creating thepolicies regarding SD is not a consensus-based discourse according to the critics.5. Environmental policy on state levelToday the previous development has created a policy foundation that will be reviewed in this section. Thispart serves as an introduction to the difference of policies between the state level in comparison to theRegional level, which is the setting within which SYNAPS is implemented. It is of importance to know thedifference of the state level policies and the Regional policy development as Sweden has a decentralisedversion of implementing Sustainable Development. The Swedish government defined a policy regarding anoverall implementation of SD in the whole of society. This was based on 16 environmental goals that werederived from extensive research in several different official documents. These goals were delegated to otheractors within the bureaucracy to be implemented to reach a more SD in Sweden.(Prop.1997/98:145;Prop.2000/01:65;Prop.2000/01:130;Prop.2001/02:55;Prop.2001/02:128;Prop.2002/03:117;Prop.2004/05:150). These are defined goals and are set based on national and international setstandards. This was first developed in the latest version in 2001 called Nationell strategi för hållbarutveckling 2001/02:172. This document established that SD was an issue that was to be implemented in allareas of society and was not only a policy document for the environmental agencies in Sweden but for allagencies. This policy document was later revised in 2003 called En svensk strategi för hållbar utveckling2003/04:129 3 , and later Strategiska utmaningar- En vidareutveckling av svensk strategi för hållbarutveckling 2005/06:126 4 . Since 2003 it was decided that the state was on a path towards a more3 A Swedish strategy for Sustainable Development4 Strategic challenges further development of the a Swedish strategy for Sustainable Development26
sustainable society within all fields, and the process later was to develop a more global and long-term planfor Sweden. The first policy strategy was based on the international goals that had been set by the UN andthe later version that was revised in 2003 was a direct reaction from the decision and commitments thatwere set and discussed during Johannesburg 2002 (Regeringens skrivelse2005/06:126). The latest versionrevised on 2005 was another step towards a more global perspective on the sustainability policies withinSweden. The work around the issue of implementing sustainability in society started during the 1990’s inSweden, the Brundtland report and the meeting in Rio de Janeiro 1992 were the foundation of this nationalpolicy development. The work on local level started during the implementation of Agenda 21 during the1990’s. Governmental restructuring took place during the year 2005 that changed the emphasis on theimportance of the integration of SD as it changed the department’s in a way where a department called‘Society Planning and Environmental Department’ was created, this was a restructuring that pin pointedthe new direction the government took in regards to the SD on national level as the environment and SDbecame a part of the overall planning of the Swedish society. The delegations of responsibilities areformed on state level based on integrating SD in the separate departments. All governmental agencies areresponsible for the environmental impacts in their fields. The Ministry of the Environment on state level,is responsible for environmental quality objectives, climate change, water, chemicals policy,environmental legislation, nature conservation including biological diversity, planning and energy(http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/5400/a/43490 10/05-07). The actual implementations of these goals aredirected to regional level as well as municipality level. The 24 different Regional levels serve as a controlagency for the state to ensure that the policy goals are met in these sections (Kronsell 1997:58).To sum up the Swedish national goals one can define 8 key areas and in one of them are the 16environmental goals that are the operationalized version of policy goals set by the parliament (Edvardsson2006:97). The goals are designed to be implemented by public institutions, the parliament did not onlydecide on the 16 environmental goals but also decided that all political decision making in all levelsshould be made on the basis of long term social, ecological and economic considerations (Edvardsson2006:97). One of the most stressing points set by the government was that central institutions andbureaucracy as well as local governments should have developed plans and work proactively for SDwithin one generation (Edvardsson 2006:98). To ensure this development and to operationalize theconcept of SD several key areas have been developed to guide this process. However there have beenincreasing problems on regional level to translate these goals into actual implementations. One of theaspects is the lack of communication between the parliament and the decentralised levels of thebureaucracy. Another reason is the lack of guidelines for the decentralised levels on how and what toimplement (Kronsell 1997:59). Below one can find the 8 key areas that have been constructed to guidethese institutions and local governments.1. The future environment• Toxic compounds in the environment• Biodiversity and preservation oceans and seas• 16 environmental goals2. Decrease climate change3. Population and health• Population development• Public health• Work food program4. Welfare and safety• Social participation• Integration and diversity• Equal opportunity• Youth and children participation and development• Security from crime• Culture5. Full employment and education• Employment• Education• Research and Development6. Sustainable economic growth• Sustainable economy, trade and industry• Innovation system and technology transfer• Sustainable consumption7. Regional development and Regional conditions• Regional development• Forrest, Fishing, reindeer, and agriculture8. Development of a sustainable society• Built up areas• Energy security• Transport system and infrastructure• New information technique (En Svensk strategi förhållbar utveckling 2003/04:129The development of using environmental goals as a tool to reach and implement that concept of SD hasincreased in the European setting. For example one finds the sixth environmental action program set bythe EU based on the concepts of goals (1600/2002/EG), the Swedish goals that are defined and haveguided the key areas defined above, have been set and developed during the beginning of 1990 and untilthis date comprised of 15 originally but were later developed to 16 when the biodiversity goal was defined27
Page 1 and 2: From ‘grey to green’- investiga
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Page 11 and 12: field of the heuristic model when i
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Page 17 and 18: not follow the goals that are deleg
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Page 21 and 22: approaches the vertical organisatio
Page 23 and 24: need for an increase of sector inte
Page 25: would be able to develop a green we
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Page 31 and 32: 2001:167). Implementing SD has ther
Page 33 and 34: 2001:115). This concept fits in to
Page 35 and 36: 6.4 Public administration and the b
Page 37 and 38: sectors of agriculture, schools and
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Page 41 and 42: faced with SD policies and failed t
Page 43 and 44: 8.1 Analysis of will, knowledge and
Page 45 and 46: type’ is not ideal but the ideal,
Page 47 and 48: However, the discussion if the stat
Page 49 and 50: • Jörgensen, Erika. 2004. Hållb

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