sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints-4f5fb6ef64dce16b.pdf

This policy brief outlines a framework for reducing the external environmental footprints of national consumption, using Sweden as a case study. It proposes a three-step method to map consumption, identify 'hotspots' in supply chains (such as electronics from China and soy from Brazil), and prioritize policy instruments. The authors recommend a multi-ministerial approach in Sweden to implement approximately 60 identified instruments, ranging from tax adjustments and durability requirements to bilateral cooperation with producer countries.

• Sweden's national environmental policy includes the "Generational Goal", which aims to solve major environmental problems within Sweden without increasing environmental and health problems outside its borders. However, this goal has not yet been linked to a specific action strategy.
• The study developed a three-step analytical approach to identify policy instruments: first, mapping the national consumption profile (ratio of imports to total consumption and main import categories); second, identifying relevant policy instruments using a "hotspot" method (based on footprinting tools) and a "policy instrument" method (improving existing policies); and third, classifying and prioritizing these instruments.
• In Sweden, imports represent 40% of the GDP, with products making up more than half of those imports. The primary import categories identified are electronic products, vehicles, food, and textiles.
• Using the hotspot method, the study identified the import of electronic equipment from China and the import of soy from Brazil as supply chains with significant environmental impacts.
• The study identified approximately 60 existing or potential new policy instruments for Sweden. Because the issue is multi-sectoral, the authors recommend that responsibility for implementation rotate between the ministries of Environment and Energy, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Justice, and Enterprise and Innovation.
• Specific policy recommendations for Sweden include adjusting the tax system to encourage sustainable consumption, increasing legal requirements for product lifespans (such as longer warranties), and expanding EU directives on hazardous substances to other categories like toys and textiles.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints-4f5fb6ef64dce16b.pdf. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints-4f5fb6ef64dce16b.pdf. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints-4f5fb6ef64dce16b.pdf |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendseipb2015policyinstrumentstoreduceenvironmentalfootprints4f5fb6ef64dce16bpdf, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints-4f5fb6ef64dce16b.pdf}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/sei-pb-2015-policy-instruments-to-reduce-environmental-footprints.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }