CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS: CASE STUDIES OF MUNICIPAL WASTE POLICY IN SWEDEN AND ENGLAND

The research examines whether European governments have shifted toward a more diverse mix of 'new' environmental policy instruments (NEPIs) and a more procedurally rational decision-making process. Through a comparative analysis of municipal waste policy in England and Sweden, the author finds that while both countries diversified their instrument mixes, England's mix became more diverse and its choice processes more procedurally rational, whereas Sweden's mix remained more coercive and its choice processes more politicized. The study highlights that procedural rationality can facilitate the adoption of NEPIs, but is not a necessary or sufficient cause, as political factors—such as party-political bargaining in Sweden—often override rationalistic ideals.

• The municipal waste policy instrument mix in both England and Sweden increased in diversity between 1995 and 2005, though the increase was more dramatic in England, where the number of instruments grew six-fold from five to 36.
• Sweden's waste policy mix is characterized by a higher degree of coercion compared to England's, with a stronger reliance on repressive instruments such as landfill bans and higher landfill taxes.
• The process of choosing the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) in England exhibited a high degree of procedural rationality, following a linear sequence of problem definition, objective setting, and systematic assessment of alternatives.
• In contrast, the process for introducing the waste incineration tax in Sweden showed a low level of procedural rationality, characterized by an a priori commitment to a tax instrument and a lack of systematic comparison with alternatives.
• In the Swedish incineration tax case, the decision was driven primarily by party-political bargaining, specifically the need for the Social Democratic government to secure the support of the Green and Left Parties through the 'green tax shift'.
• The adoption of the LATS in England was heavily influenced by the EU Landfill Directive, which imposed quantified targets that made 'certainty of outcome' a priority criterion, favoring a tradable permit system over a tax.
• Sweden's use of environmental taxes is so extensive that they are no longer 'new' instruments but have become institutionalized as a traditional part of the Swedish policy style.
• The study suggests that while procedural rationality can facilitate the adoption of NEPIs, it is not a necessary condition, as seen in the Swedish case where a NEPI was adopted despite a highly politicized process.
• Sweden's more coercive instrument mix was found to be more effective in reducing landfill amounts compared to England's approach during the study period.

APA

Persson, Å. M. (2007). CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS: CASE STUDIES OF MUNICIPAL WASTE POLICY IN SWEDEN AND ENGLAND. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Policy-institutions/PhD_thesis_Asa_Persson.pdf

Chicago

Persson, Åsa Maria. CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS: CASE STUDIES OF MUNICIPAL WASTE POLICY IN SWEDEN AND ENGLAND. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2007. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Policy-institutions/PhD_thesis_Asa_Persson.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Persson |first1=Åsa Maria |title=CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS: CASE STUDIES OF MUNICIPAL WASTE POLICY IN SWEDEN AND ENGLAND |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=September 2007 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Policy-institutions/PhD_thesis_Asa_Persson.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{persson2007choosing, author = {Persson, Åsa Maria}, title = {{CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INSTRUMENTS: CASE STUDIES OF MUNICIPAL WASTE POLICY IN SWEDEN AND ENGLAND}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2007}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Policy-institutions/PhD_thesis_Asa_Persson.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }