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Supporting Swedish sustainability goals with new methods and indicators for consumption

To deliver the promises under the Generational Goal and Agenda 2030, in 2015 the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency commissioned a team of leading environmental researchers, including SEI, to create a model that could capture both the territorial and global impacts of Swedish consumption. Now the PRINCE team has scoped out the data and methods required to develop a set of environmental impact indicators that extends beyond greenhouse gases.

Chris West, Venni Arra, Victoria Beale / Published on 7 June 2022

Developments in the policy landscape and data capabilities in the last 10 years have greatly increased the significance of consumption-based indicators for policymakers looking to understand the contribution of national economies to global environmental impacts and development targets.

Using the latest modelling and statistical techniques, the PRINCE (Policy Relevant Indicators for Consumption and Environment) model was created to explore the global environmental impacts and pressures caused by Swedish consumption. The aim of this model is to provide policy makers with sound data to enable decision-making for sustainable production and consumption. The model has been adopted within Sweden’s national statistics framework.

In this second phase of the PRINCE project (2022), the research team has scoped out the data and methods required to develop a set of environmental impact indicators that extends beyond greenhouse gases. Data on chemical use and deforestation offer particular near-term promise for use as statistics. SEI’s PRINCE team members have developed preliminary indicators for biodiversity and fisheries, which now require further development through additional data collection and harmonization. The new PRINCE report sets out how this can be achieved and outlines the steps needed to further develop these data for uptake in national statistics.

Watch the video

Video: Naturvårdsverket konferenser & möten / YouTube.

Read the report

The final report of phase 2 of PRINCE covers new methods and environmental indicators supporting policies for sustainable consumption in Sweden.

Featuring

Chris West

Deputy Centre Director (Research)

SEI York

Jonathan Green profile picture
Jonathan Green

Senior Researcher

SEI York

Simon Croft

Research Fellow

SEI York

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