Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10STOCKHOLM65
2010-02-12 12:31:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Stockholm
Cable title:
SWEDEN REVIEWS BILATERAL SUPPORT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
how-toVZCZCXRO2588 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHSM #0065/01 0431231 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 121231Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5108 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000065
SIPDIS
STATE FOR USAIDEU (PBROWN) AND USAID
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN REVIEWS BILATERAL SUPPORT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
STOCKHOLM 00000065 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000065
SIPDIS
STATE FOR USAIDEU (PBROWN) AND USAID
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN REVIEWS BILATERAL SUPPORT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
STOCKHOLM 00000065 001.2 OF 002
1. Summary: Sweden, the world's largest donor per capita, is
developing a new policy to incorporate climate change issues
into development programs. As part of this effort, the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA),
analyzed its programs from 1999-09, and presented lessons
learned at a conference attended by the Embassy. The Embassy
will follow up with SIDA to explore opportunities for
cooperation in low carbon development. End summary.
2. On February 11, Econoff attended a Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) seminar entitled "What
Works and What Doesn't - A Broadened Approach to Environment
and Climate Change Management." With climate change and
escalating environmental degradation becoming key constraints
to economic growth and poverty reduction in many countries,
SIDA has recognized the need to strengthen capacites to
manage natural resources and critical ecosystem services in
order to ensure development results.
3. Johan Schaar, SIDA Director for Environment, Climate
Change and Sustainable Service; Maria Berlekom, Head of the
Environment and Climate Change Team; and Annika Otterstedt,
Deputy Head of the Environment and Climate Change Team; and
Daniel Slunge, Environmental Economics Department at the
University of Gothenburg, discussed lessons learned from
attempts to link climate-change management and mainstream
environmental concerns into Swedish development programs.
4. SIDA based its study on the results from Swedish-supported
programs from 1999 to 2009 in China, Kenya, Laos, Tanzania,
Vietnam and the Western Balkans (Albania, Macedonia and
Serbia) that ranged in size from nearly $30 million to $1
million. The results of this study will form the background
for a new Swedish policy that will incorporate
environmental-awareness and climate change in development
cooperation. Seminar speakers presented the following
conclusions and recommendations for incorporating environment
and climate-change management into assistance programs in
developing countries:
- Swedish assistance contributed greatly to improving
legislative frameworks, developing human resources and
simplifying organizational mandates for environmental
management.
- In developing countries, Environmental Ministry priorities
often differed from the priorities of other government
ministries.
- Swedish aid generally failed to stimulate high-level
political demand, improve cross-sector coordination and
increase monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws and
regulations.
- Environmental ministries and agencies in developing
countries must participate in national budget negotiations in
order to increase and sustain investments in environmental
capacity development.
- Environmental ministries and agencies must use the global
attention to climate change to elevate the need for a
national environmental policy to the highest political levels
and increase support for environmental capacity development.
- Swedish aid must complement efforts to strengthen policy
formulation and environmental-sector organizations, using a
broad approach that encourages finance, planning,
agriculture, energy, and industry ministries to assume a
greater responsibility for environmental management.
- SIDA must increase its support to capacity development
programs on environmental management and climate change to
identify synergies between the environmental and
climate-change sectors, such as water, forests, agriculture
and energy.
- SIDA must pursue a strategic dialogue to link environmental
and climate-change issues to key national priorities such as
economic growth, public health, poverty reduction and
agricultural productivity.
- Sweden must increase its expertise on environmental and
climate-change issues at Swedish embassies and SIDA country
offices to conduct sustainable environmental-capacity
development.
5. Post will meet with Schaar, Berlekom and Otterstedt to
STOCKHOLM 00000065 002.2 OF 002
learn more about Swedish efforts and explore opportunities
for cooperation on low carbon development.
BARZUN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR USAIDEU (PBROWN) AND USAID
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV SW
SUBJECT: SWEDEN REVIEWS BILATERAL SUPPORT TO ENVIRONMENTAL
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
STOCKHOLM 00000065 001.2 OF 002
1. Summary: Sweden, the world's largest donor per capita, is
developing a new policy to incorporate climate change issues
into development programs. As part of this effort, the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA),
analyzed its programs from 1999-09, and presented lessons
learned at a conference attended by the Embassy. The Embassy
will follow up with SIDA to explore opportunities for
cooperation in low carbon development. End summary.
2. On February 11, Econoff attended a Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) seminar entitled "What
Works and What Doesn't - A Broadened Approach to Environment
and Climate Change Management." With climate change and
escalating environmental degradation becoming key constraints
to economic growth and poverty reduction in many countries,
SIDA has recognized the need to strengthen capacites to
manage natural resources and critical ecosystem services in
order to ensure development results.
3. Johan Schaar, SIDA Director for Environment, Climate
Change and Sustainable Service; Maria Berlekom, Head of the
Environment and Climate Change Team; and Annika Otterstedt,
Deputy Head of the Environment and Climate Change Team; and
Daniel Slunge, Environmental Economics Department at the
University of Gothenburg, discussed lessons learned from
attempts to link climate-change management and mainstream
environmental concerns into Swedish development programs.
4. SIDA based its study on the results from Swedish-supported
programs from 1999 to 2009 in China, Kenya, Laos, Tanzania,
Vietnam and the Western Balkans (Albania, Macedonia and
Serbia) that ranged in size from nearly $30 million to $1
million. The results of this study will form the background
for a new Swedish policy that will incorporate
environmental-awareness and climate change in development
cooperation. Seminar speakers presented the following
conclusions and recommendations for incorporating environment
and climate-change management into assistance programs in
developing countries:
- Swedish assistance contributed greatly to improving
legislative frameworks, developing human resources and
simplifying organizational mandates for environmental
management.
- In developing countries, Environmental Ministry priorities
often differed from the priorities of other government
ministries.
- Swedish aid generally failed to stimulate high-level
political demand, improve cross-sector coordination and
increase monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws and
regulations.
- Environmental ministries and agencies in developing
countries must participate in national budget negotiations in
order to increase and sustain investments in environmental
capacity development.
- Environmental ministries and agencies must use the global
attention to climate change to elevate the need for a
national environmental policy to the highest political levels
and increase support for environmental capacity development.
- Swedish aid must complement efforts to strengthen policy
formulation and environmental-sector organizations, using a
broad approach that encourages finance, planning,
agriculture, energy, and industry ministries to assume a
greater responsibility for environmental management.
- SIDA must increase its support to capacity development
programs on environmental management and climate change to
identify synergies between the environmental and
climate-change sectors, such as water, forests, agriculture
and energy.
- SIDA must pursue a strategic dialogue to link environmental
and climate-change issues to key national priorities such as
economic growth, public health, poverty reduction and
agricultural productivity.
- Sweden must increase its expertise on environmental and
climate-change issues at Swedish embassies and SIDA country
offices to conduct sustainable environmental-capacity
development.
5. Post will meet with Schaar, Berlekom and Otterstedt to
STOCKHOLM 00000065 002.2 OF 002
learn more about Swedish efforts and explore opportunities
for cooperation on low carbon development.
BARZUN