Book about environmental permitting in Sweden released in China
A book about environmental permitting and related management system in Sweden has been released in China. The aim is to share successful examples on permitting practices, legal framework, public participation, and to give environmental authorities and researchers in China a better understanding of systems in Europe. The book is co-authored by IVL and the center for Environment and Engineering, Ministry of Ecology and Environment in China.
The overall goal of environmental permitting is to protect human health and the environment by defining – in a transparent, accountable manner – legally binding requirements for individual sources of significant environmental impact.
Over the last decades, environmental permitting system has been applied in developed countries, such as the US and EU countries and achieved remarkable effects. However, the Swedish system is particularly known, as it takes on a holistic view and is based on “best available techniques”.
China has been practicing permitting system since the late 1980s. However, the system has not reached its full effectiveness due to unclear position of the system, inadequate implementation by enterprises and lack of effective supervision by the authorities.
In November 2016, the General Office, State Council of China issued the Implementation Plan for Pollutant Emission Control Permitting System, which launched a comprehensive reform of the permitting system. Moreover, integrated permitting system was regulated as the core system for the control of point-pollutants from enterprises and public institutions. The ecological and environmental authorities are responsible for the supervision work.
In this context, the book was compiled to introduce the Swedish permitting system and central areas of Swedish environmental management and control. The content includes the background and development of the permitting system in Sweden, legal framework, application, and supervision of the permitting.
In particular, the book shows successful examples of integrated licensing practices, independent environmental law systems, best available techniques (BAT), adequate and transparent information and public participation. This may be of interest to the environmental authorities and researchers in China, it provides a better understanding of the systems used in Europe and may also be helpful for the permitting system in China.
The book was launched during the 2021 Sino-Nordic Sustainable Development and Innovation Forum by Gao Si, chief representative of IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute in China, and Zou Shiying, deputy director of the Environmental Engineering Assessment Centre of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
For more information, please contact: Yanjing ZHU,yanjing.zhu@ivl.se