Environmental Policy Integration in Practice

Environmental values and concerns are meant to be reflected through environmental policy, which is then integrated into mainstream economic and social policy and serves to govern society and the economy. Yet effective environmental policy integration (EPI) has proven to be very difficult in actual practice and it remains largely an elusive aspiration. This is particularly the case in core economic sectors such as energy and agriculture, which have enormous environmental impacts but are also sectors in which other priorities typically override environmental concerns in policy creation. This groundbreaking volume presents the first ever detailed examination of EPI at the national policy level, focusing on the key sectors of energy and agriculture within Sweden, a country that is widely recognized as a leader in Europe and worldwide. In doing so, the authors unpack EPI, look at what it means in policy formation and examine how environmental priorities are treated in relation to other political priorities. The final section of the book lays out the major findings and presents key lessons for international application including institutional recommendations on how to enhance the potential for EPI. Most fundamentally, the book answers the questions of what works and why for EPI, and how it can be achieved in practice across sectors. The result is a rich and indispensable guide for all those involved in policy formation in governments, NGOs and business and industry as well as environmental management professionals, and researchers and higher level students studying environmental policy.