Environmental cooperation in the Barents region
The Barents region is facing major environmental challenges. Climate change will have serious consequences for its environment and ecosystems. Several severely polluted areas must be dealt with and emissions must be reduced by using improved technology. During 2010-2011 Sweden is leading the cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) to respond to these challenges.
State Secretary Åsa-Britt Karlsson with her collegues Heidi Sörensen, Norway, Hannele Pokka, Finland and Sergey Danskoy, Russia, 17 February 2010 in Tromsö, Norway.
Sweden is chairing the environmental cooperation in the Barents region
The Barents cooperation presents an opportunity in linking international and national policy targets with concrete projects on the ground. Regional cooperation has an important role to play in meeting global challenges, such as climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Sweden holds the chairmanship in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council Working Group on Environment (WGE) in 2010-2011. The chairmanship is coinciding with the the Swedish charimanship in the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC). Please see link for the chairmanship programmes.
The WGE has since the 1990´s fostered important co-operation to strengthen capacity to meet regional environmental challenges and facilitate environmental investments. The regional dimension gives the Barents cooperation added value. Results are not possible without close cooperation with the Regional Working Group on Environment (RWGE).
Under the WGE the work is carried out in four subgroups:
- Cleaner Production and Environmentally Sound Consumption (CPESC) Under the Swedish chairmanship the CPESC subgroup will strengthen networking and project development that contribute to the development of the global 10 Year UN Framework of Programmes for Sustainable Consumption and Production. Such activities include awarenss raising on energy efficency and green public procurement.
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Nature Protection
The Barents region has unique ecosystems, richness in biodiversity and a great cultural heritage. Under the Swedish charimanship the Barents subgroup on nature protection will strengthen the work on protected areas, also highlighting the need for protected areas to conserve biodiversity threatened by climate change;
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Water Issues
Poor quality drinking water is a significant environmental and health problem in the Barents region. With climate change and increased flooding challenges grow bigger. Under the Swedish chairmanship the subgroup on water issues will develop regional projects, mainly in north-west Russia, strengthening capacity and facilitating investments.
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Hot Spot Exclusion
The Barents region has several urgent areas of concern related to pollution. To tackle these concerns a so called hot spot list consisting of 42 environmental hot spots was compiled in 2003. The focus in the coming years will be given to the exclusion of hot spots from the list by clarifying ownership, intensifying action and visualizing progress. With the new subgroup on Hot Spot Exclusion the work will enter a new phase.
Related
- Sweden's Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council
- Environmental and nuclear safety cooperation with Russia
- Swedish Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council Working Group on Environment 2010-2011
- Swedish Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council Working Group on Environment 2010-2011 (in Russian)
