OECD – Joint efforts for sustainable economic development
The OECD plays a strong normative role. It links economics with other areas such as environmental issues. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency represents Sweden in OECD's Environmental Committee.
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) has 38 member states. The organisation works primarily with economic analyses, standards and forecasts. The OECD works in many different areas, but all are related to market economy analyses. This includes the environmental field and its links to the economy, trade, energy, and development.
The OECD conducts several projects related to climate. Climate has been identified by OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann as a key priority for the OECD in the coming years. One of OECD's objectives is to be a global leader in supporting countries to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in a way that is globally effective and fair.
The OECD's objectives are to
- contribute to growth, employment, and improved living standards in member countries
- contribute to sound economic development both in member countries and in the wider world
- contribute to the expansion of world trade.
The OECD's work and focus
The OECD
- engages by providing a platform for discussions
- influences by producing knowledge and providing policy guidance
- sets standards through decision-making
- facilitates the exchange of ideas and experiences, and provides analyses of current issues in a wide range of policy areas
- develops international standards so that everyone can play by the same rules and work together towards common goals.
Accession discussions and cooperation with other countries and organisations
The following countries are candidates for membership to the OECD: Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Indonesia, Peru, Romania, and Thailand. Key partners of the OECD are: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and South Africa.
The OECD has regional initiatives around the world and bilateral cooperation with many more countries than those mentioned above, through e.g. reviews of countries' policies, and through projects to support their development.
Furthermore, the OECD cooperates with the G20, G7, and Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC). These three facilitate global cooperation and dialogue on common challenges. The OECD provides data, analyses, standards and tools to support these dialogues.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's work in the OECD
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency participates on behalf of Sweden in the OECD's Environment Committee and its working groups. We participate in the OECD's work on climate issues, environmental information, policy development, environmental objectives, and sustainable production and consumption. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency also assists the Government Offices with work related to the OECD's environmental performance reviews of Sweden's policies and instruments related to the environment and climate.
Through the OECD, Sweden and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency gain new knowledge and policy guidance, a platform for learning and exchange with other countries, opportunities to influence the direction of issues and focus of the OECD work, and more.
Sweden and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency participate in the following working groups and programs:
- Environment Policy Committee (EPOC)
- Working Party on Climate Change (WPCC)
- Working Party on Environmental Information (WPEI)
- Working Party on Integrating Environmental and Economic Policies (WPIEEP)
- Working Party on Environmental Performance (WPEP)
- Working Party on Finance and Investment for Environmental Goals (WPFIEG)
- Working Party on Resources Productivity and Waste (WPRPW)
- Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG)
- Joint Working Party on Tax and Environment (JWPTXE)
- Environment Action Programme (EAP) Green Action Task Force
- Working Party on Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (WPPRTR)
- Inclusive Forum on Carbon Mitigation Approaches (IFCMA)
Sweden's environmental work was reviewed by the OECD in 2024
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has been tasked with supporting the Government Offices in the OECD's environmental performance review of Sweden's environmental and climate policies in 2024.
The countries that are being reviewed receive feedback on how they can be more effective in its efforts to meet national and international commitments. It also provides an opportunity for the country under review to share good practices. A review thus provides support for environmental measures at the national level and can thereby also reduce environmental impact across national borders.
The OECD regularly reviews how member states' environmental policies contribute to national goals and international commitments. Sweden was previously reviewed in both 2004 and 2014. The review was conducted by experts from the OECD and Denmark. The focus of the 2024 review was ”Towards green growth” and ”Climate change mitigation and negative emissions promotion” and resulted in 28 recommendations to Sweden.
The review was approved by the OECD's Working Party on Environmental Performance in December 2024 and the report was launched on March 12 2025 by the Government Offices of Sweden.
OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Sweden 2025 (oecd.org)