From global visions to local actions : A study of the implementation process of global environment goals through a top-down perspective

Abstract: International environment efforts are often seen as unsuccessful and the reasons why are not clear. The international negotiations in the IPCC and the EU show that the opinions and ambitions differ quite a lot between the different countries. Even though there are ambitious goals and international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol, there are still problems with implementing these at country level. This study examines the implementation process from international to local level focusing on a Swedish context. The aim of the study is to identify the main implementation problems when implementing international environment goals. The study uses a top-down perspective, meaning that it will examine the implementation process from international to local level concentrating at the hierarchical structures and processes. The study uses both text analysis and qualitative interviews in order to collect data, three interviews were conducted in order to collect data about the municipality perspectives. The conclusions of the study implies that a lack of national and local political will together with a high degree of municipality autonomy are the main problems when implementing international environment goals.