The Danish EPA is not only about pollution and nature. The law, the economy, and cross-cutting strategies must be incorporated when a new environmental initiative is born in Denmark or the EU. Only by looking at the environment from many angles do we achieve sustainable results, which increase protection of humans, the environment and nature.
Any initiative for the environment, apart from its core scientific dimension, also has a financial, legal and strategic dimension. Consider, for example, the process when an EU directive is transposed into Danish law or when the government adopts a new political initiative. The Danish EPA must help make sure that the financial and legal dimensions have been duly considered and that efforts harmonise with cross-sectoral strategies in the environment area.
The environment and the economy The Danish EPA has been "putting a price on the environment" since 2000. The background for this is the significant financial resources that society is spending on safeguarding environmental benefits such as clean air and clean groundwater. Using environmental economic tools we gain insight into what these efforts cost, what we get for the money we invest, and what is the cost if we do nothing.
What is the cost for society of noise from traffic in terms of illness and falling house prices? What are the costs of abating noise nuisance e.g. by installing noise screens? What is less noise in the garden worth to people? What are the costs if we refrain from taking action?
It is particularly difficult to put a price on the pros and cons of environmental efforts because, as a rule, environmental benefits are not traded goods. You do not pay for them directly, and therefore they do not have an actual and specific price. Danish EPA environmental economists record the financial consequences of environmental initiatives for society so that, in this way, politicians will have an improved basis for decision-making. Environmental economics are also a tool to illustrate how we can meet environmental targets most cost-effectively.
The environment and the Law The Danish EPA also places great emphasis on ensuring quality in the drafting of environmental legislation, just as we emphasise openness and involvement, as well as simplicity and due process of law in the way we execute our functions. This applies to everything from draft bills and statutory orders to processing appeals. EU legislation also plays an increasingly significant role in environmental regulation and we place great emphasis on ensuring correct implementation of EU legislation in Danish legislation.
The municipality structural reform has fundamentally changed the division of responsibilities between the state, regions and municipalities in the environment area. In collaboration with the new regional environment centres under the Ministry of the Environment, the Danish EPA is to ensure that management of the environment is still sound and appropriate, and that due process of law, dialogue with, and services to the public and enterprises are maintained and developed.
The environment and strategy across sectors One of the Danish EPA’s important roles is as advisor for the Minister for the Environment and the government in the preparation of new, extensive environmental policy initiatives. This advice is not only in the individual specialist areas, but also for initiatives which involve a number of Agency areas, the rest of the Ministry as well as other important partners such as enterprises, municipalities and other ministries. An example of such activities is climate adaptation, which concerns many sectors. Efforts to develop and apply eco-efficient technology, which have high priority at the moment, and the comprehensive reorganisation of the waste sector, are other examples. Initiatives in the different areas must be coordinated, and this must be monitored through indicators and other assessments, and the overall strategy must be long term and sustainable.