How is nature translated? : A critical discourse analysis of the Swedish environmental quality goals

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) has overseen the implementation, evaluation and development of the environmental political decisions in Sweden since 1967. In 1999 one “generation goal” (the general direction of the environmental politics) and fifteen “environmental quality goals” was installed to guide their work, in 2005 a sixteenth goal was instated. These goals (except for one) are supposed to be met in 2020. This is a study from a communication perspective of these goals and The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s role based on the theoretical concepts issue arena, stakeholder thinking, network, translation and mass communication. The method used is critical discourse analysis which focuses on how we understand, relate to and value different aspects of reality. The way political goals about the environment are written has implications on our relationship with nature and how we choose to govern it. The analysis shows, in line with previous studies on environmental policy documents, that the economical and human-centred discourses dominate. Ecological metaphors and expressions are mostly allowed within the discourse ecological modernisation. What differs from previous studies is that the growth discourse and the neo-liberal discourse are somewhat challenged and that the economical and human-centred discourses are questioned in some cases. The main conclusions are that more ecological discourse should be implemented in the translations of the political goals to gradually change the way we value and relate to nature and thereby create solutions that are sustainable long term. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency also should not back away from expressing the ethical responsibilities we have to restore and protect nature