City of Växjö is using the environmental management system ecoBUDGET to steer and follow up the environmental targets and environmental work in the municipality.
The management system
ecoBUDGET is an environmental management system designed for political organisations. The principal aim of ecoBUDGET is to manage natural resources with the same efficiency as the financial resources. The system imitates the financial budget system. The traditional accounting system is complemented with an ecological accounting system, in which physical environmental quantities are measured instead of money. The system includes environmental objectives both within the municipal organisation and the municipality area.
Compared to other environmental management systems ecoBUDGET is a flexible system with few restrictions. The ecoBUDGET system follows the management cycle; Plan – Do – Check – Act.
The ecoBUDGET cycle
The ecoBUDGET year has three phases. The first is to establish and adopt the environmental budget. Next step is to implement the planned measures to achieve the budget. The final phase is to balance the environmental annual account.
In May 2006 the city council of Växjö adopted Environmental programme, it is revised during 2009-2010 and adopted in April 2010. Environmental programme is the steering document for environmental issues. The program focus on three profile areas which deal with consumption and waste issues, water and nature conservation issues, transport and energy issues. There are 16 environmental objectives in the program which the environmental management system ecoBUDGET steer and follow up. The Environmental programme, April 2010.
Ecological budget
Every year the city council adopts an economic and ecologic budget. This is the common indicators for all boards and municipality owned companies:
• Purchase of organic foods in relation to total foods purchased (%)
• Use of oil in the municipal administration (m3)
• Emissions of fossil carbon dioxide from transports in the municipal administration (tonne)
Other indicators are specific for different boards. All boards and companies make internal budgets and action plans based on the municipal ecological budget. The ecological budget is published in the same document as the economic budget.
Half year account and annual accountTwice every year follow-ups are made on the ecological budget and the action plans. A half year account is made to evaluate the actions that have been taken to reach the budget and if there are any additional actions needed. All boards and companies analyse their action plans and report to the municipality economic department.
The annual account sums up the achievements during the budget year. To visualise if the budget is reached or not, smiling/indifferent/sad faces are shown in the annual account.
The ecological annual account and half year account is published in the same document as the economic annual and half year account.
Contact information
For more information about ecoBUDGET in Växjö, please contact Strategic Planning (Planeringskontoret) Pär Zars 
For more information about ecoBUDGET, see the international webpage:
http://www.iclei-europe.org