This publication is also available in a web accessible version: pub.norden.org/nord2021-042
The Nordic countries rank highly in international measurements of how far countries have come with regard to implementing the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Figure 1). However, this does not mean we have achieved sustainable development in the Nordic region, because we are still facing major challenges regarding ecologically sustainable development. We are particularly challenged by unsustainable consumption and production, climate change, and the biodiversity crisis.
But how are the Nordic countries, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland, actually working on the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs? This review provides the answers, with an emphasis on the national political structures for implementing the 2030 Agenda, i.e. action plans with national and international prioritisations, along with follow-up work and areas for improvement.
The aim of the review is to create a factually based overview of the Nordic countries’ work on the 2030 Agenda, where the relevant basic information can be found easily, with links to websites and other material, for each of the Nordic countries. The review is primarily intended as an online document, and is not intended to be a coherent report. Consequently, some of the same information and links may occur under different headings. The review describes central decisions, actors, and structures in the national work, and highlights inspiring examples of networks and societal participation.
The review will be used to strengthen knowledge dissemination and mutual learning between the Nordic countries. The primary target group for the review is the actors named in the report. The first version of the review was drawn up by Gaia Consulting in December 2020, and the Nordic Council of Ministers will regularly update the review, as necessary.
All the Nordic countries have long been working with strategies and action plans for sustainable development. The work has laid the foundation for and continues in implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
National action plans have been drawn up to implement the 2030 Agenda in most of the Nordic countries. The action plans reflect the individual countries’ strengths and challenges, and there are interesting variations in national prioritisations and in the processes of how the action plans were drawn up.
In the Nordic countries, it is the governments that lead the work for national implementation of the 2030 Agenda. However, the countries have chosen quite different organisational models for implementation, and there are interesting variations in the degree of centralisation or decentralisation, and in the interaction between government, parliament, and societal actors.
Most of the Nordic countries have an annual systematic follow-up of implementation as part of the national budget processes and reporting from government to parliament. The national statistics agencies are responsible for following up national indicators for the SDGs and targets.
A broad involvement of society has a central role in implementing the 2030 Agenda in all the Nordic countries. In several of the countries, special forums have been set up to ensure political consensus and dialogue with societal actors. In all the Nordic countries, various umbrella organisations are also working for municipalities, civil society, the private sector, academia, and young people, and these have been involved to varying degrees and with different mandates in the governments’ implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have drawn up voluntary national reviews for the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, while the autonomous regions, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland, do not submit their own reports. The UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development has a central role in the follow-up and review of implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at global level, and the voluntary national reviews are an important tool in the work. Table 1 shows the reporting timetable for the Nordic countries in the period 2016-2021.
There is much the Nordic countries can learn from each other, particularly regarding the small differences between the countries, in how they have chosen to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. This applies to everything from how the countries organise the work to interesting communication campaigns aimed at increasing societal engagement on the 2030 Agenda.
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Finland | Denmark | – | Iceland | Finland | Denmark | Iceland |
Norway | Sweden | Norway | ||||
Sweden |
Denmark has a long tradition of international and national commitments regarding sustainable development. As a member of the open working group on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Denmark played a vital role in preparing the 2030 Agenda. Denmark’s areas of priority in this process were inclusion of human rights, peacekeeping work, and progressive targets on gender equality and reproductive health.
In 2017, Denmark drew up its first National Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda. The action plan is divided into four areas of priority, with associated targets and indicators. The areas of priority are growth and prosperity, people, environment and climate, and peaceful and safe society.
The other central document that steered Denmark’s work on the 2030 Agenda is the Strategy for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance from 2017. This strategy steers Denmark’s international work on the 2030 Agenda, gathering engagement in development cooperation and humanitarian assistance within the following overarching priorities: peace and stability, migration, inclusion, sustainable growth, freedom, democracy, human rights, and gender equality.
In 2020, Denmark started to draw up a new National Action Plan for implementing the 2030 Agenda, and the plan is expected to be launched at the start of 2021. This will comprise a cohesive and holistic initiative that cuts across policy areas and compiles national and global sustainable development within a single action plan. All ministries are involved, and societal stakeholders have been invited to submit input to the work.
Denmark’s work on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs is led by the parliament and the government. The Ministry of Finance has coordinating responsibility for the work on the 2030 Agenda, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment.
The Ministry of Finance has allocated responsibility for the individual SDGs and targets, and follow-up, to the government ministries within their respective areas of administration. Statistics Denmark has published a list of allocations between the ministries, where the reader can select a ministry and see the targets for which it is responsible and progress in these areas.
The Government’s work is coordinated in a cross-ministerial working group in which all ministries are represented and that is led by the Ministry of Finance. The group meets as and when necessary, but at least once a year, to discuss the status and development of Denmark’s work on the 2030 Agenda.
The Government measures Denmark’s progress regarding implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs with a set of national indicators for sustainable development, which are followed up by the national statistics agency, Statistics Denmark.
Denmark publishes annually a statistical report, based on the UN global indicators for sustainable development, for the UN’s annual progress report on the SDGs. Statistics Denmark is responsible for the reporting.
Like the other Nordic countries, Denmark regularly reports to the UN on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Denmark submitted its first voluntary national review to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2017, and the second voluntary national review will be submitted in 2021.
Denmark aims to create a broad and inclusive debate on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and has set up an All Party Coalition for the Sustainable Development Goals (The 2030 Network) with representatives from all parliamentary parties. The 2030 Network is a forum for broad and inclusive debate on the SDGs, and a platform for cooperation between parliament and civil society, the business sector, and other societal actors.
A Parliamentary Working Group for the 2030 Agenda was set up under the Finance Committee in 2018. The parliamentary working group creates political support and coordination in relevant parliamentary committees, thereby ensuring political momentum in Denmark’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
In 2017, the All Party Coalition for the Sustainable Development Goals (The 2030 Network) set up an advisory panel for the 2030 Agenda (The 2030 Panel). The 2030 Panel comprises representatives from the business sector, civil society, and the research community. The aim of the 2030 Panel is to support the political work of the 2030 Network by contributing analyses, sparring, discussions, and knowledge sharing. The 2030 Panel’s activities have included the project Our Goals together with Statistics Denmark, which through an inclusive process has reviewed Denmark’s baseline position and possible indicators for following up the work on the 2030 Agenda.
The two civil society networks, Global Focus and the Danish 92 Group are coordinating the Danish civil society’s initiatives relating to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Both these networks are also part of the 2030 Panel. Global Focus and the Danish 92 Group issue an annual spotlight report that collates the member organisations’ political recommendations to ensure sustainable development in Denmark and globally. Their latest Spotlight Report on Denmark’s challenges in achieving the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs was published in June 2020.
Denmark for the Goals is a communication campaign that, since 2018, has helped to disseminate knowledge about the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The campaign arranges World Goal Festivals in the form of dialogue meetings and public meetings, in collaboration with municipalities, companies, and organisations. These festivals are arranged in towns and cities around the country, with the aim to promote sustainable development in local communities. The campaign is organised by the non-profit association Global Public and 48 Danish municipalities, in partnership with companies and sector organisations.
World’s Best News is an independent medium that produces constructive journalism and campaigns about progress and solutions to global challenges. The vision is to contribute to a more nuanced view of reality, and increased awareness of the SDGs. World’s Best News was set up by Global Focus, DANIDA, and the UN organisations in Denmark, and has been run since 2016 as an independent non-profit organisation.
Global Goals Academy is a project for young people that offers training about the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The project is arranged by World’s Best News, the Danish Youth Council (DUF), and the Tuborg Fund. The aim of the project is to train young ambassadors for the SDGs.
Global Goals Week was arranged in September 2020 to commemorate the five-year anniversary of the 2030 Agenda. The aim was to gather parties together to share knowledge and exchange experiences on implementation of the SDGs. Dialogues and debates were arranged with leading decision-makers, organisations, and civil society. The organisers behind the initiative were the business network Global Compact Denmark, the independent news media Altinget, and the think tank Monday Morning.
Fælles Forandring (‘Joint Change’) is a project under Danmarks Efterskoleforening (the association for young people aged 14-18 who are completing their lower secondary education in residential schools). The aim of the project is to engage these school pupils in the development of society and the world, by incorporating the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in the teaching and everyday life in the schools. The project culminates every year in SDG Festivals, where the pupils share their knowledge and engagement regarding the SDGs. Teaching and inspiration material is also published regarding the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vw3vrbEZ_E
Denmark is ranked in second place globally in the international comparison on national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in the Sustainable Development Report 2020. Denmark is on track to achieving two SDGs (Goal 1, No Poverty, and Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities), but challenges remain for ten goals, with significant or major challenges for five goals (including Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13, Climate Action). Denmark’s index score towards achievement of the SDGs is 84.56/100 points, but the ‘spillover effects’ outside Denmark score much lower, 66.4/100 points.
Finland has a long tradition of coordinated policies for sustainable development. The first strategy for sustainable development was drawn up as early as 1993. At the same time, the first national commission for sustainable development was set up, under the leadership of the prime minister. Since then, the policy has developed, but Finland still has a focus on broad societal participation in implementing the policy for sustainable development. Finland has actively participated in implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since the start, and was one of the first countries to submit a voluntary national review to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Finland’s long-term strategy for sustainable development from 2016, The Finland we want by 2050 – Society’s commitment to sustainable development, comprises the national interpretation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Society’s commitment to sustainable development serves as a long-term framework and instrument of policy coherence for the strategy and programme work of different administrative sectors and societal actors. The societal commitment includes fundamental principles and eight common objectives for sustainable development. The societal commitment for sustainable development was followed in 2017 by Finland’s first National Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda.
Finland’s current National Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda was presented to the Finnish Parliament in October 2020 under the title Government Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda : Towards a carbon-neutral welfare society. This report describes the current state of Finland’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda, actions taken by the government to promote the SDGs, policy principles guiding their implementation at the national level, and organisation, monitoring, and evaluation of the implementation.
Together with the Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government (2019), the report comprises a comprehensive action plan for Finland’s work on the 2030 Agenda. The Government Programme is built on the principles of sustainable development, and is implemented through coherent strategic themes that also steer the government’s work to attain the goals in the 2030 Agenda. In 2021, the work will be made more specific through a National Roadmap for the 2030 Agenda, drawn up by the Commission for Sustainable Development.
An overall assessment of the national policy for sustainable development was carried out in 2019. The project Path2030 concluded that Finland’s policy on sustainable development has succeeded in being inclusive, that future government programmes should be based on sustainable development, and that a practical action plan should be drawn up for how the SDGs will be attained.
Finland’s organisation is built on a holistic inclusion of government and society, where all administrative sectors have a common responsibility for implementing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The government is leading the work on the 2030 Agenda, and the Prime Minister’s Office is responsible for the National 2030 Agenda Coordination Secretariat. The most important forums for the inter-administrative implementation are the meetings of the Permanent Secretaries, the Sustainable Development Coordination Network, the national sustainable development monitoring network, and the advisory staff network. All ministries are represented in these networks. The Sustainable Development Coordination Network supports the work on the 2030 Agenda under the Prime Minister’s Office and promotes political consensus, while the Sustainable Development Monitoring Network is tasked with monitoring implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development is an influential forum gathering significant societal actors. The Commission is chaired by the Prime Minister, and includes representatives from the Government, Finland’s Parliament, the Government of Åland, the Sami Parliament, ministries, municipalities and regions, other public administration bodies, the business sector, trade unions, organisations, the Church, and independent experts. The Commission has approximately 60 ordinary members with deputy members. The Commission’s tasks include speeding up implementation of the global agenda for sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda, and monitoring and evaluating how the global agenda is being implemented in Finland.
The Commission on Sustainable Development collaborates with the Development Policy Committee, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Finland, to strengthen the international perspective in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In addition, the work of the Commission is supported by two expert panels, the Expert Panel for Sustainable Development and the Finnish 2030 Agenda Youth Group. The Expert Panel on Sustainable Development is a forum in which the voices of academics and internationally renowned experts are heard. The purpose of the expert panel is to anchor sustainable development by adding a scientific perspective in Finnish policies and to support the Commission on Sustainable Development. The Finnish 2030 Agenda Youth Group is composed of 20 people aged 15-28 from different parts of Finland and with a variety of backgrounds. The aim is that young people will be engaged and given the opportunity to promote and participate in the national planning and implementation of sustainable development.
The government is responsible for following up and evaluating implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in Finland. Parliament monitors and evaluates the government’s activities, thereby ensuring that the responsibility is fulfilled. Participation of parliament in considering issues concerning sustainable development and in monitoring implementation of the 2030 Agenda is important, both for responsibility and political consensus.
The government monitors implementation annually using national indicators, and once per term submits a report to parliament on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and general sustainable development in the country. Finland monitors progress towards the 2030 Agenda through the UN indicators for sustainable development and National Indicators on Sustainable Development. Statistics Finland is responsible for following up the indicators.
In 2019, the National Audit Office of Finland (NAOF) evaluated Finland’s implementation and governance of the 2030 Agenda work. This was carried out as a part of the objective that promotion of sustainable development is to be subject to long-term follow-up and review. The National Audit Office’s statement included a recommendation that evaluation of costs and effects of measures to promote sustainability should be strengthened in the work of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Like the other Nordic countries, Finland regularly reports to the UN on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Finland submitted its first voluntary national review in 2016, and its second voluntary national review in 2020, to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPKXii00tMI
Once per term, the government reports to parliament on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and general sustainable development in the country. This also serves as Finland’s Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda (for more information, see the section ‘National implementation’).
The government’s presentations, annual reports, and budget plans form the basis of dialogue between the government and parliament on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in Finland. Less formal ‘coffee morning’ meetings have also been arranged to discuss current issues concerning the 2030 Agenda and to promote knowledge sharing.
The Parliamentary Committee for the Future is responsible for issues concerning the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in parliament. The Committee for the Future prepares statements in consultation with other committees, for example on the government’s budget proposal, and monitors implementation of the measures required by parliament.
Civil society is involved in the work on the 2030 Agenda primarily through participation in the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. The Commission’s members represent a diverse range of sectors in society and other stakeholders, including researchers from different fields of science through the Expert Panel on Sustainable Development and young people through the Finnish 2030 Agenda Youth Group (for more information, see the section ‘Organisation of the national implementation’).
The Finnish umbrella organisation for civil society, Fingo, is a member of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Together with its member organisations, Fingo produces annual follow-up reports on Finland’s implementation of and work relating to the 2030 Agenda (2018, 2019 and 2020). The latest report, from 2020, is included in the voluntary national review for the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Societal commitment to sustainable development is a key tool in involving civil society. Companies, associations, educational institutions, administrative bodies, political parties, towns and cities, and other bodies can formulate and include their own practical contributions and commitments to attain the common goals. The web service for societal commitments for sustainable development contains over two thousand commitments from civil society.
The Climate Policy Round Table aims to create a common understanding on how Finland can make a just transition to a climate-neutral society and with a faster time plan than is currently the case. The Climate Policy Round Table does not make decisions; instead, its work aims to support the preparation and implementation of climate policy at national level. The Chair of the Climate Policy Round Table is the Prime Minister, Sanna Marin. The Round Table Forum is composed of members from civil society, the business sector, and others. Themes for the Round Table Forum’s meetings have included sustainable recovery, emission reductions, and energy taxation.
Regular campaigns and events are arranged with the aim of increasing knowledge sharing and societal engagement regarding the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Some examples are presented in the next section.
Agenda – Art 2030, an open-air exhibition with a series of artworks, was arranged in October 2020 with support from The UN Association of Finland. The exhibition included 17 works that, in various ways, related to the 2030 Agenda, and were displayed around Tölöviken in Helsinki. The exhibition was curated by Marika Tomu Kaipainen.
The Instagram campaign #YllättävänVaikuttava (‘Surprisingly influential’) was carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Finland in conjunction with Finland’s Presidency of the EU in 2019. In the campaign, Finnish Instagram influencers discussed how Finland is promoting the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The campaign collected and processed young people’s views on how Finland and Finnish people can influence sustainable development.
In 2019, the Finnish 2030 Agenda Youth Group, in collaboration with Sitra, arranged a climate meeting in Finlandia House in Helsinki. The climate meeting gathered around 500 Finnish young people. The meeting resulted in the statement Our Climate 2030, signed by 26 organisations. The statement considers climate change from an ecological, economic, and sociocultural perspective. The statement builds on young people’s vision regarding the climate in 2030, current challenges, and measures that can resolve the challenges.
Finland is ranked in third place globally in the international comparison on national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in the Sustainable Development Report 2020. Finland is on track to achieving five SDGs (including Goal 1, No Poverty, Goal 4, Quality Education, and Goal 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), but challenges remain for six goals, with significant or major challenges for six goals (including Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13, Climate Action). Finland’s index score towards achievement of the SDGs is 83.8/100 points, but the ‘spillover effects’ outside Finland are scored much lower, 66.7/100 points.
Iceland has a long tradition of consensus policies for sustainable development. The first National Strategy for Sustainable Development was launched in 2002, and comprised a framework for Iceland’s policies on sustainable development until 2020. Iceland actively followed the process of drawing up the 2030 Agenda and, from the start, emphasised priorities regarding sustainable use of marine areas and land resources, gender equality, renewable energy sources, collaboration on migration, and health issues.
Iceland has decided not to draw up a separate national action plan for the 2030 Agenda. Instead, the country actively uses the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an umbrella for significant national strategies and policy documents. The government has focused on integrating the SDGs in the five-year national fiscal plans that have been produced since the public finance policy reform in 2016. The government has also integrated the SDGs in, for example, the Policy for Development Cooperation, a draft for a new education and innovation policy, and the Climate Action Plan. By linking the SDGs directly to its strategies and policy documents, the government aims to link the 2030 Agenda to practical action and contribute to favourable and sustainable investment opportunities.
The Government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda has drawn up priority targets for implementing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The working group has positioned Iceland in relation to the 169 targets, 65 of which have been selected as being particularly relevant for Iceland. The prioritised targets were chosen through a process that involved evaluating the quality of available data for different indicators, correspondence with the government’s coalition policy, relevance for Icelandic society, and the remaining journey toward target achievement. The prioritised targets will guide the work of the government and public agencies on implementing the 2030 Agenda in the coming years.
The Government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda is coordinating the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The working group is led by the Prime Minister’s Office, and is supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The members in the working group are representatives from all ministries, the Icelandic Association of Local Authorities, the national statistics agency (Statistics Iceland), and parliament. Observers in the working group are representatives from the Youth Council for the SDGs, and the UN Association in Iceland. The aim of the working group is to analyse, implement and promote the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. In 2018, the working group drew up a status report and national prioritisations on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs (see the section ‘National implementation’). Since then, the group has been working actively with systematic implementation of the 2030 Agenda, with a focus on the 65 prioritised targets, and monitored the work on preparing the first voluntary national review in 2019 on implementation of the 2030 Agenda for the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Statistics Iceland is responsible for collecting data and following up the Sustainable Development Goal indicators. Based on a thorough methodological study, data has been collected for Iceland’s follow-up of the 2030 Agenda on more than 150 of the global indicators for sustainable development. The statistical work on the 2030 Agenda in Iceland is being continually strengthened.
The government’s first national status report on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs was drawn up by the government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda, and published in 2018. The status report presents Iceland’s position in relation to all 169 targets, but with a special focus on the government’s 65 priority targets.
Starting in 2021, Iceland will be drawing up an annual national status report on implementation of the 2030 Agenda, with a focus on the 65 priority targets. This will be in conjunction with the annual reporting of the government’s budget strategy. The government will update prioritised targets every other year, to ensure a continual emphasis on the targets where the country is lagging furthest behind.
Like the other Nordic countries, Iceland regularly reports to the UN on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. In 2019, Iceland submitted its first voluntary national review to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and the second voluntary national review of implementation of the 2030 Agenda will be presented in 2022.
The government continually involves parliament on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. A representative from parliament is a member of the government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda.
In addition, parliament is involved in the government’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda by considering the five-year national fiscal plans. The fiscal plans are one of the central policy documents in which the government has integrated the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs (for more information, see the section ‘National implementation’).
The Icelandic Government recognises that implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs will require a combined effort by many different stakeholders, and is therefore working actively to include societal actors in the work on the 2030 Agenda, both nationally and internationally.
Collaboration with local authorities and municipalities is key to a successful implementation, as they are often in close contact with citizens and can therefore spread information about the 2030 Agenda efficiently. The Icelandic Association of Local Authorities has one member in the government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda. In addition, the government has decided to appoint a committee to coordinate the work between national and local levels of administration.
The Youth Council for the SDGs was set up by the Prime Minister’s Office to promote awareness of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Youth Council, which is led by the Child Ombudsman, is included with observer status in the government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda. The government also collaborates with the national youth organisation and is planning to include a youth representative in the national delegation at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
In 2018, the government’s working group initiated a fixed-period collaboration agreement with the national umbrella organisation for civil society organisations, Almannaheill. The aim of the collaboration agreement is to support Icelandic NGOs in integrating the SDGs in their everyday activities. Within the frameworks of the agreement, educational material is produced, and events arranged, information disseminated, and an annual survey is carried out to measure awareness of the SDGs among the member organisations. The government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda also collaborates with the UN Association of Iceland and the University of Iceland.
An extensive involvement process was involved in the production of the first voluntary national review of the work on the 2030 Agenda for the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. A draft version of the report was published on the government’s digital consultation portal, and societal actors were invited to give input to the draft, which was then incorporated in the final version.
The communication campaign Let's Have Good News to Tell in 2030 featured on television and social media in March 2018. The aim of the campaign was to gather ideas and spread knowledge on what the world can be like in 2030 if we live up to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The communication campaign on Iceland’s development cooperation on the 2030 Agenda was implemented in December 2018 with funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Vlog campaign follows an Icelandic teenager’s travels in Uganda and illustrates important similarities and differences in young people’s everyday lives, related to the SDGs.
Short video films will be produced about the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and these will be shown on the Icelandic children’s channel on television in 2021. Work is also taking place to prepare educational material on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, which will be distributed to schools and libraries.
In 2019, the government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda launched an information portal on the 2030 Agenda. The portal offers individuals, NGOs, companies, institutions, municipalities, and other stakeholders an opportunity to present projects that help to promote the SDGs. The portal is a public forum where stakeholders can share and spread information, ideas, and approaches that can promote sustainable development and increased value creation.
The government’s Interministerial Working Group on the 2030 Agenda has carried out four surveys on awareness of the SDGs in Iceland. The surveys report a clear increase in awareness in recent years – from only 46.6 percent at the start of 2018 to no less than 79.4 percent in 2020.
Iceland is ranked in 26th place globally in the international comparison on national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in Sustainable Development Report 2020. Iceland is on track to achieving four goals (including Goal 1, No Poverty, Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities, and Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), but challenges remain for three goals, with significant or major challenges for ten goals (including Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13, Climate Action, and Goal 14, Life Below Water). Iceland’s index score towards achievement of the SDGs is 77.5/100 points, but the ‘spillover effects’ outside Iceland are scored much lower, 60.3/100 points.
Norway has a long tradition of coordinated policies for sustainable development. The first national strategy for sustainable development was launched in 2002. However, even before this, Norway had participated in the World Commission on Environment and Development (also called the Brundtland Commission) in 1987, on behalf of the UN and under the leadership of the then Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland,[1]The Brundtland Commission’s report “Our Common Future” included the definition of sustainable development that is still used today:“Sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” and the Rio Conference 1992, which led to Agenda 21 and the Millennium Goals. Norway participated together with Denmark in the open working group that prepared the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Norway was also one of the first countries to submit a voluntary national review to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
The Government is currently preparing a National Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda, which is expected to be launched in spring 2021. The action plan will stake out the priorities for Norway’s work on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. In autumn 2020, a broad inclusive process took place in which societal actors could submit input to the action plan. The new action plan will be produced in the form of a white paper (Stortingsmelding) to the Norwegian Parliament.
The government has previously drawn up a Development Policy Action Plan, with the title Common Responsibility for our Common Future – the Sustainable Development Goals and Norwegian Development Policy, which includes goals in accordance with the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The action plan emphasises four horizontal areas for Norway’s aid and development policy: human rights, gender equality, climate change, and anti-corruption. It also focuses on five thematic areas – education; health; business and trade development and job creation; climate, environment, and renewable energy; and humanitarian aid. In the international collaboration, Norway also emphasises the fundamental principle in the 2030 Agenda of not leaving anyone behind in the work to achieve sustainable development, Leaving no one behind).
Norway’s Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, together with Ghana’s president, are leading the UN Secretary General’s group of SDG Advocates. The 17 ambassadors are inspiring and influential people who increase global awareness of the SDGs and the need for measures to speed up the process.
The national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDG is decentralised, but with a close link to the government’s budget process. The process regarding implementation of the 2030 Agenda is thereby regulated by the budget appropriations received by each ministry. The SDGs and targets are allocated between different ministries, and the work is followed up by the ministry in question. Departments within ministries are responsible for following up specific indicators and coordinating the work with relevant parties in society.
A Minister for Sustainable Development was appointed in Norway in 2020, when the Minister for Local Government and Modernisation became responsible for coordinating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also has a central role in the international implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The Office of the Auditor General of Norway has carried out a survey on governance and reporting of the national implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The conclusions were that there is a need for stronger coordination and follow-up of the work, something that the new action plan 2021 will attempt to address.
Statistics Norway has carried out a review of available statistics in Norway linked to the global indicators for sustainable development. National indicators related to specific goals and targets are followed up by the different ministries as a part of Norway’s national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, with contributions from all ministries, compiles a status report on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in conjunction with the annual budget report to parliament. The most recent annual report was published in 2019 with the title One Year Closer – Norway’s progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report is in English, and is also used to report to the UN and international collaboration partners. The report shows the follow-up status of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in civil society, the private sector, local authorities, working life organisations, and the higher education sector. There will therefore be an annual follow-up and broad integration and participation regarding the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Like the other Nordic countries, Norway regularly reports to the UN on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Norway submitted its first voluntary national review to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2016, and the second voluntary national review will be presented in 2021.
The Norwegian Parliament considers the government’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs when considering the state budget each year. The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation prepares a proposal to the national budget, with input from all the ministries. In conjunction with this, a report is submitted on progress regarding implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
In spring 2021, parliament will consider the National Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda (for more information, see the section ‘National implementation’). Further involvement of parliament is specified in the action plan for the 2030 Agenda.
The Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation and underlying agencies are leading the collaboration with regions, counties, and municipalities, and regularly consult civil society, including youth organisations.
Since 2018, the government has held a forum for consensus politics with the aim of promoting greater consensus in development policy relating to the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. In conjunction with the decision to draw up a national action plan for the 2030 Agenda, the government decided to broaden the forum and create a new forum for input to consensus politics. The forum will be led by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and consists of representatives from civil society in a broad sense, such as NGOs, the private sector, academia, and others.
ForUM, the Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment, a network of approximately 50 NGOs in environment and development issues. ForUM regularly publishes reports and participates in the public debate regarding Norway’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Ahead of the new national action plan, ForUM has for example drawn up a report with good examples of implementation of the 2030 Agenda in other countries (including Finland).
Night Treks for the 2030 Agenda have been arranged in various towns, cities, and environments to engage the citizens. The night treks are arranged by The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The aim of the night treks has been to help increase local awareness of the 2030 Agenda, and more than 70,000 people have participated so far. The initiative grew in response to an opinion poll carried out by Statistics Norway in 2018 showing that less than half of the population were aware of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Norway Cup is the world’s biggest football tournament for children and young people. Every year, children from different countries play thousands of matches in central Oslo. The theme of the Norway Cup is the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and the aim is to engage the thousands of participants and spread knowledge about the SDGs. One of the most visible examples is SDG footballs, which are used throughout the tournament.
Norway is ranked in sixth place globally in the international comparison on national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in Sustainable Development Report 2020. Norway is on track to achieving six goals (including Goal 1, No Poverty, Goal 3, Good Health and Well-Being, and Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals), but challenges remain for four goals, with significant or major challenges for seven goals (including Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13, Climate Action). Norway’s index score towards achievement of the SDGs is 80.8/100 points, but the ‘spillover effects’ outside Norway are scored much lower, 54.1/100 points.
Sweden has had a cross-party focus on sustainable development for many years. Already in 1999, the Swedish Parliament adopted the so-called environmental goal system with the objective that the environmental quality goals set in the system would be attained within a generation. Sweden’s Policy for Global Development, which is an all-party sustainability policy, and that also forms the basis of Sweden’s foreign policy, was passed by parliament into law in 2003. In conjunction with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Swedish Government has raised the level of ambition and declared an intention for Sweden to be a leader in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, both nationally and globally.
In 2018, the Swedish Government adopted a national action plan for the 2030 Agenda, Action Plan for the 2030 Agenda 2018-2020, which describes tangible guidelines and key measures that have been or will be taken by the Swedish Government in the work to fulfil the 2030 Agenda. The Action Plan also includes Sweden’s global role and the country’s international action and leadership, with a focus on ten points that the UN General Assembly adopted in September 2019.
In 2018, Sweden’s Government also adopted a number of global aid strategies that contribute to global implementation of the 2030 Agenda. This included the Strategy for Sweden’s global development cooperation in sustainable economic development 2018-2022, which focuses on Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3), Quality Education for All (Goal 4), Gender Equality (Goal 5), and Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal 6).
In June 2020, the government submitted a bill on Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda to parliament, which passed the bill in December 2020. The bill serves as a new national action plan for the 2030 Agenda. The bill describes how Sweden is to work with implementation of the 2030 Agenda, both nationally and within the EU and internationally. The government’s proposal is that Sweden will implement the 2030 Agenda through a coherent policy, and implementation will be characterised by the overarching principle that no one will be left behind. If the objective is to be achieved, Sweden should conduct work that contributes to sustainable development throughout society, nationally and internationally, and that balances and integrates the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The work to achieve the objective should be carried out in broad partnership with various actors in society and international collaboration partners.
The basis of Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs is that they will be integrated in ordinary processes, and that the work to achieve objectives to which parliament has already committed is crucial for implementation of the agenda.
Sweden’s national implementation of the 2030 Agenda is based on delegated responsibility, where all ministries, departments and national agencies are responsible for implementation of the 2030 Agenda within their respective areas of responsibility. The Minister for Environment and Climate is responsible for coordinating national implementation, and the Minister for International Development Cooperation is responsible for coordinating international implementation.
Sweden’s Government has appointed a national coordinator for the 2030 Agenda who, in the period 2020-2024, will support the government in the work to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs nationally. The national coordinator will work to strengthen, promote, and deepen the work of various actors on the 2030 Agenda. Joint plans will be drawn up through collaboration and partnerships between different societal actors. Particular focus in the coordinator’s work will be placed on the perspective and participation of children and young people and on people in a particularly vulnerable situation.
The public agencies have a clear responsibility for the 2030 Agenda, including implementation, follow-up, and analysis. To strengthen the collaboration, the public agencies have formed a network at agency head level. Swedish public agencies in collaboration for the 2030 Agenda, or the DG Forum, is a platform for collaboration between agencies to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in public administration. Within the DG Forum, Swedish public agencies collaborate and jointly drive the work to attain the goals in the agenda.
Statistics Sweden (SCB) is commissioned by the government to coordinate the indicator-based follow-up of how Sweden is living up to the goals in the 2030 Agenda. The assignment involves building up a national monitoring system by coordinating development, production and availability of statistics relating to Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Local implementation is facilitated through voluntary performance indicators for municipalities and regions on the basis of goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda. The government has also commissioned Statistics Sweden to compile more comprehensive status reports, the most recent of which is Implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Sweden – Statistical Review 2019.
National reporting on the government’s goals in the bill from 2020 on Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda is followed up, and a compilation reported to parliament at least once per term as an annex to the budget bill. By this, the government intends to increase transparency and promote implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Like the other Nordic countries, Sweden regularly reports to the UN on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. Sweden submitted its first voluntary national review in 2017 to the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and the second voluntary national review will be presented in 2021.
The Government Bill on Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda was considered and approved in the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs in December 2020. In conjunction with the approval, parliament directed the government to submit a report to parliament every other year on progress in the work to implement the 2030 Agenda. This will ensure a more systematic dialogue between government and parliament on the 2030 Agenda. Members of Parliament also always participate in Sweden’s delegation at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
In 2016, Sweden’s Government set up the 2030 Agenda Delegation, a national delegation to support and stimulate Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. The 2030 Agenda Delegation was composed of members representing politics, academia, civil society, trade unions, and the business sector. In 2019, the national delegation submitted its Report on the 2030 Agenda and Sweden to the government and parliament, including proposals and assessments regarding Sweden’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs. The focus of the national delegation lay on proposals to strengthen and partly redirect existing capacity, thereby facilitating decisions on measures to promote sustainable development and contribute to implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
In 2020, the Government appointed a National Coordinator for the 2030 Agenda. In the period 2020-2024, the coordinator will strengthen, promote, and deepen the work of different actors on implementing the agenda, through collaboration with public agencies, municipalities and regions, regional and local actors, the business sector, civil society, universities, and university colleges. In particular, the coordinator will work to ensure that information is produced for new, relevant initiatives and measures that will strengthen the actors’ work and that will improve fulfilment of the goals. The coordinator will also show and communicate ongoing work to achieve the SDGs, with the aim of stimulating more actors to contribute to achieving goals. The coordinator will also develop a tool for making data and statistics available in a simple, inclusive, and communicative way, making it possible to follow Sweden’s work towards the SDGs.
The Concord Sweden platform is made up of 76 civil society organisations that are working to engage with development and foreign policy in Sweden and the EU. The government has regular dialogue with Concord Sweden, which also produces a Barometer Report every other year in conjunction with the government’s report to parliament on the work on Sweden’s policy for global development. The Barometer Report reviews compliance with the work on policy for global development and the 2030 Agenda and how it can be improved, from the perspective of civil society organisations.
Civil society and youth representatives always participate in Sweden’s delegation at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and they are also involved in the process to prepare the meetings.
In November 2020, the national coordinator for the 2030 Agenda arranged a start-up conference for Sweden’s 2030 Agenda actors. The idea of the virtual conference was to serve as a meeting place for different societal actors to share knowledge, test ideas, and give each other inspiration and momentum in the work ahead on sustainable development.
Glocal Sweden is a communication and education project that will strengthen knowledge and engagement for the 2030 Agenda among politicians and local government officials in municipalities and regions. The project, which is a collaboration between the UN Association in Sweden and The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), is funded by Sida. In 2020, 130 municipalities and 16 regions participated, and the project has been granted funding to continue in 2021.
Sweden is ranked in first place globally in the international comparison on national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in Sustainable Development Report 2020. Sweden is on track to achieving four goals (including Goal 1, No Poverty, Goal 3, Good Health and Well-Being, and Goal 5, Gender Equality), but challenges remain for nine goals, with significant or major challenges for five goals (including Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 13, Climate Action). Sweden’s index score towards achievement of the SDGs is 84.7/100 points, but the ‘spillover effects’ outside Sweden are scored much lower, 67.5/100 points.
The Faroe Islands is an autonomous area that is formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Although Denmark is a member of the EU, the Faroe Islands are not, but have entered into bilateral agreements. In UN contexts, the Faroe Islands participate as part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and other international agreements on sustainable development, are integrated parts of the Faroe Islands’ national and international policies.
The Faroe Islands’ implementation of the 2030 Agenda is integrated in the ordinary political processes and policy areas. The Faroe Islands Government has prepared documentation for a national action plan for the 2030 Agenda, and in recent years extensive information has been produced concerning the status of the Faroe Islands’ implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
National priority areas have already been identified as part of the national policy. These include high-quality education, health issues, sustainable use of the ocean’s resources, sustainable energy systems, and other issues that are especially critical for small island communities.
The government has the overarching responsibility and the Prime Minister’s Office has coordinating responsibility for the national work on sustainable development. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture is responsible for international development cooperation.
Parliament is involved through the ordinary political processes with law proposals and budget consideration and follow-up. Specific measures for considering issues on sustainable development in parliament have not yet been reported (as of December 2020).
Torshamn municipality has been highlighted as a pioneer in the work on the 2030 Agenda among municipalities in the Nordic report, Global goals for local prioritisations: the 2030 Agenda at local level, from 2019. The municipality implemented sustainable development initiatives in 2016, and the work has resulted in, for example, free bus travel, electric cars and bicycles for municipal employees, an annual environment week with different themes each year, the possibility for school pupils to take part in workshops on sustainable development, and talks and excursions related to sustainable development for citizens in all ages.
The Faroe Islands are not included as a separate country in the Sustainable Development Report Index or other large international comparisons.
Greenland is an autonomous area that is formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland has been extensively self-governing since 1979, and the extent was increased in 2008 as a result of a referendum. Although Denmark is a member of the EU, Greenland is not, but has collaboration agreements in a number of areas. In UN contexts, Greenland participates as part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Sustainable development is a part of different strategies and programmes in Greenland, including an EU-funded programme for sustainable development in the education sector 2014-2020.
Greenland’s Government (Naalakkersuisut) has an overarching Sustainability and Growth Plan from 2016 that connects the objectives of sustainable societal development and economic growth to the work on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of the plan was to develop society in a sustainable direction using four reform paths directed towards raising the level of education, promoting growth and diversification of the economy, modernising the public sector, and strengthening and securing the welfare society, both now and in the future.
The Greenlandic Government has the overarching responsibility for the economic, social, and environmental perspectives of sustainable development in Greenland. The Ministry for Finance and Domestic Affairs, and specifically the Department for Spatial Planning under this ministry, has responsibility for coordinating and following up the national work on sustainable development. Statistics Greenland is responsible for developing indicators and collecting data relating to sustainability.
Greenland has an objective to integrate the SDGs and associated indicators in the national policy. The work is still in the planning stage, but there is already a good knowledge base for implementation.
Significant parts of the annual Political and Economic Report for 2019 refer to the work on the 2030 Agenda and a review project where the aim is to assess Greenland’s current status in relation to the SDGs. This review will help lay the foundation for a sustainability policy, and thereby serve to direct attention towards sectors that require specific measures.
When the review has been completed, a strategy will be drawn up for achieving the goals. In addition, the 17 SDGs require both vertical and horizontal integration. This means, for example, that collaboration between the public sector and the business sector and municipalities is important.
The Budget Bill 2021 proposes continual follow-up of the structural transition in significant economic sectors, so that it can be linked to the formulation of sector-specific goals and indicators, including sustainability goals and indicators. This will ensure a continual follow-up and assessment of progress in politically prioritised activities. The status of the most significant indicators will be reported annually.
A collaboration agreement has been initiated with Statistics Greenland on the indicator work, analyses, and consequence assessments of new laws, follow-up of the targets in the sustainability and growth plan from 2016, etc.
NunaGIS is Greenland’s national platform for geodata that contains cross-sector information on physical planning, sector plans, statistical performance indicators, climate data, and other publicly available performance indicators. There have been preliminary discussions on possibly linking some data about sustainable development to the platform at a later stage.
The budget proposal and the annual Political and Economic Report are considered in parliament. Specific measures for parliament considering issues on sustainable development have not yet been reported (as of December 2020).
A new digital platform for the 2030 Agenda was developed in autumn 2020. The digital platform will serve as a forum for spreading knowledge throughout society. The platform offers, for example, information on how Greenland is working with sustainable development and with the individual goals, with accessible statistics on their progress, and information material, including an introduction to the 2030 Agenda with different language versions and graphical templates. The platform also presents different initiatives for sustainable development organised under the auspices of public agencies, businesses, and voluntary organisations.
The digital platform for the 2030 Agenda presents different initiatives for sustainable development organised under the auspices of public agencies, businesses, and voluntary organisations. A selection of interesting initiatives is presented here.
The Greenland Sport Association has launched a campaign to make Greenland the world’s most physically active country by 2030.
Mind Your Own Business is a campaign aimed at boys aged 13-21, giving them the opportunity to set up their own micro-enterprises.
CSR Greenland, an interest organisation for central companies in Greenland, arranges sustainability and SDG training courses for companies. They have also arranged a competition for school pupils to collect ideas on how to improve prevention and management of waste.
Sermersooq municipality has been highlighted as a pioneer in the work on the 2030 Agenda among municipalities in a Nordic study from 2019. As a result of a training course on the 2030 Agenda, a decision was made to define sustainability goals for the development of the new suburb to Nuuk, Siorarsiorfik. Through development and follow-up of a special design manual, the aim is to ensure that all buildings in the new area are functional, sustainable, and attractive, thereby improving quality of life for the residents. The pilot project led to interest in starting to use the 2030 Agenda as a strategic instrument for also planning activities in other administrative areas.
Greenland is not included as a separate country in the Sustainable Development Report Index or other large international comparisons.
Åland is an autonomous demilitarised island group with formal affiliation to Finland. The insight that nature is fundamental for human existence and sustainable societal development has always been at the root of the Åland community. Åland is an active participant in Finland’s national implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and is a member in Finland’s National Commission for Sustainable Development. In 2014, the Åland Parliament and Government adopted a target for a fully sustainable Åland by 2051. This objective led to the production of a development and sustainability agenda for Åland parallel with the global community adopting the 2030 Agenda.
Åland’s action plan for sustainable development is the Development and Sustainability Agenda for Åland. The Development and Sustainability Agenda was launched in 2016, with direct links to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Åland’s vision is that Everyone can flourish in a viable society on the Islands of Peace[1]A sustainable society on Åland is defined as one in which nature is not subject to systematically increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust, concentrations of substances produced by society, degradation by physical means, and that people are not subject to structures that systematically undermine their health, influence, skills development, and creation of meaning.The strategic development goals were drawn up in a process in which an expert panel first defined 59 proposals, which were then developed by different analysis groups. From this material, seven strategic development goals were drawn up that were linked to the UN’s 17 SDGs.A sustainable society on Åland is defined as one in which nature is not subject to systematically increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust, concentrations of substances produced by society, degradation by physical means, and that people are not subject to structures that systematically undermine their health, influence, skills development, and creation of meaning.. On the road towards realisation of the vision, seven strategic development goals are to be attained by 2030[2]The strategic development goals were drawn up in a process in which an expert panel first defined 59 proposals, which were then developed by different analysis groups. From this material, seven strategic development goals were drawn up that were linked to the UN’s 17 SDGs.. The seven strategic development goals include happy people whose inherent resources increase, and that everyone feels trust and has real possibilities to participate in society. Other goals are that all water is to be of high quality and that there is balance and biodiversity in the ecosystems.
The goals also concern being attractive for residents, visitors and businesses, a significantly higher proportion of energy from renewable sources, plus increased energy efficiency, and sustainable and mindful patterns of consumption and production. In order to achieve the seven strategic development goals by 2030, roadmaps have been drawn up that show the most important measures that the Åland community needs to adopt.
Åland’s development and sustainability agenda is implemented in the form of a society contract that all sectors on Åland have collectively drawn up and support. The Åland parliament has overall responsibility for the development and sustainability agenda, and the government is responsible for implementation.
The network bärkraft.ax has been created to support realisation of Åland’s vision and to facilitate implementation of the seven strategic development goals by 2030. The network is central in the coordination of the work, and was set up at the beginning of 2016 at the initiative of the public sector, the business community, associations, and the educational sector.
Within the network, the Development and Sustainability Council, appointed by the government, consists of 8-14 representatives for different societal actors. The Head of Government is a permanent member in the council, together with the Deputy Head of Government and the Head of Administration and Development. A Working Group for Coordination and Reporting facilitates the work on implementation and is responsible for follow-up.
The rest of the network is an independent forum, called Medaktörerna (the co-actors), which works parallel with the council. The co-actors represent all organisations and individuals on Åland that wish to participate in the work.
The Development and Sustainability Council, which works for the network’s vitality and long-term existence, draws up annual status reports and gives recommendations for future work. The Council holds at least three ordinary meetings per year.
The Development and Sustainability Council’s Working Group for Coordination and Reporting draws up a status report every year. The reporting follows up the indicators for the strategic goals in the roadmap. The most recent report, from 2020, has the theme Åland’s route during and out of the corona crisis.
The Åland parliament has overall responsibility for realisation of the development and sustainability agenda. Follow-up of the Development and Sustainability Agenda is part of the Åland annual budget, with proposed measures, and the government’s annual report includes a follow-up of measures in the budget, including measurable indicators. Parliament considers the annual report.
The network bärkraft.ax and its forum for co-actors represents all organisations on Åland that wish to participate in the work, and includes municipalities, the business community, civil society associations, and various organisations. The network is also open for private individuals, and all inhabitants on Åland are welcome to participate. Participation of young people is particularly important, and a special plan for involvement of young people has been drawn up.
The co-actors meet regularly for coordination meetings, where the forum considers, for example, the status and follow-up of the roadmaps, information from the Development and Sustainability Council, and surveys, and plans upcoming commitments and events. The network also has communication channels on social media.
Private individuals who live and work on Åland are welcome to become engaged in the network bärkraft.ax and its work to realise the development and sustainability agenda and the Everyone can flourish vision. Many private individuals were already participating in the work when the development and sustainability agenda was drawn up.
ReGeneration 2030 is an independent youth movement in the Nordic and Baltic Sea regions to gather and engage the entire region in the work to realise the 2030 Agenda. ReGeneration 2030 grew out of an initiative on Åland, and organises an annual summit meeting in Mariehamn.
The bärkraft.ax network has carried out an awareness and attitude survey linked to the development and sustainability agenda and the Everyone can flourish vision. The survey shows that 76 percent of the population are aware of the development and sustainability agenda and the vision, that this is associated with mostly positive and rational attributes, and that 69 percent of the population would like to live more sustainably. The network’s extensive information portal includes an activity calendar for different seminars and events for information sharing, and a media library with downloadable educational and information material.
Åland is not included as a separate country in the Sustainable Development Report Index or other large international comparisons.
As a measure of Åland’s successful development and sustainability strategy, Åland, as the only Nordic actor, won the EU Prize for Sustainable Development in 2019 in the category ‘Public bodies with less than 100,000 inhabitants’. Åland was awarded the prize for its development and sustainability agenda and the bärkraft.ax network.
Nord 2021:042
ISBN 978-92-893-7069-1 (PDF)
ISBN978-92-893-7070-7 (ONLINE)
http://doi.org/10.6027/nord2021-042
Published 7.7.2021
© Nordic Council of Ministers 2021
This publication was produced by Gaia Consulting and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. However, the content does not necessarily reflect the Nordic Council of Ministers’ views, opinions, attitudes or recommendations.
Cover photo: Unsplash.com
Layout: Louise Jeppesen
Nordic co-operation is one of the world’s most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.
Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture. It plays an important role in European and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe.
Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community. Shared Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world’s most innovative and competitive.
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