The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. Launched by President Ursula von der Leyen in 2020 and adopted by the European Commission in 2021, the NEB was established to foster the cultural dimension of the European Green Deal by promoting the power of a collective movement to redefine our daily lives – whether in architecture, public spaces, fashion, or bio-based products.

NEB empowers citizens and communities to lead in advancing the green transition within their local areas. Having grown into a dynamic movement with an expanding community spanning all EU Member States and beyond, NEB aims to create a sustainable lifestyle that combines excellent design with low carbon use, inclusivity, and affordability.

NEB is not limited to environmental project. Instead, it has been conceived as a new cultural project for Europe, in line with the original Bauhaus movement, which believed that societal challenges could be solved through design, architecture, and art. In the spirit of the historic Bauhaus a century ago, NEB has evolved into a driving force for society’s ecological reconstruction while fostering social inclusion and participation.

Launched at the New European Bauhaus Festival in 2022, the Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus (NCNB) has explored how the NEB’s guiding principles—making the green transition beautiful, inclusive, and sustainable—can be interpreted and implemented in Nordic societies.

At its core, both NEB and the NCNB seek to address the intersection of ecological, cultural, and social challenges, emphasizing the need for a broad cultural shift in the built environment. By envisioning carbon-neutral buildings and lifestyles through arts, design, architecture, and culture, the Nordic Bauhaus has encouraged Nordic stakeholders to advance towards carbon neutrality targets while upholding other NEB values as well. This has been achieved by sharing exemplary cases of New European Bauhaus practices across the Nordic and Baltic regions.

This report reviews and summarizes key Nordic Carbon Neutral Bauhaus activities and concludes with further recommendations based on insights gained during NCNB activities and events.

 

Figure 1 Project timetable