In this policy brief, Kulturanalys Norden provides an overview of how sustainability is integrated into the cultural policies of the Nordic governments. The focus of the policy brief is on political governance and initiatives that explicitly aim to contribute to social, economic, or environmental sustainability. The analysis is based on government budgets (2023–2025) and on current policy documents, strategies, and policy goals of relevance to cultural policy.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in 2015. Since then, the Sustainable Development Goals for economic, social, and environmental sustainability (UN, 2015) have become central to sustainability work across the world. Except for Target 11.4—on protecting the world’s cultural and natural heritage—culture has received limited attention in this context. However, in recent years, the UN (2021) has emphasised culture as a driver of sustainable development, and UNESCO (n.d.) has highlighted the cross-cutting role of culture in promoting more sustainable ways of living. In addition, several international sustainability initiatives have focused specifically on the cultural sector. These include efforts to strengthen international cooperation on culture and sustainable development (UNESCO, 2021) and to integrate sustainability into the management of cultural and world heritage sites (UNESCO, 2015; ICOMOS, n.d.). In Europe, culture is pointed out as an urgent area for policy initiatives regarding sustainable transition (Culture Action Europe, 2024).
Sustainable development is also a key priority within Nordic cultural cooperation. The Cooperation Programme for Cultural Policy (2025–2030) of the Nordic Council of Ministers is described as contributing to their overarching Vision 2030 of a green, competitive, and socially sustainable Nordic Region. The programme contains several goals outlining how culture and cultural actors in the Nordic Region are to support this ambition (Nordiska ministerrådet, 2019; 2024). The goals include strengthening the cultural sector in becoming more inclusive and competitive, as well as supporting the development of climate-friendly cultural productions. Another Nordic initiative is the Nordic Green Roadmap, which provides guidance for how cultural institutions in the Nordic region can improve their environmental sustainability (Nordiska ministerrådet, 2023). Given how sustainability is an evident priority within Nordic cultural cooperation, this policy brief examines how the Nordic governments incorporate sustainable development into their cultural policies.