Strategic partners

Nordic Swan Ecolabel

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official ecolabel for all the Nordic countries, and through strict requirements, it ensures a reduced environmental impact from ecolabelled goods and services. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a holistic label that sets requirements for several environmental parameters throughout the whole life cycle of certified products and services.

The Ecolabel is well-established throughout the Nordic Region and enjoys a high level of knowledge and credibility among consumers and purchasers. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is therefore an important strategic partner for contributing to the realisation of the goals and sub-goals within the Nordic co-operation programme for the environment and climate.

In addition to being a valued partner for the thematic programmes, Nordic Ecolabelling is developing two new product groups within the Nordic Swan Ecolabel portfolio with a clear circular economy profile. By this product development, Nordic Ecolabelling is clearly defining how two new business areas can produce their product or service in a way that limits the use of natural resources.

Focus area:

In spring 2025, Nordic Swan Ecolabel launched the first new product group: environmentally sustainable events. To be certified, events need to fulfil ambitious environmental standards and holistically approach their environmental work.

The new product groups follow Nordic Ecolabelling’s development process based on environmental, market and brand insights, and are developed in an open process with consultations and stakeholder involvement.

Coordination: Nordic Ecolabelling

Total budget: DKK 5 Mio

Follow the programme: Nordic Swan Ecolabel

Nefco

Nefco (Nordic Environment Finance Corporation) is an international financial institution owned by the Nordic countries. Nefco finances green initiatives using both its own capital and trust funds provided by various contributors. Nefco contributes to Nordic regional and global environmental and climate goals by taking concrete action, financing Nordic green solutions and enabling their international scale up.

Nefco finances only those activities that deliver direct or indirect environmental or climate-related benefits. Its objectives are aligned with the Nordic Vision 2030, the EU’s sustainable finance goals, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, making it a valuable strategic partner. In addition to its own capital, Nefco manages funds on behalf of governmental and multilateral donors.

Focus areas:

Under the Nordic co-operation on the environment and climate, Nefco contributes to environmental improvements and green transition measures through the following focus areas:

In the Baltic Sea region, contributing to cross-border biodiversity and eutrophication-related projects via the Baltic Sea Action Plan Fund.
Facilitating the internationalisation of Nordic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through Nopef, the Nordic Project Fund.
Supporting Nordic SMEs in co-creating and testing concrete, scalable biodiversity solutions.
In Ukraine, supporting energy efficiency, green recovery and capacity-building initiatives funded by the EU and Nordic countries and managed by Nefco.

Further initiatives for the 2025–2027 work period are currently being explored.

Coordination: Nefco (Nordic Environment Finance Corporation)

Total budget to Nefco (to date in 2025): Via the Nordic Environmental Development Fund 5.095.000 DKK from the environment and climate sector, and to Nopef DKK 12.527.000 from the co-operation programme for the business sector.

Read more about Nefco: www.nefco.int