Political Priorities

The Nordic countries have long since co-operated within the area of environment and climate policy. Nordic co-operation in this area continues to develop and is focused on supporting the green transition of our societies. Initiatives in this area must be strategic and directed towards outcomes that will yield Nordic added value and benefit countries, companies and citizens. Nordic benefit refers to the fact that countries can often generate better results in co-operation with one another than they can on their own. This can apply to co-operation within international efforts or to joint attempts to address specifically Nordic challenges, such as the effects of climate change, or to finding ways to work on bringing about consumption patterns in the Nordic Region that will be more sustainable in the long term. In addition to co-operation at the ministerial level, other actors such as government authorities, academic institutions, businesses and civil society also collaborate actively to issues concerning the environment and climate. Networking with Nordic colleagues is a meaningful and natural component of this for many, and something which generates concrete results. It is important that co-operation also place focus on how climate and environmental challenges are handled in peripheral areas of the Nordic Region and in its small communities. Independent co-operation initiatives also exist within the sector, such as the Nordic Swan EcoLabel, the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and the Nordic Council Environment Prize.

The Nordic Region is comprised of large areas of both land and sea, from the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions in the north to more temperate areas in the south. It is home to forests, mountains, volcanoes, plains, cultivated fields, islands, small communities and big cities. Its maritime areas include the Baltic Sea in the south-east, the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North-East Atlantic and the Greenland Sea in the west and the Arctic Ocean in the north.

Ecosystems on land and at sea are put under strain by human activities which have a negative impact on the environment. Eutrophication, ocean acidification, environmental pollution, waste including plastic, overfishing and invasive foreign species are all serious problems. The effects of climate change contribute further to the total strain on ecosystems. Climate change is happening at a faster rate north of the Arctic circle than in the rest of the world, and the average annual temperature in the Arctic has increased by four times as much as it has at more southerly latitudes in recent decades, resulting in thawing permafrost and shrinking ice caps.

The geopolitical situation has also changed in and around the Nordic Region. The security situation has worsened, the world in general is increasingly polarised and climate change threatens our way of life. It is therefore becoming all the more important for us to seek to co-operate with other countries and to bolster our preparedness from several perspectives. Among other things, the environment and climate sector can contribute towards the protection and development of resilient societies from an environmental and climate perspective.

The Nordic countries are in a relatively good position in relation to Agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs,

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but, like many other industrialised nations, they still face challenges relating to the climate, the loss of biodiversity, air pollution and the excessive consumption of resources.  The challenges we face include meeting the ambitious goals set for climate neutrality in the period of 2035–2050, implementing the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as well as the new framework for chemicals, and bringing down our high levels of resource consumption, among others. The ecological footprint of the Nordic countries is amongst the highest in the world and needs to be reduced considerably. This is both in order to reduce strain on the Earth’s resources, but also in order to demonstrate that it is possible to live within the limits of our planet and still maintain a high level of prosperity. The overarching and most important challenges within the environment and climate sector thus have both a Nordic/regional dimension as well as an international dimension in relation to the EU and the international community.

The challenges (and thus also the opportunities) facing the Nordic countries align in large part with what the UN calls the Triple Planetary Crisis – i.e. challenges linked to the climate, biodiversity loss and pollution. In a Nordic context, we associate pollution with our high levels of resource consumption, among other things. For example, it pertains to our consumption of products that contain plastic, critical raw-material metals and hazardous chemicals.

Conversely, the Nordic countries also have unique conditions and opportunities to contribute towards solving major environmental and climate challenges. We have a highly educated population, and the need to undergo a green transition is well accepted here, especially by the younger generation. Our physical environment, both natural and man-made, contributes towards a sense of identity and belonging, and to our quality of life and health. It is also foundational to several of the most important industries within the Nordic countries. Our natural and man-made environment most be protected so that it can remain robust in the future, and contribute positively to both our social and financial sustainability.

Digitalisation is at the forefront and our societies are characterised by a high level of communication. We are home to prominent universities and knowledge institutions which conduct research and create innovations.  The development of artificial intelligence and other ground-breaking applications of digital technologies is constantly being accelerated. We have a tradition of knowledge-based policy development and experience in jointly developing knowledge bases that can contribute to international processes. We also have relatively transparent, short and agile decision-making processes, green think-tanks and, not least, a number of international companies that are leading the way in the green transition.

The challenges within the areas of climate, biodiversity loss and pollution are interrelated and affect one another. It is for this reason that the co-operation programme also places focus on synergies and interdisciplinary perspectives when developing solutions within the environment and climate sector. This is both between the three areas, but also in relation to other sectors that fall under the scope of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ operation. In order to succeed in the necessary transition, all sectors and the different parts of society will need to come together to channel their focus. The links that exist between environmental, social and financial sustainability need to be made more visible. By being forerunners and setting high ambitions for the environment and climate, we can bolster our competitiveness and create new, green jobs.

International and national instruments, such as taxes, contributions, environmental legislation and support for research and innovation, will play a crucial role in solving complex societal challenges and attaining environmental targets. Well-designed instruments can influence the behaviour of both companies and individuals, creating incentives to redirect activities in ways that will reduce environmental impact. These kinds of changes can entail costs for certain actors, and so it is important that instruments be designed in a way that allocates resources in society and compensate those worst affected by our transition to a greener economy. Acceptance of change can be increased through solutions that are cost effective, that contribute to greater competitiveness, that are market based and that are also flexible in terms of their methods of attaining the goals. The Nordic countries will also need to continue to draw benefit from their co-operation and exchanges of information in relation to matters that concern policy implementation and choice of instruments.

A fundamental starting point for the co-operation programme is the need for an enhanced level of exchange between politics, industry and business, civil society and academic institutions. It is also important to integrate local, national, regional and global actors and perspectives. In order to solve the complex challenges facing us, all societal groups need to be given the opportunity to exert an influence. Equality and the perspective of indigenous peoples, as well as children and young people, are also important to Nordic co-operation on the environment and climate. It is also important to consider the unique features of the Nordic societies, for example by co-operating on the management of resources and the exchange of experiences between small Nordic communities. Small Nordic communities often have unique conditions and challenges compared with the Nordic Region at large. This is something that needs to be taken into consideration in connection with Nordic co-operation and the work to achieve the goals.

Exactly what a life within the limits of the planet might look like is something that needs to be discussed, developed and communicated. The definition of a high degree of prosperity also needs to change, and it most likely will. The environment and climate sector needs to get better at communicating what prosperity might look like in terms of access to vibrant nature, clean oceans, clean air, a society free from harmful chemicals and pollution, trust between people and security in relation to the effects of climate change.

Furthermore, high ambitions and leadership must continue to define our co-operation, not least in relation to the EU and other international processes. At the same time, we also need to show how our commitments at a global level can be realised regionally and locally. There must be a considerable level of Nordic benefit in relation to what the countries themselves and other actors do, and for which Nordic networks and competencies already exist or can be built up.

It is against this background that the Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate has adopted decisions on the goals and sub-goals for the work to be undertaken in the 2025–2030 period. The political priorities are based on the above analysis and an assessment of how the highest possible level of Nordic benefit can be attained; for example by collaborating regionally, within the EU and globally.

The environment and climate sector has worked actively to integrate the three aspects of sustainability into this co-operation programme. Our overarching goals and sub-goals are designed to contribute not only to a green Nordic Region, but also to a competitive Nordic Region and a socially sustainable Nordic Region.