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This Fall is Green – event series

Summers are hotter, winters are colder and this fall is green. Climate change is a growing storm, potentially bringing Nordic stability to an end. What can be done to reverse the damage and change the future?  This fall, Nordregio is leading the charge with an event series dedicated to research-based tools and best practices for advancing the green transition – and we’re not gatekeeping any of it! Come with us on a green tinted pathway from research to action.   Nordic countries are committed to significant green transition milestones, aiming for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Nordic Vision by 2030. Yet, achieving climate targets and cutting consumption-based emissions is lagging. To secure a sustainable future, we must take bold steps. “Nordregio’s research provides insights and solutions to support a just green transition across a wide range of topics. My hope is that through This Fall is Green, we can offer a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Nordic Region towards the Nordic Vision 2030 – and inspire to act accordingly.” – Rolf Elmér, Nordregio director This year, the fall is green. The green transition cannot wait—it requires a joint effort across sectors and disciplines. How can we together speed up the transition towards a socio-economically inclusive and climate-neutral region? Our event series will guide you through the critical steps necessary to achieve this transformation. This Fall is Green will highlight the latest research on achieving a socially just green transition and offer actionable policy recommendations. Together, we can accelerate progress toward the Nordic Vision: becoming the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. Register now for tools and inspiration: ACTION: Nordic solutions and inspiration for key actors driving the changeSustainable Living Summit is a full-day conference in Stockholm and online offering research results, tools and…

Nordic Summit highlights synergies for sustainable lifestyles 

The Nordic countries are often considered global front-runners when it comes to creating sustainable societies. And while we do a lot of things right, big tasks lie ahead if we are to reach our vision of being the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030. So how can we make sustainable everyday choices more attractive?  The Sustainable Living programme set out to explore this, collecting six innovative projects, each addressing a crucial aspect of sustainability: youth, food, culture, product labelling, education, and gender. The ultimate goal is to make sustainable choices the new norm in the Nordic Region and this requires a team effort across sectors and country borders. This week, Nordregio hosted the Sustainable Living Summit in Stockholm, marking the conclusion of the four-year programme. The event launched the Sustainable Living Hub, collecting all the project resources in one place, and thought leaders across industries, policy, government, academia and civil society joined as we shared an inspiring conference day for sharing Nordic knowledge. Nordregio was pleased by the strong interest in the event, with nearly 700 people registering to attend either in person at Kulturhuset or online (watch a recording of the event here).   Sweden’s Climate Minister, Romina Pourmokhtari, was invited to open the full-day event, and she set the tone for a collaborative atmosphere by putting emphasis on our everyday practices and Nordic collaborations:   “The Sustainable Living programme is a shining example of how we can foster sustainable lifestyle choices and integrate sustainability into our everyday lives through concrete guidelines and Nordic peer learning.”  Her words encapsulated the sense of responsibility that echoed throughout the day’s discussions, underscoring the need to tackle environmental challenges across sectors and disciplines. Throughout the day, the speakers put the spotlight on both a policy level and an individual level. Sustainable…

Nordregio joins creative urban lab on small-town attractiveness

Last week, the Nordic City Network’s latest urban lab took place in the small town of Genarp in Lund municipality, Sweden. The lab gathered 65 politicians and planners from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden to explore what makes smaller towns attractive and discuss strategies for enhancing Genarp’s appeal.  To inspire the discussions, the Network invited several guest speakers, including Nordregio’s Anna Granath Hansson who presented findings from our ongoing research project Small Town Attractiveness, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.  The project examines how national policies on urban attractiveness are implemented in six smaller Nordic towns, with a focus on public space, housing, and connectivity. Anna highlighted the importance of creating vibrant town centers, ensuring a varied and affordable housing supply, and improving access to efficient and affordable connectivity solutions. The project’s final results are set to be released in January 2025. During the panel discussion, Anna also emphasized the need for greater regional cooperation: “Going forward, it would be beneficial to focus less on conflicts of interest or competition between smaller towns and cities. Instead, we should recognise our shared challenges and work together to find solutions. Issues like climate change and transportation must be tackled collaboratively, involving the entire rural-urban continuum.” Other guest speakers also provided valuable insights. Bo René Schjødt Andersen from Fredericia, Denmark, highlighted their town’s strategy for attracting new residents, identifying five key factors: natural surroundings, strong community ties, efficient mobility solutions, affordable housing, and quality public institutions. Camilla Ottosson, project coordinator for the BY2030 initiative, shared how the Region of Kronoberg in Sweden is working closely with local communities to co-create sustainable futures for small villages. Meanwhile, Anna Kanervo from Norrköping’s municipal housing company inspired attendees by detailing a successful collaboration with a local church and municipal departments to revitalize a struggling local center.…
  • 2024 October

Young leaders practice slow fashion and push for action in Vilnius

Slow fashion initiatives were on the agenda as Nordregio facilitated hands-on upcycling workshops for youth last week at the first-ever Nordic-Baltic Youth Summit in Vilnius. Read the key takeaways and youth insights.

Nordic Integration and Cross-Border Mobility Take Center Stage at OECD Forum

This week, Nordregio's Director, Rolf Elmér, took part in the OECD Local Development Forum 2024, hosted in Malmö and Copenhagen.
  • 2024 September

How to boost robust regional civil preparedness?

As global challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and geopolitical tensions intensify, preparedness and resilience have become central concerns for policymakers at all levels. Nordic regions face various risks, including severe weather events, disruptions to food and energy supplies, and cross-border emergencies. Ensuring robust civil preparedness is essential to maintain stability and operational capacity during crises. A newly published storymap ‘Robust regional civil preparedness in the Nordic Region’ introduces a selection of good practices to showcase how Nordic regions address risks and challenges through locally adapted solutions. The good practice examples have been collected as a part of Nordregio’s Robust Regional Preparedness project that examines the regional policy dimension of building civil preparedness and resilience. Elin Slätmo, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio and project leader of Robust Regional Preparedness, explains: “In this assignment from the Nordic regional ministers, our team is looking into how regional policy in the Nordics addresses civil preparedness and crisis response. We are also working to identify cases and good examples from across the Nordic Region.“ Diverse initiatives across the Nordic Region The storymap reflects a wide range of diverse approaches for strengthening civil preparedness at regional and local levels. In addition, the examples highlight the importance of cooperation between different actors to address shared risks and enhance joint preparedness. Among the 24 featured good practices, you can discover for instance how: What is the role of regional policy and local and regional action in build robust societies? Civil preparedness is an important part of managing risks ranging from natural disasters like storms and wildfires to disruptions in essential services such as food and energy. Local and regional authorities are often the first to respond and take action, implementing measures that safeguard communities and ensure the continuity of essential services. Their ability to implement flexible,…

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The future of food: Nordregio at Green Innovation Week 2024

How are the nutrition professionals of tomorrow working towards a greener and healthier world? What motivates a career in the food industry? Nordregio is going to Green Innovation Week 2024.

Sweden’s climate minister opens Nordic sustainability summit

On 15 October, a range of sustainability stakeholders will gather in Stockholm as Nordregio hosts a conference on sustainable lifestyles. Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari, will give the opening speech.

Civil society’s key role in bridging the digital divide

In an increasingly digital world, the gap between those included in the transformation and those left behind becomes even more prominent. In the Nordic-Baltic Region, many civil society organisations are leading the charge to close this divide. Our new Storymap, Bytes and Rights covers the challenges and achievements in bringing digital inclusion to at-risk groups. In recent years, civil society actors have received more responsibility for the work on digital inclusion – both from a political side and from increasing demands from their user groups. Despite this, we know little about what characterises their work, and what strategies and methods work well. We wanted to change this. Through desk research, a survey and interviews, we have mapped the support civil society actors offer socially at-risk groups across the Nordics and Baltics, as part of our research project Digital Inclusion in Action, in which we promote collaboration, dialogue, and knowledge sharing between practitioners and policymakers. Key findings from Bytes and Rights The research resulted in one of our most comprehensive Storymaps ever, where we give the word back to the civil society actors. “Bytes and Rights: Civil society’s role in digital inclusion” features insights from 17 NGOs and their approaches to include their target groups, such as older adults, people with disabilities, immigrants, socially vulnerable, rural communities, and youth. Our survey targeted 314 civil society actors across the Nordic and Baltic Region, and received 74 responses. 93% of them reported their target groups being at risk of exclusion, and 83% offered assistance to combat this. The civil society actors’ key approaches to aiding the target groups were: Despite their efforts, organisations face financial, societal, and political hurdles, putting spanners in the works: Financial challenges: Insufficient funding, short-term planning, and limited personnel and time.Societal challenges: Negative stereotypes (“it’s their own fault”), decreasing…

Strategies for youth climate action in new report

How do youth organisations for climate and sustainability work with inclusion and recruitment? And how can they reach out to and engage more people? At the launch of a new report by NIKK for Nordregio, challenges and strategies were discussed with youth representatives in the Nordic region.  

Nordregio Hosts Norwegian and Swedish Ministries Working with Municipal Policies

Earlier this week, Nordregio was pleased to welcome representatives from Norway’s Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (KDD) and the Swedish Ministry of Finance to discuss regional development and sustainability. As the teams from both countries focus specifically on municipal policies, they made for a highly relevant audience for Nordregio. After an introduction from our Director, Rolf Elmér, and Deputy Research Director, Karen Refsgaard, Nordregio’s senior researchers shared insights from ongoing projects, including: Green Transition and Its Regional Impacts: Senior Researcher Anna Lundgren presented an in-depth analysis of the green transition, focusing on its varying impacts across different regions in the Nordic countries. The presentation explored how the transition to a low-carbon economy could affect local labor markets, particularly in rural areas with a higher concentration of traditional industries. Lundgren also highlighted Nordic perceptions of climate policy and the importance of targeted policies to ensure that the green transition is both just and inclusive, minimizing negative social and economic impacts. Nordic Labor Markets and Education: A presentation by Senior Consultant Anna Berlina highlighted the challenges and opportunities within rural Nordic labor markets, particularly in relation to education and skills development. The research emphasizes the importance of aligning educational systems with the evolving demands of the labor market, ensuring that the region remains competitive and socially inclusive. Access to Services in Rural and Urban Areas: Senior Researcher Mats Stjernberg discussed the accessibility of essential services across different types of communities in the Nordic region. The research utilizes the Nordic Service Mapper, an innovative tool developed by Nordregio, to visualize and analyze service availability, identifying disparities between urban and rural areas and suggesting policy measures to bridge these gaps. Regional Resilience and Preparedness: Elin Slätmo, Senior Researcher, presented findings on regional resilience, focusing on how Nordic regions can enhance their preparedness…
  • 2024 August

Nordregio Researchers Participate in Leading Nordic Planning Conference in Iceland

In August 2024, the annual PlanNord conference brought together 80 prominent planning researchers from across the Nordic region to exchange ideas and findings. The conference, held in Reykjavik, Iceland, was an opportunity for scholars to present their latest research and engage in discussions on contemporary planning issues affecting the Nordic countries. Among the participants were three researchers from Nordregio, contributing valuable insights into current urban development and land policy challenges. Highlights from Nordregio Researchers Anna Granath Hansson from Nordregio and Andreas Hengsterman from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) introduced their forthcoming book, Land Policy in Europe, which is set to be published by Springer Verlag in early 2025. This comprehensive volume features twelve chapters that explore land and planning conflicts across various European countries, including Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The book is aimed at both practitioners and students, encouraging a deeper understanding of land policy as a crucial element of urban development. Additionally, Anna Granath Hansson presented her research on strategic planning for affordable housing in the Nordic countries and Germany. This work, a collaborative effort with Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), delves into strategies to address the pressing need for affordable housing in these regions. Luciane Aguiar Borges shared preliminary findings from the ongoing Nordic Climate Neutral Cities project in her paper titled “Exploring Densification in Nordic Cities: An Institutional Perspective on Climate Neutrality.” Co-authored with Rebecca Cavicchia and Jonas Tybjerg, this study examines the institutional challenges and opportunities that municipalities in Aarhus, Trondheim, and Lund face in their pursuit of climate neutrality. Águst Bogason presented research on two key projects: Planning for Socially Mixed and Inclusive Neighborhoods and a Comparative Review of National Support Initiatives for Local Urban Project Development. These projects shed light on the strategies being employed to create more inclusive urban spaces and the…
  • 2024 August

A new global benchmark for localising the 2030 Agenda

Development happens locally – but what does that look like at a cross-national level? During the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, the Nordic countries presented the first-ever Nordic Voluntary Sub-National Review (VSR), setting a new global benchmark for localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Representatives from Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark presented the collaborative findings, and international and youth actors offered learnings for implementing the 2030 Agenda at the local level across Nordic municipalities. “Local level is taking the lead” “As this new Nordic VSR shows, the local level is taking the lead in advancing sustainability and transforming society, by integrating the SDGs in steering models and utilising them as tools to spur cross-sectoral collaboration and enhance the quality of life for citizens,” declared Anna Karin Eneström, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, as she opened the session. This sentiment was echoed throughout the event, highlighting the critical role that municipalities play in translating global goals into strategic local actions. The most sustainable region in the world by 2030 Nordic countries operate under a decentralised welfare model where regions and municipalities have extensive responsibilities based on strong local self-government, something which Merete Fjeld Brattested, Norway’s Permanent Representative to the UN, pointed out to serve as a benchmark for systematically addressing sustainability challenges. The long tradition of robust relations between the different levels of government, supported by national agencies, produces reliable statistics, creating favourable conditions for working towards sustainable development. By 2030, the Nordic Region aims to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world, according to the Vision 2030, accepted by all Nordic governments. The Vision 2030 and the 2030 Agenda are strongly interlinked. Multilevel cooperation is key to enhance the implementation of these agendas, as Eeva Furman pointed out during…

What would a fully integrated Nordic labour market look like?  

For seven decades, Nordic citizens have had the opportunity to travel, live and work in another Nordic country without permits and with common rights. This was celebrated with a jubilee conference in Malmö, where Nordregio launched a report “Nordic Common Labour Market: 70 Years and Beyond,” examining the past, present, and future of this pivotal agreement.   70 years of Nordic labour mobility  Established in 1954, the Nordic Common Labour Market agreement has significantly facilitated cross-border employment, fostering economic cooperation and mobility. However, despite the longstanding cooperation, practical barriers such as as tax legislation and language barriers still hinder seamless cross-border labour movement.  To evaluate the impact of the agreement, Nordregio researchers Anna Lundgren, Gustaf Norlén, Debora Pricila Birgier and Nora Sanchéz Gassen presented a literature review, analysed available statistics, and conducted surveys, and interviews. The report reveals that while 15% of Nordic citizens move houses within their countries annually, only 40,000 people per year move to another Nordic country. Nordic citizens working and living in another Nordic country in 2023 was 1.6%. In the year 2000, this number was 1.9%, a lower average compared to 3.9% in Europe in 2023.   – What surprised me the most was the importance of geographical and cultural closeness when it comes to moving within the Nordic region. Norwegians form the largest minority population at the Swedish border. Similarly, Danes are also a prominent minority at the Swedish border. In Denmark, Greenlanders constitute the largest minority in several municipalities, underscoring the historical and ongoing connections within the Kingdom of Denmark, Anna Lundgren stated.   Key Insights from the report  Reflecting historical migration trends, the largest group of migrants in Sweden are those older than 70, particularly those who moved from Finland during the 1970s. In contrast, Iceland and the Faroe Islands attract many young Nordic migrants.…

Regional disparities on the rise: taking stock of the trends shaping the Nordic Region

State of the Nordic Region 2024 is out! The 20th edition takes stock of the latest development trends on demography, labour market and economy across the Nordic countries and regions.

Nordregio and Austurbrú Sign MOU to Strengthen Collaboration in Regional Development

Nordregio and Austurbrú have formalized their growing partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research and knowledge-sharing in regional, rural, and urban development, planning, and governance. The agreement cements Austurbrú’s role as a key partner for Nordregio, particularly in relation to projects focused on Eastern Iceland. This partnership builds on discussions held during Austurbrú’s visit to Nordregio’s Stockholm office in April, where Austurbrú’s managing director, Dagmar Ýr Stefánsdóttir, and her team explored the potential for cooperation. During that visit, Austurbrú presented its regional projects and introduced the unique characteristics of East Iceland, an area comparable in size to Sweden’s Skåne region, but with a more dispersed population. The visit highlighted the alignment between our two organizations’ goals and paved the way for this collaboration. Under the terms of the MOU, Nordregio and Austurbrú will work together on various research projects, with Austurbrú acting as a bridge for communication, dissemination, and networking within Eastern Iceland. The agreement also provides for the exchange of researchers and students between the two institutions to promote knowledge transfer and regional studies. Additionally, Austurbrú will assist Nordregio with data collection, local expertise, and access to regional institutions and communities in East Iceland. “We at Austurbrú are thrilled to formalize our cooperation with Nordregio. There is clear harmony between our missions, and we are excited about the possibilities this partnership opens up for collaborative regional research,” said Dagmar Ýr Stefánsdóttir, managing director of Austurbrú. This MOU strengthens Nordregio’s presence in the North Atlantic region and reinforces both organizations’ commitment to sustainable regional development and governance. Future initiatives may include joint research on rural and urban challenges, with Austurbrú serving as a key contact for Nordregio’s research on scattered settlements in Iceland.
  • 2024 June

Nordic finance ministers discuss Nordregio research

On June 3 and 4, the Nordic finance ministers convened in Stockholm to address shared economic challenges. Key topics included the economic and political management of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the subsequent energy and inflation crises in the Nordic region.

Nordic geographies of discontent – what are the drivers?

The recent years have been marked by a rising sentiment of discontent, increasingly polarised political debates and shifting political attitudes and electoral behaviour across the Western liberal democracies. The Nordic countries have also seen their share of emerging political discontent, increasing urban-rural and periphery-centre divides, as well as economic, social, cultural, and demographic divergence that contribute towards forming geographies of discontent. Myriam Chilvers, Research Fellow at Nordregio and one of the authors, sums up some of the key questions as “Is political discontent driven by where you live, either in a remote rural area or a big city? And how can this discontent be measured in a transparent way? Which are the driving forces of political discontent?” and adds that while academics and political thinkers alike have long thought that the apparent voting divide between rural and urban areas may provide a hint on both questions, there is more to explore. “This paper has established some of the key economic, social, cultural or demographic factors that might be driving this phenomenon in a Nordic context”, she notes. The working paper and the map have been published as a part of ‘Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to a green economy (EnIGG)’ project. The work in the project continues until the end of 2024. Looking ahead, Carlos Tapia, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, explains: “The next step will be to look deeper into whether geographies of discontent have appeared in the Nordics, and develop an empirical model to quantify the influence of the various factors fuelling discontent”. More results will follow in the upcoming months. About ‘Ensuring inclusive economic growth in the transition to a green economy (EnIGG)’ projectThe project analyses how the Nordic countries can accelerate the green transition towards a climate-neutral economy. It explores the issue from different…

Can Nordic-Baltic collaboration help bridge the digital divide?

No social inclusion without digital inclusion. By joining forces, the Nordic and Baltic countries can enhance their efforts in bridging the digital divide. Nordregio’s “Digital Inclusion in the Nordic-Baltic Region” conference held in Stockholm 14-15 May, which introduced new research, tools and strategic collaboration, marks a step towards joint efforts in address this pressing issue. Approximately 85 experts from across the Nordic and Baltic region gathered in Stockholm to discuss challenges, solutions and the future for inclusion through new research, tools, and methodologies. The conference attracted policymakers, practitioners, civil society actors, academia and private sector, creating an interactive environment for dialogue and exchange. Throughout the two conference days, we welcomed renowned speakers from different countries and sectors, launched reports and tools, and made room for discussion on how to further cooperation across the region. Dan Sjöblom, Director-General of the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) and Representative for the Swedish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2024, opened the conference, offering a context to the conference by emphasising the need to integrate digital inclusion into broader societal contexts. “Digital inclusion is no longer a standalone issue,” Sjöblom stated. “Being excluded digitally means being excluded from society. We need to start talking about being included in society overall.” And the conference was kicked off! 19 new policies – and the Nordic-Baltic digital paradox The Nordic and Baltic societies are among the most digitalised in the world, and while this progress brings many benefits, it can also deepen societal divides. Sigrid Jessen, researcher at Nordregio and project leader for “Digital Inclusion in Action” discussed how the so-called Nordic-Baltic digital paradox of digital advancements can exacerbate exclusion for those unable to participate. So, what is being done in the Nordic and Baltics to address this? Nordregio’s report “National Digital Inclusion Initiatives…

Learning together to change how we use and plan our shared seas 

In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and emerging maritime activities, we need to redefine how we collaborate over sea basins in the Nordic and Baltic Region. Rapid growth in industries like wind energy, fishing, and shipping is good for the economy but can harm the environment. Finding a balance is crucial – but how?  The European Union is moving to update Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) practices in response to these challenges, but with knowledge and decision-making decentralised across countries and authorities, solutions are complicated to reach. Diverse countries and stakeholders possess pieces of the puzzle, underscoring the need for an MSP framework that is not only flexible but also visionary in the long term. We need to change how we use, know and plan the seas as we navigate a challenging future in which adaptive and collaborative governance is key.  eMSP NBSR brings together decision-makers to address challenges  The European Green Deal protects the seas, encouraging sustainable human activities in areas such as renewable energy and cleaner shipping. This is the backdrop against which the eMSP NBSR project operates. The research project, which stands for “Emerging Ecosystem-based Maritime Spatial Planning Topics in the North and Baltic Sea Regions”, develops knowledge and links stakeholders within the five most emerging topics in MSP: ocean governance, ecosystem-based MSP, sustainable blue economy, monitoring and evaluation, and data sharing.  Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing, eMSP is developing the capacity to better equip policymakers to address current and future challenges in the North and Baltic sea regions. The project’s culmination recently took place with a conference and the delivery of seven policy briefs, aimed at EU policymakers, local and regional authorities, maritime planners, businesses, NGOs, researchers, and universities.  Nordregio was responsible for facilitating the eMSP NBSR Scientific Advisory Board and for documenting the learning in…