463 News
Young people in the Nordic countries demand changes for sustainability
On November 1-3, 2023, a youth conference took place as part of the Education for Sustainability project, led by Rannís on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers in collaboration with Samfés. Over 70 young people from all Nordic countries and autonomous regions of the Nordic countries attended the conference. The topic of the conference was to hear the voices of young people and get their opinions on how schools address sustainability and how sustainability can be integrated with the existing curriculum. The young people who attended the conference worked together in workshops and came to a conclusion about the steps they believe are essential for a sustainable future. They emphasized that, first and foremost, information and skills are required in order to address the challenges that society faces. They wanted to do this by creating a special subject that deals with sustainability alone but also emphasised that the skills and abilities of teachers in the field need to be strengthened. Their third suggestion was to give students and young people further opportunities to have an impact on their own future and express their views. The results were presented to the Minister of Education and Children, Ásmundur Einar Daðason, at a formal event. In the picture, the minister receives the group’s results. The visiting youth also had the chance to connect and explore Iceland through a variety of formal and informal programs, with a focus on experiencing Icelandic culture and nature. Iceland holds the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and this event was part of Iceland’s presidency plan. Here, you can access the results of the group: Young people and the future Education for Sustainable development The project Education for sustainability has established a cooperation network in and between the Nordic countries that works to integrate sustainability into…
2023 December
- Nordic Region
- Sustainable development
With Black Friday around the corner, the Nordic Co-operation urges consumers to be mindful of their spending
Did you know that people in the Nordics buy more clothes than the rest of the world and our consumption has increased by 40 % during the last 20 years? The Nordic countries often pride themselves on their climate actions, yet we continue to consume textiles in an unsustainable way. Textile production accounts for 10 % of global carbon emissions, exceeding those from international flights and maritime shipping. And the Nordic countries are no exception. The average person in the Nordic Region buys and wears an astonishing amount of clothing each year: Between 26 and 48 garments per person. We throw away around 11 kilograms of textiles every year, with less than 1 % being recycled. The first step one can take is to have a look in one’s own wardrobe, says Swedish sustainable fashion expert Jennie Dahlén “Most people own a lot of clothes with the average Swedish wardrobe containing about 160 items. It’s important to make the most of what we already have and get better at styling and utilizing the clothes we own.” There is a need for a paradigm shift Upcycling, mending, swapping, and borrowing clothes with each other are other strategies Dahlén advocates for. But we also need to change our perception of consumption. “Everything around us signals that we should consume more. We need to show that this isn’t necessary. Instead, we could be more creative and experiment with our personal style.” Regarding necessary legislation for a more sustainable fashion industry, Dahlén points to upcoming EU laws and Swedish efforts to manage textile waste. “It’s crucial to remove the worst-quality clothing from the market and design products that last,” she argues, suggesting economic incentives for repair and recycling over new purchases. Look for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel when you buy something new When it…
2023 November
- Nordic Region
- Sustainable development
Nordregio becomes the center for all Nordic Statistics within the Nordic cooperation
From October 1st, Nordregio takes on the task of managing the Nordic Statistics database, bringing the most relevant statistics competences together under one organisation. “This is a tremendous new role that Nordregio is uniquely suited to adopt into our portfolio of competencies, as we have brilliant research staff who regularly apply and make insights based on statistics about the Nordic region for the benefit of further knowledge and cooperation.” Rolf Elmer, Director of Nordregio. Taking over from the Nordic Council secretariat, the task consists of counselling, communicating, creating activities and initiatives surrounding statistics projects. Nordregio continues to represent the secretariat which has stressed that it is important that the statistics work happens in a professional and highly collaborative environment of experts. This is why they identified Nordregio as the obvious choice and decided to place the function there. Nordic Statistics is a collection of comparative Nordic statistics which has existed and been funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers since the mid-1960s. The data is gathered from the Nordic Statistical Institutes (NSIs), the Nordic Health and Welfare Statistics database maintained by the Nomesco-Nososco committees, other Nordic statistics producers as well as international sources such as Eurostat, OECD and the UN. Since 2016, the secretariat has had a statistics function, primarily for employees at Nordic House, but also more generally for statistics and analyses within Nordic co-operation. The current Nordic Statistics database has been developed and maintained by Statisticon since 2018. At Nordregio, the statistics work can be carried out in collaboration with other experts in a research-based and statistical environment. This will ensure a broader knowledge and strengthen the quality of the statistical work across the Nordics. For a quarter of a century Nordregio has been the prime research source for regional and municipal analysis and data in the Nordics. Nordregio will…
2023 November
- Nordic Region
- Nordic Region
The Nordic Rural Youth Panel publishes 40 action points for making rural areas attractive for youth
Many rural municipalities are experiencing population loss as young people move away, without returning. Is there a way to attract young people to stay and move back to Nordic rural areas? Yes, if you improve public transportation, offer diverse housing options and dynamic educational opportunities connected to the local job market, says the Nordic Rural Youth Panel. There’s a belief among youth that success and a good life are only achievable by moving to a city, which can make rural places feel less valued. However, there’s a growing interest in changing this narrative and showing that rural areas are full of opportunities. To combat stagnation in Nordic rural areas, 25 young people from the Nordic Region came together in a Nordic Rural Youth Panel to discuss key solutions for making rural areas more attractive to youth. They offer concrete action points for policymakers and decision-makers in rural areas and push for changes that would make young people want to stay and build their lives there. “We believe their suggestions can play a part in bringing life and vitality back to these rural communities”, says Research Fellow Mari Wøien Meijer who has been leading the project at Nordregio. The Nordic Rural Youth Panel is calling for affordable and efficient public transportation, advocating for diverse and affordable housing options, and demanding dynamic educational opportunities with clear pathways to the local job market, including innovative remote work solutions. They also highlight the need for public spaces and activities that bring people together, helping to create strong community ties. The panel’s recommendations are unique and represent a great opportunity for policymakers to get first-hand information directly from young people. The young people themselves have been involved in setting the agenda from the beginning and have worked together on the themes and recommendations during several…
2023 November
- Nordic Region
- Demography
- Labour market
- Rural development
How will climate policies hit Nordic wallets and welfare in the future?
How we consume, how we travel, how we heat our homes. Many far-reaching changes will be necessary to prevent further climate change. But who will end up paying for them? Spanning across timezones and academic fields, Nordregio launched the report with a widely anticipated online event last week, with the title: “What impact do climate change policies have on Nordic economies, industries, and households?” The newly launched report is the first of four parts to the project Ensuring Inclusive Growth in the Transition to a Green Economy (EnIGG). The primary focus of this project is to look closer at vulnerable regions and population groups in a time where Nordic economies face grand transitions and looming climate change realities. Ambitious climate goals will not be met for free, but who will pay the highest price for them? This question was the central theme of the launch event. The report is based on a complex model that measures the impact of climate policies on GDP, industry outputs, employment and cost of living at national and regional levels. The model, called Nordic-TERM, is a newly developed and covers almost the entire Nordic Region. Professors Peter B Dixon and Maureen Rimmer demonstrated this model by showing the audience what happens when you estimate the impact of three central greenhouse policies: The key finding is that ambitious climate policies related to transport and energy can be implemented without causing significant disruptions to the Nordic economies. With the exception of Sweden, these policies would not be sufficient to meet climate targets, but they would go a long way in reducing emissions without significant sectoral or structural effects. Ending the presentation with this insightful perspective on the value of this report, the audience was led straight into the panel debate, moderated by Kirsi Heikel, renowned journalist and…
2023 November
- Nordic Region
- Bioeconomy
- Finance