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Surviving or thriving? Adapting to population decline

As the Nordic Region faces an increasingly evident demographic shift, many municipalities are grappling with the challenges of population decline, ageing, and uneven distribution of residents. This trend raises concerns over economic sustainability, public service delivery, and local infrastructure development. The focus on growth, traditionally viewed as the key indicator of success, is not enough to address the complexities of today’s demographic realities. New perspectives are needed to shift from simply managing population shrinkage to making communities stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient for the future. That’s where the concept of smart adaptation comes in. It offers a strategic framework designed to reshape how we think about resource allocation, public services, and economic resilience in the face of demographic change. Rethinking population shrinkage Rather than viewing shrinking populations as a problem that needs fixing, smart adaptation turns the attention towards potential. It’s about embracing change, finding new ways to live and work, and shaping a future that does not rely on growth for success. But how can we rethink our policies to reflect this new reality? Elin Cedergren, Research Fellow at Nordregio, highlights key challenges, including the difficulty of openly discussing population shrinkage and its effects. At the same time, she points to opportunities in the Nordic Region. Cooperation between municipalities and regions can help pool resources to improve service provision. Strong civil society networks and associations can help sustain lively communities. However, spatial justice needs to be considered. Vulnerable demographic groups and sparsely populated areas require targeted support and a voice in policymaking. “It’s time to rethink how we approach this challenge,” says Cedergren. “We’ve viewed shrinking populations as a problem to solve. But what if we reframed it as an opportunity for transformation? By embracing change, regions can focus on building stronger communities, rather than trying to reverse…

Can sustainable food policies build stronger, healthier communities?

Sustainable food policies influence more than what’s on our plates. Strengthening local food production and promoting healthy diets can improve public health, support local economies, and increase resilience in times of uncertainty. Reviving local food systems in the Faroe Islands Hogni Hoydal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Faroe Islands, discusses the importance of sustainability and self-sufficiency in food production in a recent interview for a project on Nordic food environments and behaviour change for better diets. “Well, basically it’s about being more sustainable and self-producing our own food, which we did 50 years ago,” Hoydal explains. “You catch your own fish, your own birds, you have your own sheep and some vegetables,” he continues. However, over time, the Faroe Islands, like much of Europe, have shifted towards a more consumer-driven society. “Now we import most of our food, especially vegetables,” Hoydal adds. The new agricultural policy of the Faroe Islands seeks to strengthen self-sufficiency. A shift towards a more sustainable, locally focused food system is part of a broader regional effort to ensure food security while addressing environmental challenges. The Faroese government encourages for instance schools and hospitals to make use of local products to integrate local agriculture into public food systems. Such initiatives benefit public health and help to create a better market for local farmers, stimulating the regional economy. The Faroese efforts to revitalise local food systems, reduce reliance on imports, and promote healthy eating habits contribute to strengthening food security, long-term health and community resilience. They are also an example of a broader trend in the Nordic Region, where policies are being developed to address both climate risks and socio-political challenges. Working towards healthy and sustainable food systems in the Nordic Arctic The interview is part of a broader exploration…

Eight common myths about cycling in the Nordics

This policy brief emphasises the role of the bicycle in addressing challenges in planning sustainable cities and transport, and debunks eight common misconceptions.

Cross-Nordic perspectives: From research insights to policy inspiration

How can urban, rural, and regional policies contribute to the Vision 2030 of making the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world? Starting from January 2025, we will give you a closer look through a series of events. Our research insight series offers an opportunity to explore how urban, rural, and regional policies can work in synergy to address shared challenges and create sustainable solutions. We will share selected highlights from research and projects carried out by Nordic thematic working groups in 2021-2024. Each event will focus on a different topic. Through different perspectives, they highlight the unique benefits of Nordic cooperation, showcasing how Nordic countries, regions, cities and municipalities are working together to address shared challenges and opportunities through tailored and locally adapted solutions. You can already sign up for: Upcoming sessions later in the new year will address remote work, social inclusion, smart adaptation in rural areas, and climate-neutral cities. Stay tuned for more details! This series provides a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among policymakers, researchers and academics, as well as practitioners in the Nordic Region. Join us to learn, share, and draw inspiration for the future of regional policy and practice. Get insights into how Nordic collaboration translates research into policy inspiration and strategies that benefit the entire region.

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…

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.

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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,…

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.

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.  

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…

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…

Will electric aviation take off in the Nordic Region?

Are we going to see electric airplanes criss-crossing the Nordic skies in the near future? The distinctive geography and commitment to climate neutral transport in the Nordics sets the stage for an ideal testing ground for new innovations. But if electric aviation becomes a reality, how would it impact regions and local communities? Nordregio’s new report offers insights through case studies and future scenarios. Exploring the future of electric aviation in the Nordic Region Electric aviation has potential to transform aviation and offer a solution for more sustainable air travel. While the topic is attracting increasing interest and gaining momentum, there is still much to explore. As Rebecca Cavicchia, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, explains: “when it comes to research about electric aviation, most of the studies have focused on the technical aspects of airplanes and infrastructure. However, it is important to look at the regional development dimension as well.” Five Nordic scenarios highlight challenges and opportunities The report presents five case studies and future scenarios for electric aviation in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and maps out a ten-year future scenario for turning electric aviation into reality in specific routes and regions. Building on insights from analyses and focus group discussions with local stakeholders, the report draws out trajectories for connections between: “All cases are unique and shed light on different aspects and nuances of electric aviation”, Jonas Kačkus Tybjerg, Research Assistant at Nordregio and one of the report’s co-authors, notes. The views differ from looking at electric aviation as means of working towards climate targets, leveraging it as a catalyst for regional development and connecting remote areas, or seeing it as a novel alternative to conventional flights. The cases highlight both the positive and negative sides of the electric aviation. “We looked at the issue broadly and…

Combining carrots and sticks: How to nudge the Nordics towards sustainable and healthy eating habits

When it comes to getting us to eat in a way that’s healthier and more climate-friendly, we need both the crack of the whip in the form of taxes, and the dangle of a carrot in the form of subsidies. But information campaigns and other measures are also required if we’re to succeed. That’s what Leneisja Jungsberg, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio, says. Leneisja Jungsberg is a co-author of the report Policy tools for sustainable and healthy eating. The report assists with the follow-up to and implementation of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR2023), which were published last year and attracted a lot of attention, largely because of the links drawn between our food and the climate for the first time. This follow-up report goes one step further and looks at what policy can do specifically to steer our eating habits towards being more climate-smart. The report mentions, among other things, a sugar tax, a meat tax, and subsidies for fruit and veg. “If you want to get people in the Nordics to change their eating habits, it’s important to consider a combination of policy instruments and incentives. Although taxes and subsidies play a significant role, they must be supplemented by measures such as information campaigns and things to nudge them in the right direction,” says Leneisja Jungsberg. According to Jungsberg, politicians have a responsibility to put the necessary guidelines in place and to promote cooperation between the public and private sectors. Politicians must also create a stable foundation through legal and administrative frameworks. Jungsberg says that the most important message from the report is that we have to understand how various food-related, personal, and socio-environmental factors affect the way in which we react to different control instruments. “In assessing policy instruments from a behavioural change perspective, it becomes clear how…

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…

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…

The Nordic fashion paradox: We consume too much despite strong climate awareness

The Nordic countries often pride themselves on their climate actions, yet the reality paints a contrasting picture: Nordic consumers live like we have 4.2 Earths at our disposal. While adopting solar panels, vegan diets, and choosing train travel are commendable, did you know your wardrobe can be a major environmental villain?  “Designed to become forever favourites” is an example of a slogan on Nordic clothing web shops, encouraging consumers to view their purchases as long-term additions to their wardrobes. However, these “cornerstones” are paradoxically expected to be updated quarterly, highlighting a disconnect between marketed sustainability and actual consumer practices. From a global perspective, the Nordic countries stand out when looking at how we consume textiles. In the last 20 years, there has been a notable increase in textile consumption, surpassing the global average. The average person in the Nordic region buys and wears an astonishing amount of clothing each year: between 26 and 48 garments per person. The average Swede buys 40 % more clothes now than in 2000 and throws away around 11 kilograms of textiles every year, with less than 1% being recycled. The lifespan of our clothes is getting shorter, and low-priced garments are discarded after being worn only a few times. Unsold and returned clothes are sometimes burnt or shipped to landfills in lower-income countries outside the EU. Textile production is a major contributor to global pollution, accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions. This surpasses the combined emissions from international flights and maritime shipping. It is clear that there is an urgent need for change, both within the industry and in our consumer behaviour. Gen Z’s Fashion Paradox: Striking a Balance Between Style and Sustainability However, there’s a glimmer of change among Generation Z, with a fondness for second-hand fashion and heightened environmental awareness. The…

Nordic rural areas: Just tools or true beneficiaries in green energy projects?

Green transitions in the Nordics are reshaping the landscape of renewable energy and sustainability. As the push for green transitions grows stronger, rural communities face a question: Are they just tools for national objectives, or do they genuinely benefit from these changes? A new Nordregio report delves deep into the heart of the matter, examining the dynamics of justice, local value, and the role of renewable energy projects. Can local value creation induce a sense of justice during green transitions? A study of six rural areas in Denmark, Finland, and Norway The accelerating impacts of climate change, the need to adapt to changing economic and political realities, and the recent energy crisis have made the green transition something that most Nordic citizens acknowledge. However, especially rural areas and their communities are at risk of being reduced to passive instruments of national green transition measures featuring heavy land-use. These conditions make it very difficult to create a sense of justness in green transitions, leading to growing sense of alienation and resentment and putting the national climate goals in danger. From this starting point, the case studies of the research project Just Green Transition on Rural Areas: Local Benefits from Value Creation set out to examine what kind of benefits would generate value from green transition measures in the direct impact zone of new energy projects. The case studies took place in three Nordic countries and six locations: in Northern Ostrobothnia and Northern Central Finland of Finland, involving wind power and land use planning; in Nord-Fron and Nord-Odal in Norway, involving both wind power and strategic sustainability work; and in Skive and Bornholm of Denmark, involving a hybrid mix of renewable energy sources in the context of industrial park development. Big decisions about green energy often overlook what locals really need. Unrealistic…

“We don’t call it waste anymore – we call it resources”

What started with a problem is now an opportunity. Sotenäs municipality’s industrial symbiosis initiative showcases a successful example of how collaboration between businesses and institutions can help materialise a circular economy. Their Center of Symbiosis now serves as inspiration for many, including the latest visitors from Lithuania, in the context of the BioBaltic project led by Nordregio. Nordregio, together with the Nordic Council of Ministers office in Lithuania and academic partners organised a visit to Sotenäs with guests from Lithuania, including local authorities, chambers of commerce, innovation agency and academia. The aim was both to learn about Sotenäs experience and to reflect about the potential of industrial symbiosis in Lithuania. A journey towards industrial symbiosis  Located on Sweden’s west coast in Västra Götaland region, Sotenäs municipality has taken a giant leap forward towards sustainability. The journey began by acknowledging the environmental impact of the local industry and, rather than dwelling on the problems, local stakeholders focused on the opportunities of transforming waste into resources. Their keyword became ‘symbiosis’. Home to some of Sweden’s largest fish industries, including Orkla Foods Sweden AB, Lerøy Smögen Seafood AB and Marenor AB, significant residues found their way onto the sea. However, tightened EU regulations put doubts about the companies’ future development and operations in Sotenäs. It is in this context that the idea of establishing a biogas plant, Renahav AB, came about, which is now the backbone sustaining the symbiotic relations between different industries.  This is how it works in short: the fish industries deliver their waste to Renahav biogas plant, which in turn generates energy for the industries operations, and biogas digestate, which is used as biofertiliser to grow organic rapeseed and other crops at Klevs farms. After these initial symbiotic links, new companies emerged and linked to the network, such as the…

Zooming in on Gen Z: What’s next for the Nordic Region?

The upcoming Nordregio Forum 2023, set to take place in Reykjavík and online in October, turns the spotlight on the young generation of the Nordic region. This year’s forum aims to delve into the perspectives of young Nordics, as they navigate career choices, sustainability challenges, and where to settle down. The choices of these young individuals will significantly influence the Nordic region’s future development. Given this, understanding their aspirations, mobility trends, and views on sustainability is crucial for integrating their perspectives into effective policymaking and planning. During the event, young representatives participate in panel discussions to elevate the opinions of youth on topics such as ‘Youth as partners in the green transition – building sustainable communities’ and ‘What does GenZ need to stay in the Nordics? Nordregio Forum serves as an essential gathering for professionals and policymakers in the Nordic countries, offering a platform to discuss regional, rural, and urban development, share knowledge, and influence policy agendas. “This year’s Nordregio Forum is not just about recognizing the fresh ideas from our youth. It’s crucial we bring them to the decision-making table, ensuring their voices are not just heard but are influential. We are actively working with them for a sustainable Nordic future”, says Rolf Elmér, Director of Nordregio. The event is slated for October 17th, 2023, with physical participation at Iðnó in Reykjavík, while a broader audience can join online. As youth prepare to shape the region’s direction, the forum presents a unique chance to listen to their voices and weave their insights into upcoming strategies. Registration is currently open for those keen to join the dialogue and shape the Nordic region’s path forward. Summary of Nordregio Forum 2023 Programme: Opening remarks by the moderator and Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, the Icelandic Minister of Infrastructure Session 1: Entering the Nordic labour market…