GREEN GROWTH IN NORDIC REGIONS 50 ways to make it happen

In the transition to a greener economy there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Accordingly, Green Growth in Nordic Regions explores green growth through a wide lens, showcasing 50 examples of green growth in a broad range of contexts, both urban and rural. Together, these examples highlight the key characteristics of Nordic green growth and are designed to be a source of inspiration for both practitioners and policy-makers.

A key feature of the collection is the analysis of the regional dimension of each case. Regional conditions play an important role in supporting green thinking and planning and, in turn, green initiatives can have a substantial impact on regional development. Better understanding these pre-conditions and impacts often plays a role in successful green growth practices and can also increases the potential for different green practices to be adapted and implemented elsewhere. As such, we hope this collection will contribute to the exchange of good practice in the Nordic countries, across Europe and around the world.

The dynamic nature of green growth in the Nordic region makes it difficult to put each initiative neatly in a box. In fact, most of the cases presented in this collection cut across two, three or even more of the categories above. The purpose of the categories is to provide the reader with a short introduction to some key concepts in the green growth field, using the cases most relevant to each concept as practical examples.

It is important to note that, although all of the cases profiled here make some contribution to the green economy, this does not necessarily mean that every facet of their operation is environmentally friendly. For example, a recycling operation may make a strong contribution to the circular economy while still relying on fossil fuels for transportation of waste. The transition to a green economy will not happen over-night but rather step-by-step.

Each case has been developed based on multiple sources of evidence, including previous Nordregio research, other research and reports, and interviews with experts and practitioners. The collection belongs to a series of publications commissioned by the Nordic Working Group for Green Growth – Innovation and Entrepreneurship, under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers.