Michael Funch, Senior Advisor with the Nordic Council of Ministers, presents the new web magazine: “Green growth the Nordic Way” which explores what green growth means for the Nordic region, and gives concrete examples of a number of sustainable development projects under the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The Nordic countries have small, open and flexible economies. The five countries have a total of only 25 million inhabitants, but seen as a whole the region is the 10th-largest economy in the world.
Some of the factors behind this success story are a holistic approach to problem solving, an inclusive approach to decision making and a respectful attitude towards the values of nature. This approach to sustainable development is the hallmark of Nordic cooperation on green growth.
Green growth is in fact a key priority for Nordic co-operation in the next few years and “The Nordic Region – leading in green growth” is the Nordic Prime Ministers' shared green growth initiative under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The aim of the Nordic green growth initiative is to create Nordic synergies, just as is the case with any other common Nordic project. A lot of tasks are better solved together than individually, that is the simple raison d’etre for the entire Nordic cooperation, says Dagfin Høybråten, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
But with the Prime Ministers green growth initiative we try to take this simple fact a step further. We aim at a more focused and yet more holistic approach, uniting a cross sectorial approach with a pin pointed project portfolio, he specifies.
The new web magazine “Green growth the Nordic Way” follows the PMs initiative as well as a number of other Nordic projects related to sustainable development and green growth.
Growth without emissions!
One of the few regions in the world, the Nordic countries have managed to create growth without increasing the emissions of climate gasses and other pollutants. As well as severing the link between economic growth and energy consumption, the Nordic welfare states have also fared better than most in the current economic crisis.
Green growth has become a key objective for many countries and regions. The global market for green solutions is quickly expanding and the Nordic Region can play a crucial role in this development.
The latest issue of “Green Growth the Nordic Way” looks at green public procurement and at the overall issue of financing for green investments. In both cases, the magazine explores the potential for creating better framework conditions for government, businesses and organizations alike by looking at the issues through a Nordic lens.
The Nordic countries have built up vast knowledge and experience when it comes to green public procurement. This could be communicated much better and a joint Nordic effort can help make sure we reach the right people with the right information, says Sven Olof Ryding, Managing Director, Swedish Environmental Management Council and project leader for the Nordic green growth initiative on GPP.
Regional partnerships
Regional – or in this case Nordic - partnerships make sense for a number of reasons, and could provide advantages that are only partially exploited at the moment. Regional partnerships create a larger market; they give a political lead in international fora; they improve joint infrastructures and they provide critical mass for future developments.
“The Nordic Region – leading in green growth” is a vision based on the joint utilization of Nordic strengths in a number of areas including energy efficiency, the development of sustainable energy, environmental awareness and new investments in innovation and research as well as initiatives combining climate projects with development aid.
Working together in these areas, the Nordic region may well carry more weight, earn a bigger market share and make more of a political impact at the international level. Meanwhile, the Nordic Council of Ministers follows its mission of sharing examples and know-how through, amongst other things, the new bi-monthly web magazine “Green Growth the Nordic Way” presented here – please see more or subscribe for free at www.nordicway.org
The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official body of co-operation of the five Nordic countries and the three autonomous areas in the Nordic region: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and the Åland Islands.
Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community. Common Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the most in¬novative and competitive in the world.