Lack of political follow-up to the climate report
The day before the publication of the IPPC's synthesis report on the global climate challenges, the Nordic Council is discussing a report on the impact of climate change on agriculture, fisheries and forestry in the Nordic countries.
"The primary industries contribute a major part of the climate emissions in the Region, from 5% in Iceland to 20% in Denmark. We now have a number of suggestions as to how we can counter this together, but there is a lack of political follow-up to the report", said Christina Gestrin from the Nordic Council Environment Committee at the Council's Session in Stockholm on 28 October.
The report 'Climate change and primary industries: Impacts, adaptation and mitigation in the Nordic countries' describes the advantages and disadvantages of climate change for the primary industries in the Nordic Region. It presents a number of suggestions for political follow-up and proposes an involvement of all of the large Nordic network of research and innovation organisations in the area, including NordForsk, Nordregio, Nordic Innovation and NordGen.
"Which direction should we go? Should we focus more on what is common and which areas should be prioritised? The proposal from the Nordic Council of Ministers is good, but we are looking for strategic management and a clearer remit to the Nordic institutions", said Gestrin.
"In such an important question we must optimise our use of resources. Experience shows that joint Nordic research and innovation efforts can be more effective than when the countries work on their own. And also, we can better mobilise extra funding from the EU and others in the community", she emphasises on behalf of the Nordic Council's Environment Committee.
The Nordic ministers for food discussed the question at their meeting in June, but the Nordic Council is now looking for more action and follow-up to the report's policy recommendations.
Read also the article "How climate induced spatial shifts will change Nordic agriculture, forestry and fisheries" on www.nordicway.org or read the debate from the Nordic Council Session.
