Special issues

Vatnajökull Project 2009: Study trip to Iceland for Nordic young people – Nature, Quality of Life and Sustainable Development

The Vatnajökull National Park is one of the most impressive national parks in the Nordic region. A group of Nordic young people took part in a week's course in the national park to become familiar with the surroundings and how the park works.

Nordic co-operation to promote global climate negotiations

The fight against climate change unites the Nordic countries. The climate issue must be solved globally and the Nordic countries support the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol as platforms for this work. Nordic co-operation in the climate negotiations takes place through the Nordic ad hoc Group on Global Climate Negotiations, NOAK.

Nordic regional co-operation Case: biodiversity

The Nordic Region aims to be at the forefront of environmental progress. This edition of the newsletter presents a selection of Nordic initiatives and good examples of co-operation on biodiversity, which we hope will provide inspiration for work on biodiversity at national, regional and international level.

Mercury - Nordic countries show the way to a global agreement

Mercury is one of the most toxic chemicals in the world, with effects that harm both health and the environment. Mercury is also a global problem because it spreads with the wind. This issue of Nordic Environment presents some of the contributions the Nordic Council of Ministers is making to the global mercury process.

Actions against climate change needed - the Nordic countries are showing the way

The Nordic countries have central positions during the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change. Denmark is the official host and Sweden is holding the presidency of the European Union. Hence, the eyes of the world are looking north. The Nordic countries want to be in the lead when it comes to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. The purpose of this newsletter is to show examples of our climate and energy research.

Environmental strategies in agriculture and forestry (MJS)

Since 1995 MJS has worked across the agricultural and environment sectors. The vast majority of the work has consisted of creating Nordic networks through various projects and developing a basis for the political process in the Nordic Council of Ministers. MJS now concludes its activities and summarises its results in TemaNord 2009:517. In this issue of NordMiljö five examples from the report are presented, which show Nordic advantage in the co-operation between agriculture, forestry and the environment.

Environmental technology and innovation in the Nordic countries - how and why?

Environmentalists strongly support efforts from both the public and private sector to put greater focus on new technology and innovation to create environmentally friendly production, waste treatment and recycling in a time when the countryside, climate and human beings are threatened by global pollution. However, the business sector must first and foremost earn money to achieve growth. The big question is then: Is there money to be earned by focusing on green markets and clean technology? Read more about the Nordic Council of Ministers' conference on the next pages.

Small communities - A large part of the Nordic Region

Small communities make up a large part of the Nordic Region, not least in the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, but also in the northern parts of Scandinavia, as well as the islands in the various Nordic seas. These small communities do not only have a lower population than the cities, they also face different challenges. This booklet focuses on the environment and small Nordic communities.

Life on the seabed damaged by rough fish

Sea floor influence on fish and area planning at sea are important areas of co-operation for the Nordic Council of Ministers. Scientists have so far only surveyed an infinitesimal part of the sea floor of the world's oceans. However, we know that there are areas teeming with wildlife, and that these can easily be destroyed by, for example, rough demersal fish, and that the wildlife will then take decades to re-establish itself.

Cultural experiences and economics: Nordic Cultural Environment on the agenda

A wide range of different projects put the cultural environment on the Nordic agenda. Read about the project Economic and Built Heritage, about the workshop on cultural heritage and cultural environments as resources, as well as about Communicating Heritage in Urban Development Processes. Cultural heritage is brought to life, when the travels of the Vikings are mapped digitally and the places where the Vikings lived can be visited on an interactive website. Our common cultural heritage was celebrated in the Nordic and Baltic countries during the European Heritage Days 2006.

Nordic Environmental Co-operation – from eutrophication to daycare centres

Nordic co-operation in the environmental sector spans over numerous and diverse areas. This issue of NordMiljö takes a look at some of the programmes and projects that have been carried out. The aim is to give tangible examples of the Nordic countries' joint environmental ventures. A halfway assessment of the Environment Action Plan illustrates the breadth of Nordic environmental work and here are some of the results.

Nordic Region thinks holistically: Nature and cultural environments in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard

A Nordic action plan leads the way at international level by defining the interaction between nature, the biological resources and human history in the Arctic as a whole. The aim is to create a co-ordinated protection of the nature and monuments of the past. In 2006 the results of the action plan were published in TemaNord 2006:535. The results of 9 projects which have ensured the implementation of the action plan are briefly described.

Nordic co-operation in chemical monitoring

Joint Nordic monitoring of chemicals, which started in 2000, is beneficial for both authorities and industry. Experience gained after ten years of co-operation shows that it has given each country better results than they could have achieved alone. When the Nordic countries speak with one voice they are heard in discussions on chemicals in the EU and EEA. This issue of NordicEnvironment presents monitoring co-operation with examples of the benefits acheived so far.

The official Nordic Ecolabel

The purpose of the official Nordic Ecolabel is to have a voluntary common ecolabelling which contributes to reducing the impact of everyday consumption on the environment. The Nordic Ecolabel examines the environmental effect of goods and services during the entire life cycle from raw ingredients till waste. It places stringent demands on climate and the environment but also requirements on function and quality. The Nordic Ecolabel is the well known symbol of the environment in the Nordic countries and also raises interest internationally.

Nordic focus on EU’s Waste Directive

In a recycling society the issue of waste management and re-use is extremely relevant and has been the focus of greater attention in recent years. In the Nordic Council of Ministers there has been co-operation in waste management for a long time. This has not only benefited the Nordic countries but has also provided valuable input to the EU's efforts in this area. The Nordic countries are well-placed to exploit their leading edge to collaborate on the development of a recycling society, for example, in global exports of methods and technology. The trend for a significant increase in the price of raw materials is a good argument for such Nordic involvement.

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