Generation 2030 – a boost for Nordic sustainability efforts

05.09.17 | News
Samarbetsministrarnas möte i Köbenhamn september 2017
Photographer
norden.org / André Jamholt
Sustainable consumption and sustainable production are two areas in which the Nordic Region isn’t exactly “top of the class”. They are therefore a key focus area in a new programme launched by the Nordic Council of Ministers – Generation 2030 – which aims to support the implementation of Agenda 2030.

The Generation 2030 programme was approved by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation at a meeting in Copenhagen on Tuesday. The ministers stress that the international community has a joint responsibility to actively and candidly work towards achieving the sustainable development goals.

“We’re short on time – the nations of the world must act quickly to take decisive steps towards a sustainable future that offers a good quality of life for current and future generations. Doing this successfully requires co-operation,” says Frank Bakke-Jensen, chair of the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation in 2017.

The programme will facilitate co-operation and knowledge sharing between a variety of social stakeholders and target groups in the Nordic countries. Children and young people, who are already key participants in sustainability efforts, are an especially important target group.  

“In this programme, we’ve raised issues where the Nordic Region is lagging behind. This has attracted considerable interest among stakeholders in the world of business as well as civil society, which bodes well for the progress of the programme,” says Bakke-Jensen.

Within the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the programme will create synergies with existing ventures that are working towards achieving the sustainable development goals, such as the prime ministerial initiative Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges.