Digitalisation can help us pick up the green pace

16.03.21 | News
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Thomas Sonne, Common Ground Media
How can the Nordic and Baltic countries use digitalisation to drive forward a green recovery? This was on top of the agenda when Nordic and Baltic ministers for digitalisation met with EU-Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager.

The Nordic and Baltic countries are international frontrunners when it comes to digitalisation. We have some of the most digitalised public sectors, our citizens and workforce have a high level of digital skills, we have advanced technological infrastructures and strong ICT-companies.

At the same time, the region is plentiful of green strongholds, capacities and competences.  Building on these, the twin challenge of bringing about an economic recovery which is both green and digitally driven holds great potential. This is a major advantage when working together for a strong regional economic recovery as well as contributing to the EU becoming the world’s first carbon neutral continent in 2050 as set out in the EU’s Green Deal.

The speed and scale of the green transformation needed has no historical precedent. We know that even frontrunners need to pick up the pace. In our Vision 2030, people, businesses and society are the centrepieces in everything we do.

Paula Lehtomäki, Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers

At their meeting on 16 March 2021, the Ministers for digitalisation discussed with EU-Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager how digital and green policies can align to reinforce each other. Working together to identify common challenges and solutions and learning from best practices across the region and beyond will be necessary to harness the full potential of using digital technologies to achieve our climate goals.

In the Nordic and Baltic region, digital solutions are already contributing to ensure better energy efficiency, clean-tech solutions, smarter mobility and the development of sustainable production to name just a few examples. Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers Paula Lehtomäki is convinced that the Nordic-Baltic region has something to offer the EU in its transition toward a green digital future.

- The speed and scale of the green transformation needed has no historical precedent. We know that even frontrunners need to pick up the pace. In our Vision 2030, people, businesses and society are the centrepieces in everything we do. We need to embrace and develop new technologies and digital transformations to create a more integrated and sustainable region which is green, competitive and inclusive, says Lehtomäki.

The Nordic and Baltic countries have set three overarching goals for their cooperation on digitalisation in 2021-2024:

  1. Increasing mobility and integration in the Nordic and Baltic region by building a common area for cross-border digital services
  2. Promoting green economic growth and development in the Nordic-Baltic region through data-driven innovation and a fair data economy for efficient sharing and re-use of data
  3. Promoting Nordic-Baltic leadership in the EU/EEA and globally in a sustainable and inclusive digital transformation of our societies

To support the realisation of these goals, a roadmap has been developed and was approved on 16th of March 2021 by the Nordic and Baltic ministers responsible for digital development, including specific measures to make digitalisation an enabler of the green transition.