International support for Nordic sustainability initiative

29.05.17 | News
EATxUNGA2016
Photographer
Linus Sundahl-Djerf
The Nordic prime ministers will launch their Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges initiative in Bergen, Norway, on Tuesday. Three special international guest speakers will also be present and talk about the importance of the initiative. They are the founder and President of the EAT Foundation, Gunhild Stordalen, the first ever woman to stand for president in Somalia, Fadumo Dayib, and Katherine Richardson, a member of the independent group of scientists set up by the UN to follow up on Agenda 2030.

The Nordic initiative includes flagship projects on themes like green solutions, gender equality, food and welfare, all of which are clearly linked to the UN Global Sustainability Goals outlined in Agenda 2030.

“The Nordic countries are among the best in the world on health care, sustainability and gender equality. This initiative will play an important role in sharing solutions and success stories with other parts of the world. Getting it right on food is the key to meeting the UN sustainable development goals and the climate targets in the Paris Agreement. As a region we are uniquely placed to take the lead in sharing the knowledge, innovation, products and policies needed to provide the growing world population with a healthy diet in a sustainable manner,” says Gunhild Stordalen. 

Katherine Richardson sees clear advantages in the Nordic countries working together on the sustainable development goals for energy and the climate.

“The Paris Agreement has generated demand for green solutions and competition is fierce to provide the best ones. The Nordic countries should work together on energy and climate solutions with sustainable business models,” says Richardson, head of the Sustainability Science Centre at the University of Copenhagen.

“The Nordic countries are among the best in the world at health care, sustainability and gender equality. This initiative will play an important role in sharing solutions and success stories with other parts of the world.”

Fadumo Dayib, now the Acting Country Manager of UN Women in Somalia, came to Finland as a child refugee. Last autumn, she became the first woman candidate ever to stand for president of Somalia on a platform reflecting Nordic values on gender equality and equality opportunities for all.

“Finland gave me an education, an education that liberated me financially. The social systems and economies in the Nordic Region also made it possible for me to combine work, education and family. I want that for Somalia, which is why I stood for election – to help everybody in there enjoy the same opportunities as I did,” says Fadumo Dayib.

The launch of Nordic Solutions to Global Challenges will be streamed live on facebook.com/nordenen on Tuesday 30 May at 10:15 CET. The Twitter hashtag will be #nordicsolutions