Sustainable living in the Nordic Region

11.11.21 | Project
Bæredygtig livsstil i Norden
Photographer
norden.org
Sustainable living is a programme with six projects that will make it easier to live in a climate-friendly way in the Nordic Region.

Information

Dates
12.11.2021 - 31.12.2024

The programme is a cross-sectoral Nordic collaboration between the Nordic councils of ministers for gender equality and LGBTI (MR-JÄM), environment and climate (MR-MK), fisheries, aquaculture, agriculture, food and forestry (MR-FJLS), education and research (MR-U), culture (MR-K), and Nordic co-operation (MR-SAM), as well as NORDBUK and the expert group for sustainable development. The purpose of the programme is to help make it easier to live sustainably in the Nordic Region, make sustainable living choices, and to accelerate the normalisation of a sustainable living.

 

The programme consists of six projects which look at our lifestyle challenges through a unique combination of perspectives and disciplines, across education, gender equality, nutrition, communication, and culture. The expectation is that there’s great potential for creating synergies between various professional groups.

 

The programme is expected to explore what a sustainable Nordic lifestyle entails, create concrete guidelines for policy development, and have public impact through information, inspiration, and demonstration of necessary behavioural and cultural changes.

 

Read more about these six projects below.

The Nordic countries are often considered to be best-in-class when it comes to sustainable societies. Although we get a lot of things right, big tasks lie ahead. Massive private consumption in the Nordic Region is a challenge for our climate goals. That’s why choosing sustainable solutions must be made easier for citizens in the Nordic Region.

Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Paula Lehtomäki
Project 1: Sustainable and healthy food systems

The project will share, promote, and generate knowledge about sustainable food systems within a Nordic context. Specifically, the project will map ongoing and planned measures, analyse and recommend strategic initiatives that are most relevant within a Nordic context, as well as initiate scientific and policy development activities under the auspices of the project.

 

Contact: Katja Svensson katsve@norden.org

 

The project is set to run from 2021 to 2024 with a total budget of DKK 14 million.

Project 2: Sustainable cultural experiences in the Nordic Region

Sustainable cultural experiences in the Nordic Region must promote new initiatives, ideas, tools, and knowledge about greener cultural production and consumption in the Nordic Region, as well as contribute to the exchange of experience about and development of greener, culture-based tourism.

 

Contact: Inger Smærup Sørensen +298 224673 inger@nlh.fo

 

The project is set to run from 2021 to 2024 with a total budget of DKK 2 million

Project 3: The Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s contribution to the fulfilment of Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision and climate plan

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official eco-label for all the Nordic countries, Its strict requirements ensure a reduced environmental impact from the eco-labelled goods and services. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel sets both direct climate requirements, such as requirements for reduced energy consumption in production, or requirements such as ensuring the shift from fossil fuels to sustainable renewable sources of energy. In addition, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel sets many effective indirect climate requirements, especially through strict requirements relating to the circular economy, such as designs to ensure optimal recycling and requirements for the proportion of recycled material in the products. The project will ensure the launch of two new attractive product areas with a high level of climate relevance and potential: E-commerce transport and commercial construction projects.

 

Contact: Karen Dahl Jensen kdj@ecolabel.dk

 

The project is set to run from 2021 to 2024 with a total budget of DKK 22.25 million

Project 4: Sustainable education in the Nordic Region

The aim of the project is to strengthen sustainable development within education through all educational institutions, with a focus on the role of teachers and their expertise.

 

Contact: Dóra Stefánsdóttir dora.stefansdottir@rannis.is

 

The project is set to run from 2021 to 2024 with a total budget of DKK 8 million

Project 5: Sustainability, lifestyle and consumption from a gender equality perspective

The aim of the project is to take a closer look at differences in the lifestyles and consumption habits of women and men in the Nordic countries. By analysing sustainability and lifestyle from a gender perspective, the project helps to improve the understanding of and opportunities to promote sustainable consumption.

 

Contact: Jenny Pentler +46 766 22 92 03 Jenny.pentler@genus.gu.se

 

The project is set to run from October 2021 to September 2022 with a total budget of DKK 500,000

Project 6: Good Life Goals – A communication initiative for and by young people

The aim of the project is to raise awareness of Agenda 2030 through the use of Good Life Goals. The purpose is to provide young people in the Nordic Region with a platform to discuss and disseminate knowledge about sustainable development and inspire individual action for a sustainable living.

 

Contact: Inger Smærup Sørensen +298 224673 inger@nlh.fo

 

The project is set to run from 2021 to 2024 with a total budget of DKK 2.8 MILLION

The programme was launched on Friday 12 November 2021 at the Nordic COP26 hub in Helsinki. In a lively debate, the programme’s six project managers made mention of its motives and discussed their expectations for the programme’s results. See the full debate below.

Det nordiske samarbejde ønsker, at det skal være nemmere for borgerne i Norden at træffe bæredygtige valg i hverdagen.