Deepened relations between Nordic policy makers and Nordic business climate leaders can speed up climate transformation
The current geopolitical landscape shows how vulnerable we are. We are witnessing a new unstable world and at the same time the climate crisis is becoming more and more visible.
The current geopolitical landscape shows how vulnerable we are. We are witnessing a new unstable world and at the same time the climate crisis is becoming more and more visible.
The response to these converging and interdependent trends is a deeper collaboration between policy and business in the Nordic region. The project Climate Neutral Nordic is a collaboration between business and policy to contribute to the vision in the Nordic region to become the most sustainable and integrated region in the world in 2030.
As part of the Nordic Council of Minister’s vision project, 40 Nordic business leaders’ represent companies with approximately 1.2 million employees across the globe were interviewed in 2021. The results stressed that Nordic business leaders are dedicated in the climate transformation and asks for stronger collaboration with Nordic policy makers.
Many of the low-carbon solutions that will decrease our dependency on fossil fuels and material are already now cost effective compared to fossil solutions and will increasingly be so in the future. Scaling up the low-carbon solutions require policy and business to be further engaged and interact with each other. This will lead to a reinforced societal process leading up to a more competitive, inclusive and sustainable Nordic region. As a natural step of the study conducted in 2021, the Nordic Council of Minister’s grants the three Nordic business networks additional financing for deepening the relations between Nordic policy makers and Nordic business climate leaders. Collaboration in the value chains, skills development, and circular business models are some themes which will be covered within the projects and be led by the Swedish Haga Initiative.
- We need climate leadership from both policy and business in the Nordic region to succeed with climate transformation. We are stronger together and with 27 million people in the Nordics we can play on our strength with clean energy, natural resources, and democracy, says Nina Ekelund, Executive Director, Haga Initiative (SE).
Scaling innovations and leadership among Nordic business leaders are two projects which Norwegian Skift Business Climate Leaders will lead.
- Green transition is the greatest challenge we are facing – also in the Nordic Region. The Nordic Council of Ministers has shown strong leadership by setting the Nordic vision as the world’s most sustainable region. If we are to succeed in this, we have no time to waste and the whole of the Nordic region must move in the same direction. Innovation, collaboration and strong business leadership will be essential for us to succeed together, says Bjørn Kj. Haugland, CEO, Skift Business Climate Leaders (NO).
Carbon handprint helps a company to develop products and services that allow its customers to reduce their carbon footprint. Finnish Climate Leadership Coalition will lead a project aiming at develop carbon handprint so that it can be used as part of the strategic planning and development process of the Nordic companies.
- More important than ever to exit the fossil era. The dependency on fossil fuels will cause more risks for energy security in the future and many of the low-carbon solutions that will decrease our dependency on fossil fuels and material are already now cost effective compared to fossil solutions and will increasingly be so in the future. The use of handprint evaluation will highlight how Nordic business can deliver climate solutions worldwide, says Jouni Keronen, CEO Climate Leadership Coalition (FI).
This new project started of with the pre-study Nordic CEOs’ view of raised climate ambitions in the Nordic countries and will continue until 2024. Climate Neutral Nordic is performed by the business networks Haga Initiative, CLC and Skift financed by Nordic Council of Ministers.
For more information, please contact:
Norway: Bjørn K. Haugland, Chief Executive Officer, Skift Business Climate Leaders, phone: +4797687315,
mail: bjorn@skiftnorge.no
Sweden: Nina Ekelund, Executive Director, Haga Initiative, phone: +46735 022464,
mail: nina.ekelund@hagainitiativet.se
Finland: Jouni Keronen, Chief Executive Officer, Climate Leadership Coalition, phone: +358504534881,
mail: jouni.keronen@clc.fi
