Enabling The Digital Green Transition A Study Of Potentials Challenges And Strengths In The Nordic Baltic Region

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2021-044/ This study performed by the think tank Mandag Morgen and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers examines the digital green transition in the Nordic-Baltic region. The study consists of three main parts. The first part maps the current policy initiatives relating to the digital green transition in the countries. The second part analyses positions of strength within the Nordic-Baltic region in relation to the EU and the world. The third part presents 10 recommendations for policy initiatives to accelerate the digital green transition in the Nordic-Baltic countries.

Climate change is unfolding amid the greatest information and communication revolution in human history. From e-commerce and social media to smart manufacturing and precision farming, digital technologies have become prevalent in all aspects of economic and social life. Digital technologies also have the potential to shape climate change action. Green digital transformation can help countries adapt e¬ffectively to the impacts of climate change and create greener growth pathways. Doing this means combining a focus on digital transformation and inclusion with a strategic and sustainable use of digital technologies to address climate change. Green Digital Transformation: How to Sustainably Close the Digital Divide and Harness Digital Tools for Climate Action illuminates the channels through which digital technologies intersect with climate change, and it proposes a path to low-emissions applications of digital technologies to help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

This volume analyzes sustainability-related innovations in the building sector and discusses how regional contexts articulate transition trajectories toward green building. It presents 'biographies' of drivers and processes of green building innovation in four case studies: Brisbane (AUS), Freiburg (GER), Luxembourg (LU), and Vancouver (CA). Two of them are relatively well known for their initiatives to mitigate climate change - particularly in the building sector, whereas the other two have only recently become more active in promoting green building. The volume places emphasis on development paths, learning processes, and innovations. The focus of the case studies is not restricted to purely technological aspects but also integrates regulatory, procedural, institutional, and other processes and routines and their influence on the variations of the building sector. The diversity of the selected case studies offers the reader the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of how sustainability developments have unfolded in different city regions. Case study-specific catalogues of transition paths provide insights to inform policy debates and planning processes. The catalogues identify crucial innovations (technological, regulatory, etc.) and explain the factors and circumstances that have led to their success and broader acceptance in Freiburg, Vancouver, Luxembourg, and Brisbane. With the help of a number of micro case studies within each of the four city regions, the case studies also offer ground for comparison and identification of differences. The book represents the outcome of the GreenRegio project, which stands for 'Green building in regional strategies for sustainability: multi-actor governance and innovative building technologies in Europe, Australia, and Canada.' GreenRegio was a 3-year CORE-INTER research project funded by the National Research Fund Luxembourg (FNR) and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Digitalisation and environmental sustainability are two of the megatrends impacting industry and society. This open access Pivot is a timely exploration of some of the challenges and prospects related to digital sustainability from two main perspectives: how digital technologies can be used and maintained in a way that is environmentally sustainable over the long term (greening of digital technologies), and how digital technologies can be used to address climate change and improve environmental and sustainability outcomes (greening by digital technologies). The chapters included in this book are designed to provide some key definitions and concepts related to digital sustainability and its evolution, and more detailed insights on some of the key priority areas outlined in the European Green Deal, namely energy, mobility, buildings, food and the circular economy. A critical review of these topics will summarise and present different perspectives that challenge old assumptions and highlight emerging trends and possibilities for digital sustainability. Industry and society face significant challenges in the twin transition to digital and green transformation, not least of which is the need to balance investment in digital technologies with environmental sustainability. This open-access book can serve as a primer for scholars, policymakers, and enterprise decision-makers, providing insights on navigating innovation ecosystems to support both green and digital objectives.

"UNESCO has recently published the third volume of its Education on the Move series, a series dedicated to the analysis of key trends in education with the hope of inspiring dialogue among policy makers, educators and other key stakeholders on the challenges of education for tomorrow. The latest publication, entitled Unleashing the Potential: Transforming Technical and Vocational Education and Training is focused entirely on issues related to technical and vocational education and training (TVET). It takes stock of the steadily increasing demands and expectations on TVET systems around the globe and presents recent policy trends in the field of TVET. In their analysis, the authors provide insights into what it takes to unleash the potential of TVET systems around the world. They propose an integrated analytical approach that takes into consideration such factors as economic growth, social equity and issues related to sustainability so that TVET can contribute more effectively to contemporary policy issues such as youth unemployment, gender disparities and climate change. Overall, the book calls for a transformation of TVET systems to enable them to respond to the demands of their contexts. This transformation should enable TVET systems to acquire agility to stay current and responsive to the rapidly changing demands of the twenty-first century."--Publisher's website.

The 2030 Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, outlines an ambitious and universal plan of action for people, planet and prosperity as it seeks to strengthen universal peace and freedom. This report presents national and Nordic action on Agenda 2030 with the aim to inform and support the Nordic Council of Ministers in formulating a new Nordic Sustainable Development Programme. All Nordic countries are engaged and strongly committed to implementing Agenda 2030 and there is a broad societal interest in joint Nordic action. The existing Nordic Strategy for Sustainable Development and several other key initiatives within Nordic cooperation already contribute to the goals of Agenda 2030. A new Nordic Sustainable Development Programme can build upon a strong foundation and add further value to the national and international work done by the Nordic countries.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-001/ Abstract [en] State of the Nordic Region 2020 gives you a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The report presents a series of facts and figures showing the current state of play within core socioeconomic sectors, including demography, labour market and economy. In addition, you can read about wellbeing and energy pathways towards a carbon neutral Nordic Region. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

This outlook highlights climate-safe investment options until 2050, policies for transition and specific regional challenges. It also explores options to eventually cut emissions to zero.