Nordic Action On Climate Change

This booklet presents actions taken by the Nordic countries to speed the transition to a sustainable low-carbon society. It shows how sustainable development is possible, with strong climate policies contributing to economic growth and job creation as well as environmental improvements. The Nordic countries successfully demonstrate how ambitious climate change mitigation targets and policies can be combined with high levels of human development.

The latest IPCC report from shows clearly that economic growth is a key driver of carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time the experience gained in the Nordic countries shows that a different, more sustainable development is possible whereby strong climate policies are not contrary to economic growth. In fact, strong climate policies can promote growth and job creation. The Nordic countries have high domestic mitigation ambitions and have been successful in demonstrating that it is possible to combine ambitious mitigation targets and policies with economic growth and prosperity.

In the project we show that climate change is not only affecting a few individual species or habitats in the Nordic region, but that number of changes occur concurrently and at many scales.

In recent years, global cooperative action and climate initiatives by non-state actors have proliferated greatly, and diverse actors from Nordic countries are active participants in this development. This report provides an overview of the Global Climate Action Agenda initiatives and maps out the various global and regional initiatives where Nordic actors, such as cities, regions, businesses, academia and governments are participating. The mapping includes also individual commitments from Nordic actors such as cities and regions. In addition to providing an overview of current Nordic participation, the project highlights important cooperative climate initiatives, which Nordic countries could consider joining in the future. The overview and mapping provide valuable information for the Nordic countries, and helps to enhance the visibility of Nordic involvement in global climate action.

The Paris Agreement aims to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels (and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C), but does not refer specifically to greenhouse gas emissions from the international maritime transport sector. This Report outlines the findings of a project commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers, focusing on opportunities for Nordic countries to achieve a transition to low-carbon shipping at national, regional and global scales. It is informed by discussions at the World Maritime University in Malmö in December 2016 between representatives of governments, businesses, NGOs and the research community. The Report presents a low-carbon roadmap for shipping with actions and outcomes concerning low-carbon technology, ship operations, finance, public policy, and public-private partnerships.

Nordic Ministers of Environment adopted in March 2012 the "Svalbard Declaration" with decisions to reduce the negative impacts of the climate changes and air pollution caused by the emission of the so-called Short-lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs) such as black carbon (soot) and methane. Along with CO2, they are the main reasons why the ice in the Arctic now is melting rapidly. At a workshop organised by the Nordic Group on Climate and Air Quality in June 2012 researchers and policy-makers discussed the recent scientific findings, the national experiences with emission inventories, identification of cost-effective measures to cut emissions and the drawing up of national action plans as well as the development in the field of international co-operation on SLCFs. The report presents policy recommendations, conclusions and recommendations on scientific research and monitoring.