Por primera vez se reúnen en un mismo documento las soluciones de política alimentaria más innovadoras de la región nórdica. Este Menú de Soluciones abarca nutrición, cultura e identidad alimentarias, comida y alimentación públicas, desperdicio de alimentos y dietas sostenibles. Incluye 24 ejemplos de políticas locales, nacionales y regionales diseñadas para suscitar nuevas conversaciones e inspirar nuevas políticas en otras partes del mundo. Cada una de las soluciones supone un paso tangible para abordar un problema específico; en su conjunto, representan un enfoque nuevo e integral a la política alimentaria. También dan testimonio de cómo las políticas blandas pueden traducirse en soluciones y desempeñar un importante papel en la consecución de objetivos ambiciosos a nivel nacional e internacional.

Stadens grönområden har stor betydelse för människors hälsa och välbefinnande. De utgör också en viktig förutsättning för att skapa en robust och hälsofrämjande byggd miljö i ett förändrat klimat. I de nordiska länderna finns en mångfald av verktyg som kan användas för att stärka urbana ekosystemtjänster och biologisk mångfald i samhällsbyggnadsprocessen. I denna verktygslåda finner du nio av dessa verktyg. Här finns vägledningar, handböcker, guider och metoder som till exempel grönytefaktor, planering av grönstruktur, restaurering av natur, zonering och lokalt omhändertagande av dagvatten. Varje verktyg presenteras med syfte, målgrupp, resultat, vilka kompetenser som behövs för att kunna tillämpa det och i vilken skala det kan användas. Syftet med denna publikation är att främja planering, byggande och förvaltning av grönblåa strukturer och ekosystemtjänster i de nordiska länderna. 

Food waste represents a multifaceted challenge that entails financial cost, severe environmental impact, risks to food security, and deepening social inequality. Throughout the region, young people are concerned about these challenges but at the same time waste a significant amount of food in their home. This shows an important attitude-behaviour gap influenced not only by young people, but also by the food system around them. These guidelines were written with the input by young people aged 18-26 from Nordic-Baltic region to identify situations when food is wasted and to find ways to help young households waste less food. Preparation of the guidelines allowed to crystalize priorities, identify best practice examples, and highlight specific recommendations for all stakeholders that young people would see as most helpful on their journey to reducing household food waste. 

This issue of the Nordic Economic Policy Review surveys the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the health and economic policies introduced to minimise its impact in the Nordic countries. Although national policies were broadly similar, they also differed in many respects. Given that some enjoyed greater success than others, comparing different policies and their effects may yield valuable lessons for the future.

The Nordic countries weathered the pandemic relatively well compared to most other high-income countries, both in terms of public health and economic repercussions. Infection and excess mortality rates were comparatively low in the Nordic Region, except in Sweden, where they relied more on recommendations and guidelines than mandatory measures to contain the spread of the virus. The fall in GDP was also comparatively small and short-lived in all the countries except Iceland, where tourism plays a more prominent role in the economy.

Nordic Economic Policy Review (NEPR) aims to convey policy-relevant, up to date research on different economic issues. The review produces one issue per year, each time with a new topic and researchers. NEPR strives to make the latest economic research accessible to both decision-makers and a broader audience, as well as to contribute to Nordic knowledge exchange on economic policy issues and challenges.

This policy brief highlights key takeaways from a Nordic stakeholder dialogue, during 2023, with more than 60 business leaders, researchers, policy-makers, public servants, entrepreneurs and representatives from interest groups. They shared solutions, challenges, suggestions for policy development, opportunities, and best practices, on the topic “Accelerating a just Energy Transition” in Transport and Energy Systems. Three overall observations were; a) Defining “a just energy transition” from a Nordic perspective, setting targets and sharing a positive vision of the society when the transition is made, would help prioritize actions; b) Knowledge gaps in authorities and society needs to be filled; c) Social resistance and reluctance to change behaviour might block transition, so besides technological progress and economic incentives, a more human centered approach is needed.

Arbetet med jämställdhet har kommit långt i Norden. På omkring femtio år har kvinnor gått från hemmafruar till en självklar del av arbetslivet. Det har starkt påverkat både individer och samhällen i de nordiska samhällena. Denna rapport diskuterar de politiska beslut som ligger bakom att kvinnor i de nordiska länderna i så hög grad lönearbetar jämfört med andra länder. Den innehåller också en beräkning vad utvecklingen har betytt ekonomiskt för de nordiska samhällena, samt vad det skulle innebära om vi lyckas utjämna skillnaderna ytterligare fram till år 2040.

Municipalities in the Nordic regions are working to adopt artificial intelligence. Chat bots answer questions from citizens, algorithms can predict leaks in the water and sewage network, and tests are being conducted to determine how the technology can advise and support the municipalities’ case officers.

This report describes how selected municipalities in the Nordic region are working with artificial intelligence. It discusses how the adoption of the technology may affect trust in the Nordic region, both in terms of the population’s trust in the public administration and social trust.

The report makes recommendations for how the municipalities in the Nordic region can work together on artificial intelligence.

Kommuner i Norden arbeider med å ta i bruk kunstig intelligens. Chatboter svarer på spørsmål fra innbyggerne, algoritmer kan forutse lekkasjer i vann- og avløpsnettet, og det testes ut hvordan teknologien kan rådgi og støtte kommunenes saksbehandlere.

Denne rapporten beskriver hvordan noen utvalgte kommuner i Norden arbeider med kunstig intelligens. Den drøfter hvordan innføringen av teknologien kan påvirke tilliten i Norden, både befolkningens tillit til den offentlige forvaltningen og den sosiale tilliten.

Rapporten gir anbefalinger for hvordan kommunene i Norden kan samarbeide om kunstig intelligens.

This issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review is devoted to Nordic housing markets and housing policies. Nordic housing markets face more or less the same problems and challenges, but the way policies and regulations deal with them differs in many respects. A comparison of policies, regulations and results across countries yields valuable lessons for policymakers. The work has been led and edited by Professor emeritus Harry Flam and Professor emeritus Peter Englund.

Why is it impossible to talk Swedish while queuing for a hamburger on a Friday night in Helsinki without getting into a fight, despite Swedish being an official language in Finland? The Queen of Denmark, the Government Minister, the Nobel Prize winner and the young editor-in-chief all have an intense relationship with language. In this book, they – along with a number of other people with a keen interest in language – talk about how language has shaped their lives, both private and professional. Language affects people – it engages and provokes. And power lies in language. Icelanders and Finns only have access to translated and interpreted material if they have not learned a Scandinavian language. Does the way we handle language in Nordic collaboration mean that we are creating a democratic deficit? How are we affected by tradition on the one hand and by the accelerating change brought about by globalisation on the other? Is it a question of generational boundaries? Would young people in Nordic countries rather speak English than Norwegian? These are some of the issues touched upon in this book. The author is a former journalist in the Swedish media world and has previously been Head of Communications at the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council.

Varför kan man inte prata svenska i korvkön enfredagsnatt i Helsingfors utan att få på käften, trotsatt svenskan är ett officiellt språk i Finland? Drottningen, ministern, nobelpristagaren och den ungachefredaktören har alla ett intensivt förhållande tillspråket. I den här boken berättar de – tillsammans meden rad andra språkentusiaster – om hur språket formatderas liv, både privat och yrkesmässigt. Språk berör, engagerar och provocerar. Och maktenligger i språket. I dag har islänningar och finnar enbarttillgång till översatt och tolkat material om de intelärt ett skandinaviskt språk. Innebär språkhanteringeni det nordiska samarbetet att vi får ett demokratisktunderskott? Och hur påverkas vi i dag av alla traditioner och av denaccelererande förändringen – globaliseringen? Är deten fråga om generationsgränser – vill de unga i Nordenhellre tala engelska än norska? Det är några av frågornasom denna bok kommer in på. Bokens författare har ett förflutet som journalist iden svenska medievärlden och har tidigare varitkommunikationschef vid Nordiska ministerrådet ochNordiska rådet.

All the Nordic countries have excellent data on the situation of refugee children and youth. This creates unique opportunities for comparison to better understand the links between the socio-economic context in each country and the integration of young immigrants. 

CAGE has investigated inequalities in education, labour market participation and the health of young refugees during their formative years, also looking into how these inequalities relate to national immigration policies and other contextual factors.

Alla de fyra nordiska länderna har nationella register med uppgifter som kan användas för att beskriva flyktingungdomars situation när det gäller hälsa och sociala livsvillkor. Detta ger unika möjligheter för jämförelser mellan de nordiska länderna för att bättre förstå hur policy och ekonomiska förhållanden i samhället påverkar integrationen av unga invandrare.

CAGE har undersökt ojämlikhet i utbildning, arbetsmarknadsdeltagande och hälsa hos unga flyktingar under deras formativa ungdomsår jämfört med infödda, och har också undersökt hur dessa ojämlikheter förhåller sig till nationell invandringspolitik och andra kontextuella faktorer.

Öll norrænu ríkin safna ítarlegum gögnum um stöðu barna og unglinga í hópi flóttafólks. Gögnin gera það að verkum að hægt er að bera saman stöðuna milli landa og auka skilning á þeim áhrifum sem félags- og efnahagslegar aðstæður hafa á aðlögun ungra innflytjenda.

CAGE verkefnið rannsakaði ójöfnuð varðandi menntun, atvinnuþátttöku og heilsufar ungs flóttafólks á uppvaxtarárum þess. Jafnframt varpaði verkefnið ljósi á áhrif innflytjendastefnu landanna og annarra þjóðfélagsþátta á ójöfnuðinn.

Alle de fire nordiske landene har gode nasjonale registerdata om unge flyktningers situasjon når det gjelder deres helse og sosiale livsvilkår. Dette gir unike muligheter for sammenligning mellom de nordiske landene for å kunne forstå hvordan landenes politikk og sosioøkonomiske forhold påvirker integrering av unge innvandrere. 

CAGE har undersøkt ulikheter i utdanning, arbeidsmarkedsdeltakelse og helse hos unge flyktninger i løpet av deres oppvekst sammenlignet med tilsvarende grupper av barn og unge i majoritetsbefolkningen. Studien har også undersøkt hvordan disse ulikhetene forholder seg til nasjonal innvandringspolitikk og andre kontekstuelle faktorer.

Velfærdspolitikkerne i de nordiske lande er på mange måder ens. Der er dog stadig vigtige forskelle mellem de forskellige nordiske landes indvandringspolitik og den økonomiske kontekst for indvandrere.Alle de nordiske lande har gode data om situationen for flygtningebørn og -unge. Dette skaber unikke muligheder for nordiske sammenligninger for bedre at forstå sammenhænge mellem den socio-økonomiske situation i hvert land og integrationen af unge indvandrere.

CAGE har undersøgt uligheder i uddannelse, deltagelse på arbejdsmarkedet og sundhed for unge flygtninge i deres formative år og har også undersøgt, hvordan disse uligheder er relateret til nationale indvandringspolitikker og andre relevante forhold.

Kaikilla Pohjoismailla on kerättynä erinomaista aineistoa pakolaislasten ja -nuorten tilanteesta. Tämä luo ainutlaatuisia mahdollisuuksia vertailla ja ymmärtää paremmin kunkin maan sosioekonomisen tilanteen ja nuorten maahanmuuttajien kotoutumisen välisiä yhteyksiä. 

CAGE-hankkeessa tutkittiin pakolaisnuorten eriarvoisuutta koulutuksessa, työmarkkinoille osallistumisessa ja terveydessä heidän nuoruusvuosiensa aikana. Lisäksi selvitettiin, miten nämä eriarvoisuudet linkittyvät kansalliseen maahanmuuttopolitiikkaan ja sen kontekstiin.

Nordic Network for circular construction.Report from work package 2 about barriers and possibilites within circular construction, A state of the art report from the five Nordic countries, The situation in the countries during 2018-2022. 

There has never been a more urgent time to document how climate change is affecting our communities and our planet – and what we can do to adapt. Around the world, young people have been at the forefront of climate action, highlighting the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions and demanding more from politicians and corporations. It was with these two notions in mind that the Nordic-Canadian Fellowship in Environmental Journalism was born: a chance for emerging journalists under 25 from the two regions to report on some of the biggest threats and opportunities related to the climate crisis. 

‌This anthology features the work of the thirteen Nordic-Canadian fellows. They collectively represent seven countries and come from a range of professional and personal backgrounds, but all share a passion for the environment and evidence-based storytelling. 

The book was originally published in December 2022 on the occasion of the exhibition Dispatches: Stories of Hope, Resilience and Change from the Nordic-Canadian Fellowship in Environmental Journalism. The exhibition at Harbourfront Centre was curated by Marlee Choo, Luigi Discenza, Alexandra Harvey and Laura McLeod. The Fellowship and the exhibition were part of Nordic Bridges 2022 - a year-long exchange of art, culture and ideas between Nordic and Canadian artists initiated by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Culture.

Originating from the Ponto-Caspian region, the invasive round goby has since 1990 spread in the Baltic Sea region, now with established populations throughout the area. The fish is a strong competitor for food, shelter and nesting sites, and has a high tolerance towards a broad range of temperatures and salinities. In many places, it exerts negative effects on the local fish fauna and benthic community, and its presence may compromise descriptors of Good Environmental Status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Furthermore, Marine protected areas, constructed to protect valuable and threatened species or habitats, may be compromised by its presence. Notably however, round goby is also an emerging prey for larger fish, marine mammals and birds, thus providing positive effects to the invaded ecosystems. In some areas, it also supports fisheries, adding positively to society.

On 4 March 2022, the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive to provide quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. This report provides an overview of how the Temporary Protection Directive and the national protection schemes have been implemented in the Nordic countries. The analysis identifies differences between the countries when it comes to the categories of persons who qualify for temporary protection, as well as the protection status that refugees from Ukraine receive. The study also identifies certain challenges to implementing temporary protection faced by all the Nordic countries. These include the fact that refugees from Ukraine are treated differently than other groups of refugees, the difficulties involved in monitoring secondary migration and the lack of vulnerability assessments.

The Nordic countries are facing labour shortages. Yet, integrating migrants into the labour market remains a challenge, especially for non-EU-born citizens and refugee women.Employers play a central role in supporting integration. This report explores Nordic employers' perceptions of hiring low-skilled migrants. It highlights motivations, benefits, and challenges based on literature and interviews.The employers in this study believe long-term advantages outweigh initial challenges. Benefits include access to a larger labour pool, and improved public image. Common challenges are legal hurdles, communication challenges and limited language skills.The study finds that reducing language requirements and collaborating with the public sector, NGOs and staffing agencies are effective strategies. And while wage subsidies positively impact employment, the awareness among employers is limited.

The ambition of this report is to facilitate more clarity on what a Wellbeing Economy in essence is, what different shapes it can take, how it functions in practice, as well as its benefits and drawbacks. 

Denne rapport undersøger sammenhængen i Norden mellem unges trivsel og deres forbrug af sociale medier. Er unges stigende brug af sociale medier og skærmtid et problem for deres personlige trivsel og deres deltagelse i de ikke-digitale fællesskaber i samfundet? Hovedkonklusionen er at vi ikke kan dømme forbruget af sociale medier som noget entydigt positivt eller negativt for unges trivsel, uden at vi forholder os til en række helt specifikke betingelser, som nuancerer billedet væsentligt. Vi må forholde os til hvem som bruger de sociale medier, hvilke sociale medier de bruger og hvor lang tid de bruger. Vi må også forholde os til hvordan sociale medier bruges. Når vi tager højde for de ovennævnte betingelser, finder vi en række betydelige effekter fra unges forbrug af sociale medier, som man kan læse mere om i rapporten.

This project report is a part of the NMR KOL project Nordic Policy Cluster for F-gases with the purpose of comparing the Nordic countries’ methodologies and regulations related to the use of F-gases.Fluorinated gases (F-gases, including HFCs, PFCs, SF6 and NF3) are a range of potent greenhouse gases that are used in a number of different applications and products for refrigeration, foams, aerosols, and technical installations.The report contains a survey and an overview of F-gas methodologies used for UNFCCC reporting, as well as an account of emissions and regulations in the Nordic countries.The objective with the analysis was to provide an overview of differences and similarities within the Nordic countries in relation to F-gases. The analysis shall enable harmonization of data collection, emission factors, choice of methods, and regulatory instruments.

The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) constitute the scientific basis for national dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The NNR2023 is the result of five years of work of several hundred researchers and experts, in the Nordic cooperation’s biggest and most globally spread project. This sixth edition of the NNR gives, for the first time ever, recommendations not only about what food is good for our health, but also what is good for the environment. In addition, dietary reference values for nutrients have been updated, many nutrients have received reference values for the first time, and many more food groups have been analysed than in previous editions – turning NNR2023 into the most comprehensive NNR to date. In short, the NNR2023 recommends: 

• A predominantly plant-based diet high in vegetables, fruits, berries, pulses, potatoes and whole grains. 
• Ample intake of fish and nuts. 
• Moderate intake of low-fat dairy products. 
• Limited intake of red meat and poultry. 
• Minimal intake of processed meat, alcohol, and processed foods containing high amounts of fats, salt and sugar. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of more than 10 000 substances that have been used in articles and chemical products for decades. Due to concerns for the environment and human health, PFAS have become subject to regulation in the EU and globally. The newly published report “Analysis of needs for enforcement of PFAS in articles and chemical products” shows a need for development of standardized and validated analytical methods for enforcement and compliance with current and coming PFAS regulations in the EU.

The report provides an overview and short systematic review of the psychosocial interventions and psychological tests used in the Nordic countries during the first 1000 days of a child’s life, i.e. from the prenatal period until two years of age. A total of 63 interventions and 33 tests were reviewed. Findings reveal that, although a large number of interventions and tests are available for the target groups in the Nordic countries, evidence regarding their effectiveness or psychometric properties is often lacking or insufficient. Thus, it is important that research efforts be enhanced in the Nordic region to strengthen the evidence-base of the interventions and instruments that practitioners rely upon in order to assess and support mental wellbeing for Nordic children and families during this critical period in their lives.

This report examines the relationship in the Nordic region between the well-being of young people and their consumption of social media. Is the growing use of social media by young people a problem for their personal well-being and their participation in non-digital communities in society? The main conclusion is that we cannot judge the consumption of social media as something unequivocally positive or negative for the well-being of young people, without relating to a number of specific conditions, which significantly nuances the picture. We must relate to who uses the social media, which media they use and how long time they spend. We must also relate to how social media is used. When we take into account the above-mentioned conditions, we find a number of effects from young people's consumption of social media, which you can read about in the report.

This report discusses the observed gender gap in education, i.e. that girls are performing better in the Nordic school system than boys, with a special focus on girls and boys with foreign backgrounds. The report is a knowledge overview of the latest research of the similarities and differences between the Nordic countries with regard to the situation and what has been done to help children with foreign backgrounds, especially boys, perform better in school. We want to identify what the Nordic countries can learn about the issue from their respective setbacks and positive advancements.

Nordic Cross-border Statistics were produced in the years 2016 to 2020 as a part of the project ‘Nordic Mobility’. The project was initiated by the former Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2016 and was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. All Nordic statistical institutes – Statistics Denmark, Statistics Iceland, Statistics Norway and Statistics Sweden – participated in the project which was coordinated by Statistics Finland.

The project succeeded in producing the first ever systematic collection of Nordic statistics on mobility that includes all five Nordic countries.

The matrices produced in the project are disseminated in the Nordic Statistics database (https://www.nordicstatistics.org/). 

Bornholm, Færøerne og Island står over for specifikke udfordringer med batteriaffald, og projektet ’Batterier i nordiske småsamfund’ har haft til formål at analysere data, de reguleringsmæssige rammebetingelser, barrierer og muligheder for at styrke miljøvenligt forbrug og bortskaffelse af batterier og akkumulatorer i de tre samfund nu og i fremtiden. Alle fundene og de konkrete anbefalinger til myndighederne i Bornholm, Færøerne og Island er kort opsummeret i disse policy briefs.

How well designed are the financial regulations that have been imposed after the global financial crisis in 2008–09 and the subsequent euro crisis? Will the new bail-in rules work in a systemic crisis, or do we risk further costly bail-outs by governments? How does monetary policy influence household debt? Have macroprudential tools been well-calibrated? Answers to these questions are crucial for judging the risks that the current corona crisis might also trigger a new financial crisis.

The 2020 issue of the Nordic Economic Policy Review consists of six papers, including an introduction by editors Lars Calmfors and Peter Englund.

The articles in the 2019 Nordic Economic Policy Review analyse how the Nordic countries best can contribute to international climate policy. The articles cover topics such as: How can the Nordics help raise the ambitions in the Paris Agreement? What is the effect of national policy on emissions regulated by the EU Emissions Trading System? Would it be cost-effective for the Nordic countries to pay for emission reductions elsewhere to a larger extent? What role should be played by subsidies to green technology? Should Norway put more emphasis on supply-side policies, that is, on limiting future extraction of oil and gas?

The volume contains five papers with associated comments which were originally presented at a conference in Stockholm on 24 October 2018.

Public finances in the Nordics are facing great future challenges due to demographic developments. Increasing longevity is changing the age structure of the population, significantly raising the share of older people and thus the old-age dependency ratio. Over the last two decades, there has been a strong international trend to strengthen fiscal frameworks by adopting more stringent fiscal rules as well as increasing transparency and accountability. A first aim of the report is to survey and evaluate the fiscal frameworks in the Nordic countries. A second aim is to review how long-run sustainability analyses of public finances are made – and communicated to policy-makers and the general public – in the Nordics, by Ministries of Finance as well as by other institutions. The report also concludes the severity of the fiscal-sustainability problems in the Nordic countries.

Fatherhood norms have changed considerably in the Nordic countries over the past decades. The sight of a father pushing his baby in a pram is no longer rare, and parental leave is no longer for mothers only. Yet parental leave is still not shared equally, despite parents having the right. Nordic fathers only use 10-30 percent of the total leave. State of Nordic Fathers examines why; and identifies possible avenues to increase fathers’ share of childcare and leave.

10 key findings reveal that fathers’ involvement is a key to gender equality and fathers who have taken long leave distinguish themselves in many respects from those who took none. State of Nordic Fathers is based on a survey capturing the attitudes of 7515 men and women, mostly parents, in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, on childcare work, parental leave, masculinity norms, and workplace and family relationships.

Planlægger du større arrangementer for Nordisk Ministerråd? Dette er din guide til at skabe faglige møder, konferencer og arrangementer, både digitale og fysiske, der er mere bæredygtige og tilgængelige. Med 10 styrende principper og adskillige gode praktiske råd inden for 14 nøgleområder, peger guiden på de steder, hvor du kan træffe miljøvenlige og inkluderende valg. Norden har en vision om at blive verdens mest bæredygtige og integrerede region i 2030. Og mens arrangementer er vigtige faglige og sociale fora, hvor vi fremmer nordiske løsninger, bidrager de samtidig til stor miljøbelastning, transport og forbrug. Her får du konkrete redskaber til at reducere udledningen og fjerne barrierer for lige deltagelse ved nordiske arrangementer.

Planning large events for the Nordic Council of Ministers? This is your guide to creating meetings, conferences and events, both digital and physical, that are more sustainable and accessible. With 10 binding principles and plenty of practical tips within 14 key areas, the guide points out where you can make environmentally friendly and inclusive choices. The Nordic region has a vision to become the world’s most sustainable and integrated region by 2030. And while events are important professional and social forums where we promote Nordic solutions, they also contribute to high environmental impact, transportation and consumption. Here you will find concrete tools to reduce emissions and remove barriers to equal participation at Nordic events.

This report constitutes the final delivery of Work Package 3 in the Nordic Network for Circular Construction (NNCC) programme. The programme's goal is to accelerate the implementation of circular economy practices in the Nordic construction sector. WP 3 aims to develop a joint Nordic monitoring model for circular construction. The present report summarises findings and conclusions from a two-year effort identifying and analysing indicators for circular construction. Stakeholders from the Nordic countries have been involved in discussing the feasibility and relevance of several hundred indicators. 11 indicators have been thoroughly analysed. A strategy for implementation of the new monitoring framework for circular construction is proposed.

The Nordic countries are known for successful societal transformations that have improved the quality of life. Our built environment has always reflected these transformations and as we have entered the current multi-crisis era, the perception and the physical reality of the built environment must once again be transformed. In this report, we present a narrative for the Nordic Baukultur, a vision of how the Nordic built environment could be truly sustainable and work for the best of the planet and people. The vision and its five principles stem from Nordic culture and heritage, and lean towards the future.

Realising the Nordic vision of a carbon-neutral and circular built environment will be all but impossible without addressing the emissions from construction materials and processes. Sustainably sourced wood, as the only major renewable building material and a resource that the Nordic region has in abundance, has the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions from construction, supporting the shift towards a circular and bio-based economy. 

This publication gives an overview of the policies and initiatives helping and hindering progress in wood in construction in each Nordic country, identifying joint challenges and opportunities, and posing six questions that must be addressed going forward. 

In 2019 the Nordic Council (Nordic parliaments) and the Nordic Council of Ministers (representing Nordic governments) of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aaland (hereinafter referred to as the Nordic region) decided on a joint initiative aimed at giving young people in Nordic countries the possibility of influencing the development of the Global Biodiversity Framework, thereby creating ownership of, engagement in, and trust in the political processes.

New goals for protecting the biodiversity and natural resources of our planet must address the opportunities and living conditions of young people both today and in the future. Young people today are those who must develop the solutions of the future and handle the challenges that previous generations have inflicted on them.

The paper presents a summary of a Nordic initiative to engage Nordic youth in development and negotiations of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which was adopted in Montreal December 2022, together with an outline of the guiding principles for Nordic youth engagement to avoid tokenism, and lessons learnt.

The first-ever cross-sectoral Nordic  roundtable with a spotlight on gender equality and climate justice in the region was convened by FOKUS, UN Women and the Nordic Council of Ministers in Oslo, Norway, on 24 January 2022. The objective of the roundtable was to form an alliance, provide a platform for knowledge exchange, identify challenges and find solutions to the climate justice and gender equality nexus - and to promote a joint Nordic voice for gender equality.

This brief summarizes the discussion and offers 22 takeaways, backed by statements and inputs. It sheds light on important areas of action for people and planet, alike.

The First 1000 Days in the Nordic Countries is a Nordic collaborative project, launched as part of the 2019 Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, with the aim to support healthy emotional development and good mental health during the first 1000 days of life (from conception to the age of two). The first phase involved a situation analysis in which extensive data was gathered from across the Nordic countries about practices to support wellbeing and identify early risk factors in prenatal care, infant and child healthcare and early childhood education and care. The results are presented in this report with detailed country profiles and a comparison across countries. Significant strengths and challenges are identified when it comes to supporting young children's wellbeing within the Nordic region and examples of good practice from each participating country are offered. 

The First 1000 Days in the Nordic Countries is a three-year Nordic collaborative project that aims to support mental health and wellbeing during the first years of life. This report applies findings from the project's two earlier reports to propose policy recommendations to better support children’s mental health and wellbeing during the early years. Nordic governments are encouraged to: Recognize the importance of the first 1000 days of life for lifelong mental health and wellbeing; Provide comprehensive support for parents during children’s first 1000 days of life; Identify and respond systematically to risk factors early in life; Improve equity and quality in services for young children and their families; Strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration for the benefit of young children and their families; and Advance research, knowledge and understanding about the first 1000 days of life.

Sexuella trakasserier i arbetslivet är en utmaning för den nordiska arbetsmarknaden och för målet att skapa en inkluderande, jämställd och sammanhållen region. Både internationella och nordiska studier visar att sexuella trakasserier finns i alla sektorer på arbetsmarknaden och att det får allvarliga negativa konsekvenser.

 De fem nordiska jämställdhetsministrarna beslutade därför att avsätta medel för ny forskning om sexuella trakasserier i arbetslivet i Norden. Målet var främst att bidra till ny kunskap, med fokus på förebyggande insatser och metoder för intervention.

 Forskningssatsningen utfördes 2021-2013 i samverkan mellan de nordiska sektorerna för jämställdhet, för kultur och för arbetsliv samt den nordiska barn- och ungdomskommittén. I denna publikation kan du läsa mer om forskningssatsningen, projekten och deras nyckelbudskap.

Sexual harassment at work is a challenge for the Nordic labour market and to the goal of creating an inclusive, gender equal and cohesive region. International and Nordic studies alike show that sexual harassment exists in all sectors of the labour market and that it has serious negative consequences.

 Therefore, the five Nordic gender equality ministers decided to allocate funding for new research on sexual harassment at work in the Nordic Region.The goal was predominantly to contribute towards new knowledge, with a focus on preventive measures and intervention methods.

 The research funding initiative was carried out 2021-2023 in collaboration between the Nordic sectors for gender equality, culture and working life and the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People. In this publication you can read more about the research initiative, the projects and their key messages.

Den tidigare finske finansministern Jan-Erik Enestam har på uppdrag av de nordiska samarbetsministrarna genomfört en strategisk genomlysning för att tillvarata lärdomar av coronapandemin och presentera ett antal konkreta rekommendationer för att stärka det nordiska samarbetet.

Rapporten baseras på intervjuer som minister Enestam har genomfört under hösten. Rekommendationerna pekar bland annat på vikten av:

- Tätare koordinering och informationsutbyte

- Bättre beredskap genom system för ”early warning”, gemensamma analyser och övningar för olika scenarier

- Större involvering från privat och frivillig sektor i krisarbetet

- Initiativ för gemensamma upphandling av vaccin och beredskapslager

- Reformer av regelverk gällande bland annat beskattning och socialförsäkringar för att bättre passa för gränsregioner och nordiska pendlare

For over twenty years the Nordic Council of Ministers Arctic Co-operation Programme has contributed to enhancing knowledge about the Arctic region The current Nordic Arctic Co-operation Programme 2018–2021 is focused on four overall areas: People, Planet and Prosperity as well as Partnerships as a cross cutting theme. Closely connected to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, the programme supports international research projects and other collaborative efforts to support sustainable development in the Arctic. This folder gives a short introduction to the programme with examples of project results.

This issue of Nordic Economic Policy Review explores the implications of new EU-wide climate policy in the Nordic countries. All of them have introduced more ambitious targets for abatement than the EU, but are the national targets and measures consistent with the EU’s new Fit for 55 package? If not, how should national policies be made consistent with EU policy? EU directives set targets for national climate policy, but member states are free to choose the means of achieving them. Are national measures to meet targets set by EU directives efficient? If not, how can they be made so? What are the costs and benefits of national climate policy aiming for more stringent targets than those under Fit for 55? We have put these questions to experts on the economics of climate policy in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.