Sustainable Living

The Nordic countries are considered to be global front-runners in creating sustainable societies. Although we get a lot of things right, big tasks lie ahead if we are to reach our vision to be the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030. The Sustainable Living programme, running from 2021 through 2024, is a response to this challenge and a call to action. It has explored what a sustainable Nordic lifestyle entails and formulated concrete guidelines and tools for policy and business development. It has demonstrated public impact through the spread of information and inspiration, the development of new business areas that can be ecolabelled and the demonstration of necessary behavioural and cultural changes.

In the Sustainable Living Hub, access all projects’ resources in one place. From survey results and research reviews to practical guidelines, teaching materials, webinars, and policy recommendations.

Sustainable Living Hub

Breaking Barriers: Empowering Effective Food Waste Solutions in the Nordic Countries

This report is a handbook for officials to access results and lessons learned from food loss and waste reduction activities in the Nordic countries. It also provides policy recommendations to further action in each country and regionally. The levels of food loss and waste remain high, and this report shows that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of halving food waste by 2030, stronger political action and interventions are needed. There is also a need for more long-term resources to lead the work at the national level, particularly regarding coordination efforts between various actors.

Breaking Barriers: Empowering Effective Food Waste Solutions in the Nordic Countries

Climate, Youth and Gender: Inclusion strategies for Nordic youth movements

This report analyses experiences of young people in Nordic nonprofit organisations from a gender and climate perspective. It identifies clear patterns and obstacles and considers key approaches to enabling more inclusive youth movements.

Climate, Youth and Gender: Inclusion strategies for Nordic youth movements

Youth as partners in the green transition

This policy brief is based on one of Nordregio’s Localising Agenda 2030 webinars. It highlights specific tools and processes employed by Nordic municipalities and NGOs to ensure systematic youth engagement and follow-up at the local level. During the webinar, municipal representatives from Gladsaxe in Denmark, Hafnarfjörður in Iceland, Tierp in Sweden and Korsholm in Finland presented their tested tools and insights, along with two Swedish NGOs: Future Minds and Youth 2030 Movement.

Youth as partners in the green transition

Healthy and sustainable food futures: Policy design for behaviour change

This brief outlines a range of interventions and measures that policymakers can implement within the Nordic food environment to encourage sustainable and healthy food choices. These interventions encompass strategies related to nudging and product design, as well as economic incentives such as implementing taxes and subsidies on specific food categories. By employing these policies, policymakers can effectively govern the food environment and facilitate a shift in consumption patterns towards healthier and more sustainable options.

Healthy and sustainable food futures: Policy design for behaviour change

The Green Roadmap

The Sustainable Living project Sustainable cultural experiences has rolled out a new green roadmap, aiming to set cultural institutions across the Nordic region on a path toward efficient resource use and achieving the necessary CO2 reductions by 2030. This tool is set to accelerate green development within these institutions, offering clear guidelines for action-based sustainability work at both operational and managerial levels.

The roadmap can be found here.