Green Growth - April 2015

GREEN GROWTH
REEN GROWTH
T h e N o r d i c Way - A P RI L 2 0 1 5
web magazine
Content
Introduction2
Who are we?
3
Feature article:
Nordic countries play their part in reducing global food waste
4
Feature article:
Nordic strategy aspires to double the collection
of textiles for reuse and recycling7
Feature article:
Nordic collaboration presents measures
to improve plastic recycling rates
11
News in brief
14
Reports19
News flashes and conferences
20
Introduction
Circular Economy – the way forward
Introduction by Dagfinn Høybråten,
Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers
At the end of February, the Nordic Council of Ministers will - along with the
The concept of circular economy is gaining more and more prevalence in
current economic and environmental thinking. We have long talked about
recycling, but now the discourse is getting ever more sophisticated with a
focus on reusing and upcycling as well as a complete rethinking of the entire
way we organize our societies.
The focus of bioeconomy on value chains and on how to optimize our use of
resources on a larger scale is an important part of this agenda and a topic
we have covered extensively not just in “Green Growth the Nordic Way”, but
in the work of the Nordic Council of Ministers at large. But the involvement of
consumers and of civil society as such is another important aspect, one that
we touch upon in this issue of our web magazine.
Three projects under the Nordic Prime Ministers’ green growth initiative deal
specifically with the circular economy and have shown impressive results.
They address the challenges involved in terms of a growing amount of textile
and plastic waste, along with the issue of food waste in both the primary as
well as the retail and consumer sector.
In this issue of “Green Growth the Nordic Way” you can read about the
latest results from the three projects, including a brand new Nordic Textile
Strategy and Commitment, a set of guidelines for plastic recycling and
innovative research on mapping food waste in the primary sector, among
many other things.
Enjoy your reading and stay posted on up-coming results from the Nordic
Prime Ministers’ green growth initiative.
Dagfinn Høybråten
Secretary-General, Nordic Council of Ministers
f
Follow us on facebook:
facebook.com/sdnordic
2
GREEN GROWTH
Who are we?
The Nordic Council of Ministers constitutes the official
cooperation between the five Nordic countries,
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along
with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
This magazine follows the activities of the Nordic
Council of Ministers in the areas of green growth,
sustainable development and bioeconomy, principally
in connection with the green growth initiative launched
by the Nordic Prime Ministers, “The Nordic Region –
leading in green growth” and the bioeconomy initiative
NordBio.
The aim of these initiatives is to create joint Nordic
solutions to shared problems in selected areas. The
vision of a Nordic lead in green growth and bioeconomy
is based on utilizing Nordic strengths to further
energy efficiency, sustainable energy development,
environmental awareness, better use of resources
and less production of waste, green solutions and
standards, as well as green investments in innovation
and research.
Apart from the projects under the Nordic green growth
initiative and NordBio, the magazine also documents a
wide range of other activities connected with greening
the economy, as well as highlighting new reports from
the Nordic Council of Ministers in this field.
More info at norden.org/greengrowth and
norden.org/bioeconomy
3
Feature article
Nordic countries play their part in reducing
global food waste
The effort to reduce global food losses and food waste must encompass
all parts of the food supply chain, from primary production to retail and
consumption. In 2013, the Nordic Council of Ministers launched three
projects on food waste, which have looked into resource efficiency in primary
production, date-labelling practices and the redistribution of surplus food.
By: Páll Tómas Finnsson
Reducing food losses and waste in primary production
According to the FAO, about one third of all food produced in the world is either
lost or wasted, which amounts to an estimated 1.3 billion tons per year. Food
waste has been high on the agenda in recent years, but efforts to measure
total food wastage along the entire supply chain have been somewhat halted
by a lack of data on food losses in primary production. In response, the Nordic
Council of Ministers initiated a project with the objective to develop definitions
and data-collection methods that give more accurate estimates of the extent
of food losses in the primary sector.
“If you look at primary production solely from a waste-management perspective,
there’s actually not much food waste,” says project manager Ulrika Francke of
the Swedish Board of Agriculture. “The reason is that most of the side flows
from production are used for other purposes, such as feed or fertiliser.” This,
however, does not provide the full picture, she says, as some of the side flows
could in fact be used to produce food for human consumption.
“That should always be our first priority,” Francke affirms. “But we must also
acknowledge that primary production is affected by a number of volatile
factors, such as weather and markets, which can make it difficult to predict
which crops will be suitable for food production. Therefore, we need to
maintain the emphasis on resource-efficient utilisation of all surplus raw
materials.”
Read also about the
Nordic Key hole – helping
consumers make the
healthiest choices
http://www.norden.org/en/
news-and-events/news/keyholemilestone/
The project group is now analysing data from a large study in which 6,000
farmers and fish farmers were asked about food waste in five selected product
groups: carrots, onions, peas, wheat and farmed fish. This analysis will be
complemented with field studies on harvest losses and storage waste, as
well as interviews with food manufacturers. The purpose is twofold: to collect
data on actual food losses in these categories and to test the data-gathering
methodology.
Results from the project have been used to provide input into improved
definitions of food losses and food waste in primary production, including
4
Continues next page
GREEN GROWTH
those applied by the EU FUSIONS project. The aim is to develop harmonised
definitions that permit more reliable comparison and are better suited to
capturing the use of side flows in production. One example is that livestock is
currently not defined as food until after slaughtering.
“This current definition only looks at what happens after the primary
production,” says Francke. “Our definition will also cover the rearing of the
animals – from birth until they leave the farm – and thus gives better insights
into what actually happens with the side flows.”
Date labelling as a means to reduce food waste
Nordic specialists have also looked into the differences in food-labelling
regulations and practices in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, to see if
adjustments to these practices could reduce food waste. Studies from Norway
show that 90% of all food waste in the retail sector is due to products that
have passed their expiration date.
“Many consumers also throw out food when it has passed the ‘best before’
date, even though it’s still perfectly suitable for consumption,” says Hanne
Møller, Senior Research Scientist at Norwegian Ostfold Research and project
leader of Date-labelling and food waste.
She explains that best before is used for products that are safe to eat after
they have passed the date, as long as the food’s quality is still acceptable. Use
by, on the other hand, is intended for products that should not be consumed
after the expiry date due to the risk of microbiological spoilage.
The project has sought to identify differences in the ways in which food-safety
authorities interpret legislation on date labelling, as well as variations in
the producers’ choice of date label and in the determination of shelf life for
each product. Other factors influencing the food’s durability have also been
studied.
Nutrition the Nordic Way – read
about how the Nordic countries
take a holistic approach to
health and nutrition
www.nordicnutrition.org
5
“Our interviews with the manufacturers reveal considerable differences in the
choice of date label for the products, determination of durability, packaging
types and storage temperatures,” says Møller. In most cases, the products’
shelf life was longer in Norway than in the other countries.
The project’s second phase will provide a better understanding of the reasons
behind these differences, i.e. if they are caused by conditions in the distribution
chain, the choice of packaging or the type of modified atmosphere surrounding
the food. In addition, a number of case products will be monitored throughout
the food supply chain in order to measure food waste related to date-labelling.
Alongside this work, the project will evaluate if trade regulations in the four
countries could be made more flexible in order to reduce food waste.
Continues next page
GREEN GROWTH
“In theory, longer durability and shelf life should result in less food waste,
but it’s a complex issue,” says Møller. “Our aim is to gather more specific
data about food waste and evaluate how much it could be reduced by making
adjustments to our date-labelling systems and practices.”
Food redistribution in the Nordic countries
The third Nordic food waste project aims to establish more efficient systems
for redistribution of surplus food from the food sector to charity organisations
and social clients, whether locally or through national food banks.
Food banks are a relatively new phenomenon in the Nordic countries. While
there are 260 food banks in Europe, only three are to be found in the entire
Nordic Region – in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Local direct distribution on
the other hand, where food producers and retail companies give surplus food
to charity organisations, has a long history in the five countries.
“Approximately 1.8 million meals are served from food banks in these three
countries every year and the number is increasing,” says project manager
Ole Jørgen Hanssen, Senior Research Scientist at Ostfold Research. “We see
a large potential in further developing the concept, and aim to do so in a
way that complements local efforts. It’s important to develop contracts with
national food producers and retail chains that also promote implementation
and redistribution at local level.”
According to Hanssen, increased awareness among public authorities, food
producers and the general public is key if the food banks are to become a
driving force in the redistribution of surplus food. As part of that effort, a
seminar on food banks was held in Oslo on April 22, in co-operation with the
EU FUSIONS project. Moreover, results from the Nordic redistribution and
date-labelling projects were recently presented at a meeting in the EU Expert
Group on Food Losses and Food Waste.
Read more background info on
www.norden.org/greengrowth
http://www.norden.org/en/theme/
green-growth/the-prime-ministers-greengrowth-projects/developing-techniquesand-methods-for-processing-waste/
reducing-food-waste
6
The continued work will be divided into four themes: organisational setup,
quality assurance, registering and tracing the flow of surplus food, and, lastly,
regulations and control measures. All of these issues will be addressed in
co-operation with representatives from the Region’s food banks and charity
organisations. A survey of best practices in redistribution is also underway.
“There’s a lot of good experience and routines that could form the basis of
a Nordic model for redistribution of food,” says Hanssen. “Not necessarily
as a harmonised system, but more as an opportunity for the countries to be
inspired by best practices from around the Region.”
GREEN GROWTH
Nordic strategy aspires to double the
collection of textiles for reuse and
recycling
A new strategy for increased reuse and recycling of textiles in the Nordic
Region has just been introduced. It addresses all aspects of the textile
sector, from producer responsibility and common quality requirements for
collection and sorting, to recycling infrastructure and business models
based on collective use and reuse. If fully implemented, the strategy could
double the separate collection of textiles and create thousands of jobs in
reuse and recycling.
By: Páll Tómas Finnsson
A strategy with environmental and economic benefits
Textile consumption has increased in all five Nordic countries in the last
decade. The consumption of new textiles amounts to 350,000 tons per
year, and is expected to increase to over 450,000 tons by 2020. Each
year, 120,000 tons of used textiles are collected for reuse and recycling in
the Region. The remaining two thirds of purchased textiles are eventually
discarded in ordinary household waste, and the valuable resources they
represent are lost to the economy.
The Nordic Textile Strategy identifies pathways to doubling the
separate collection of used textiles within ten years, and puts forward
recommendations on how to strengthen the Region’s textile reuse market
and improve recycling rates. The strategy is based on input from three Nordic
textile projects, which were initiated by the Nordic Waste Group (NWG) as
part of the Nordic Prime Ministers’ green growth initiative.
“The idea has been to reduce the environmental impact of textile
consumption in the Region by increasing reuse and recycling,” says
Sanna Due-Sjöström, chair of the Nordic Waste Group. She adds that
the improvements would also strengthen the Nordic textile industries’
competitiveness. “Our studies indicate that we could create more than 4,000
jobs in the Region related to the collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of
used textiles and via expanding business models like leasing, repair and
sharing of textile products.”
According to Yvonne Augustsson of the Swedish Environmental Protection
Agency, a key aspect of the strategy is to prolong the active lifetime of the
textiles.
7
Continues next page
See overview of the Nordic
Council of Ministers’ projects
on textile waste
http://www.norden.org/no/nordiskministerraad/ministerraad/nordiskministerraad-for-miljoe-mr-m/
institusjoner-samarbeidsorganerog-arbeidsgrupper/arbeidsgrupper/
nordisk-avfallsgruppe-nag/
prosjektoversikt
GREEN GROWTH
“This entails producing textiles of better quality, increasing the collection
and sorting of used textiles and encouraging more reuse,” Augustsson
explains. “And when reuse is no longer possible, the textiles should be
recycled, ideally back into new textile products.”
The Nordic Textile Strategy encourages Nordic policy-makers to set clear
targets for the increased collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of textiles,
to support new business models based on sharing, leasing and reuse,
and to lead the way with regards to development of new technology. One
suggestion is to investigate the potential for a semi-automated sorting
facility for used textiles located in the Nordic region. According to recent
estimates, in order for such a facility to be economically viable, its minimum
capacity would have to be around 80,000 tons.
“We don’t have any such facilities in the Region, which means that most
of the collected items are exported for sorting elsewhere,” Augustsson
says. “There’s a need for more efficient sorting and recycling technologies,
not only in the Nordic Region, but also in the rest of the world. The key
to developing these technologies is increasing the volumes of collected
textiles.”
Nordic Textile Commitment – a common quality assurance system
Increasing the collection of used textiles requires a transparent and reliable
reuse and recycling market. This is why Nordic experts have developed the
Nordic textile reuse and recycling commitment, a quality assurance system
and voluntary commitment for organisations involved in the collection,
sorting, reuse and recycling of textiles.
The commitment defines criteria for all phases of the reuse and recycling
process. The core of the commitment is a Code of Conduct that addresses the
environmental and social performance of collection organisations, as well as
issues such as transparency and reporting. The ambition is to support the
legitimate actors on the market, many of which are charity organisations,
and to eliminate the illegal collection, export and trading of post-consumer
textiles.
“Transparency is vital to increase confidence in the reuse and recycling
market,” says Augustsson. “The Nordic textile commitment provides
a guarantee of an economic, social and environmentally sustainable
management of the collected textiles. We recommend that only certified
actors should be allowed to be involved in collection and sorting in the
Region.”
One of the commitment’s long-term goals is to ensure that, within ten years,
collection rates of used textiles are doubled, 50 per cent of all collected
8
Continues next page
User guide – environmentally
friendly textile consumption
(in Danish)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z8LtE44N4
GREEN GROWTH
textiles are reused, either in the Nordic countries or abroad, and 90 per cent
are reused or recycled.
A pilot implementation of the Nordic textile commitment and Code of
Conduct will be carried out in selected municipalities in the Oresund region
and in Norway, starting in September 2015. The pilot will be conducted in
close co-operation with a reference group from the industry.
“It’s a one-year trial in which we’ll implement and test the commitment,”
says project manager Anna Fråne of IVL Swedish Environmental Research
Institution. “We’ll perform audits of a number of collectors, sorters and
recyclers, and develop protocols for the certification process. This will allow
us to test the criteria, and, if necessary, make adjustments to the Code of
Conduct.”
More focus on reuse and recycling – from production to final disposal
Other key elements of the strategy are extended producer responsibility
(EPR) and innovative new business models based on collective use, reuse
and recycling of textiles.
EPR schemes are policy measures that aim to influence producers to take
greater responsibility for their products after they are sold to customers
and thereby reduce the environmental impact of textile consumption. EPR
schemes can include both upstream and downstream measures. Upstream
measures encourage producers to make more durable, higher-quality
products, design for reuse and recyclability, and reduce the use of harmful
substances. Downstream measures make manufacturers and importers
accountable for the take-back, recovery and final disposal of their products.
The project investigated the implications of both voluntary and mandatory
EPR systems for textile products.
“A key issue is how much an EPR system will change the actual design of
textile products,” says David Watson, one of the project leaders behind the
new strategy. “Collective EPR systems don’t normally motivate upstream
effects, but incentives can be included to encourage more sustainable
product design. The trick is to ensure that these don’t make the scheme too
difficult to administer.”
EPR systems and new business models has delivered recommendations on
producer responsibility in a Nordic context and presented ways in which
policy-makers can support business models based on a prolonged active
lifetime of the textiles. These include leasing, clothing libraries, second-hand
sales and repair services.
Continues next page
9
Sustainable
Development Indicators
Proportion of environmental taxes in
total tax revenues
http://www.norden.org/en/
nordic-council-of-ministers/
ministers-for-co-operation-mr-sam/
sustainable-development/indicatorsfor-sustainable-development-1/
sustainable-use-of-the-earthsresources/proportion-of-environmentaltaxes-in-total-tax-revenues
Feature article
“A key element is policy that will increase the quality and durability of the
textiles,” says Watson. “You can achieve that via voluntary commitments, by
demanding extended warranty periods or durability labelling. Such policy
instruments would increase product lifetimes and impact positively on the
viability of many of the new green business models.”
Moreover, Watson emphasises the need for increased focus on improved
recycling when designing Nordic EPR systems. Today, where textiles are
recycled, it is as low-grade products such as insulation or industrial wipes,
rather than new textile products.
“What’s really missing today is the recycling element,” Watson says.
“Charities and other collectors are only interested in reusable clothing,
so most of the non-reusable but recyclable textile waste ends up being
incinerated. A well-designed EPR scheme would ensure collection of larger
volumes of these textiles, which in turn could be the catalyst for new
technologies to be developed.”
10
Continues next page
GREEN GROWTH
Nordic collaboration presents measures to
improve plastic recycling rates
700,000 tons of plastic is incinerated or landfilled with other household
waste in the Nordics each year. Collecting and recycling this plastic in new
products would be highly beneficial, both from economic and environmental
perspectives. Nordic experts have presented measures to increase recycling
rates of plastic from households, suggested improvements to sorting of
plastic at recycling centres, and identified potentials for enhanced recycling
of electronic waste.
By: Páll Tómas Finnsson
Increased collection is key to increased recycling
The Nordic Waste Group launched the programme Resource efficient recycling
of plastic and textile waste in 2012 as part of the Nordic Prime Ministers’
green growth initiative, The Nordic Region – leading in green growth. Three
of the projects in this initiative have addressed how the Nordic countries
could collect, sort and recycle a larger proportion of the plastics consumed in
the region.
“We need to become much better at collecting, sorting and recycling plastic
from residual waste from households,” says Sanna Due-Sjöström, Head
of the Nordic Waste Group (NWG). “In order to establish a strong Nordic
recycling market, we must ensure that the secondary plastic material is of
good enough quality to substitute virgin plastics in new production.”
The majority of the plastic thrown out with household waste is plastic
packaging that has not been separated from the waste stream. The key to
more resource-efficient utilisation of this plastic is more collection and better
sorting, either at the source or at central sorting facilities.
See overview of the Nordic
Council of Ministers’ projects
on plastic recycling
http://www.norden.org/
no/nordisk-ministerraad/
ministerraad/nordisk-ministerraadfor-miljoe-mr-m/institusjonersamarbeidsorganer-ogarbeidsgrupper/arbeidsgrupper/
nordisk-avfallsgruppe-nag/
prosjektoversikt
11
“The objective is to collect more of the generated plastic packaging waste
from households in the collection and recycling systems,” says Anna Fråne of
the Swedish Environmental Research Institute. “A key issue is to ensure that
the collected material contains as little contaminants as possible to limit the
amount of rejects in the following sorting processes. This is decisive for the
profitability and environmental benefit of the collection and recycling.”
The report ‘Future solutions for Nordic plastic recycling’ presents the project’s
recommendations on how to increase recycling of plastic from household
waste and other municipal waste sources. The recommendations are based
on a study of the collection systems in the five countries and a quantification
of the plastic waste flows.
Continues next page
GREEN GROWTH
“What surprised us is how different the Nordic systems actually are,” says
project manager Åsa Stenmarck of IVL Swedish Environmental Research
Institute. As an example, Sweden focuses more on source-separation than
the other countries, while in Norway there is larger interest in central sorting
combined with source-separation. Also, producer responsibility is applied in
Sweden, Norway and Finland, but not in Denmark. “Due to these differences,
it’s not possible to come up with one single solution for all the countries,”
Stenmarck adds.
The recommendations focus on common issues, such as the availability of
the collection system for the consumer, which plastic waste fractions should
be collected and sorted, and how the Nordic countries could work together
to create market opportunities. Lastly, the report emphasizes that collection
systems should be designed and organised with flexibility in mind.
“Our systems must be able to adapt to any future changes in the composition
of the incoming material and market situation,” says Larsen.
Guidelines for decision-making at recycling centres
The role of recycling centres in plastic waste collection varies somewhat
between the Nordic countries, mostly due to differences in the
implementation of the packaging directive. The centres often complement
other elements of the waste collection systems, such as kerbside collection
of plastic material.
Despite the differences in their operations, Nordic recycling centres face
many of the same challenges when it comes to increasing sorting and
recycling of plastic waste. In general, their role has become more complex,
as more and more plastic waste is being collected in separate fractions.
Sustainable
Development Indicator
Development in municipal
waste generation and in
municipal waste management
by treatment method
http://www.norden.org/en/
nordic-council-of-ministers/
ministers-for-co-operation-mrsam/sustainable-development/
indicators-for-sustainabledevelopment-1/sustainableuse-of-the-earths-resources/
development-in-municipal-wastegeneration-and-in-municipal-wastemanagement-by-treatment-method
Guideline for sorting of plastic at recycling centres aims to improve the
centres’ sorting processes, with the simple objectives to increase quantity
and quality of the collected plastic, and to avoid harmful substances in the
recycled materials. It is designed as a decision-support tool for the centres’
management, addressing everything from potential plastic categories and
sorting methods to information for the public and training of personnel.
“Communication with potential buyers is a key issue for the recycling
centres,” says Larsen. “We need to invest in getting a better overview of the
market situation, find out which plastics represent the biggest value, which
fractions can be mixed and which can’t, and whether buyers are willing to
pay more for cleaner fractions of certain types of plastic.”
“Last but not least, it’s important to know which plastic types shouldn’t be
recycled at all,” he says. “This is also described in the guide.”
Potential for greater recycling of electronic waste
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, WEEE, also represents a potential
12
GREEN GROWTH
for increased recycling of plastics in the Nordic Region. After metal, plastic is
the most common material used in production of electronics, but only around
25% of it is recycled.
“This is partly due to the complex composition of WEEE, which poses a
challenge for both the collection and the recycling,” says Larsen. “Also, WEEE
often contains hazardous substances, such as flame retardants, which need
to be appropriately managed.”
Nordic Plastic Value Chains – Case WEEE has presented an overview of the
WEEE plastic waste situation in the Nordic countries and identified potential
areas for improvement. These include ensuring that a larger proportion of the
waste enters the official recycling system, improving the traceability of the
plastics along the value chain, and providing producers with incentives to
focus on design for recycling.
Better control of illegal exports and recycling is a key priority, according to
Larsen.
“Internationally, large quantities of electronic goods are exported to
developing countries as used electrical and electronic equipment, although in
reality they should be classified as waste,” he says. “Preventing this requires
clear international definitions of EE-waste and products, which is something
we continually address with our European and international colleagues.”
Read more background
info on www.norden.org/
greengrowth
http://www.norden.org/en/
theme/green-growth/the-primeministers-green-growth-projects/
developing-techniques-andmethods-for-processing-waste/
increased-recycling-of-plasticwaste
13
The results from the three plastic recycling projects are currently being
presented to relevant stakeholders in the Nordic Region, i.e. municipalities
and decision-makers, and in international forums for plastic recycling
and waste management. The results have already been presented at the
‘International Symposium on Northern Development’ in Quebec in Canada,
and will be featured at the ‘International Waste Management and Landfill
Symposium’ in Sardinia in October.
.
Enhancing ambition and accountability
under a Paris climate agreement
The Nordic Council of Ministers has released a new report that examines the
options for assessment and review of contributions of the Parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to ensure they are
aligned with mutually agreed goals and principles, ensure transparency, and raise
ambition over time.
The agreement is built on pledges by each of the Parties, known as Intended
Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Switzerland and the EU submitted
their INDCs last month, and other developed countries are expected to follow soon,
though some countries may not submit INDCs until after Paris.
But how will the Parties and observers know if collectively the contributions are
enough to keep the world from warming by more than 2°C above pre-industrial
levels? How will they know which countries are making substantial efforts, and
which are lagging behind? And how will the Parties be held accountable for meeting
their commitments, and be nudged to keep raising their ambition?
Read more on norden.org
14
Nordic Master programmes focusing on
green growth and welfare
A call has just been issued to universities and other higher education institutions
in the Nordic Region to apply for funding for four new Nordic Master programmes,
which will ultimately benefit hundreds of students from all over the Region. The
deadline for applications is September.
The overall purpose of the Master programme, which is funded by the Nordic Council
of Ministers, is to internationalise higher education in the Region by establishing
new programmes for students from all over the Region and beyond.
To be eligible for funding, a programme must involve higher education institutions
from at least three of the Nordic countries. The syllabus must be the same in all of
the countries and students must be offered the chance to study at a minimum of one
other institution. The programmes must be taught in English.
While the universities and colleges are free to decide the subjects of two of the four
programmes, this year the subjects for the other two have been set out in advance –
green growth and welfare – two of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ top priorities.
Read more on norden.org
15
Next steps towards realizing the
bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea region
New networks have been established and new projects have been launched. For two
years the Nordic Council of Ministers has promoted the bioeconomy agenda in the
Baltic Sea region as appointed Horisontal leader by the European Commission under
the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. At a conference in Warsaw on March 4-5 a
new three year plan for this effort was planned and discussed.
- The EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is a unique platform to promote
bioeconomy in our region and the Nordic Council of Ministers has proved a very
resourceful and well connected actor in terms of pushing this agenda, Head of
Northern Europe Unit in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Joanna Wojtkowska
said in her opening speech at the opening of the conference.
Now it is time to stand back and consider the next steps, so a strategy for the next
3 years is under development with input from the participants at the workshop in
Warsaw, relates Senior advisor Geir Oddsson from the Nordic Council of Ministers.
- We need to develop the existing partnerships further and fertilize the efforts
already set in motion over the last two years. But we also need to address a number
of bottlenecks impeding the bioeconomy in the region, Oddsson stated at the
Warsaw conference.
Read more on norden.org
16
Calls for more active Nordic-Baltic
co-operation on energy
Future energy solutions must be increasingly based on renewable energy. In the
last week of February, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Tallinn office held a seminar
to highlight new perspectives on the development and potential for renewable
solutions.
- The Nordic and Baltic countries share the same views on sustainable energy
production, an open and efficient energy market, and security of supply,” said Johan
Vetlesen, Deputy Director General at Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.
- Co-operation on energy in the Nordic Region is already affected by developments in
the Baltic energy sector, and the Nordic countries must go along with the EU’s Baltic
Energy Market Integration Plan,” Vetlesen stresses.
One of the issues discussed at the seminar was the extent to which renewable
energy capacity can be used to generate electricity in the two regions. The
conclusion was clear; there are no technological barriers to greater use of
renewables provided the political inclination and financial resources are available.
Read more on norden.org
17
Launching the Nordic Built Cities
Challenge
Is your city in the early stages of planning a challenging urban development project
connected to an urban space? Are you looking for multidisciplinary, innovative
solutions? Through the Nordic Built Cities Challenge you can get a unique
opportunity to get access to the best solutions.
Nordic Innovation, working under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers, is
launching the Nordic Built Cities Challenge, an open, needs-driven competition to
develop and visualise Nordic innovative solutions for smart, liveable and sustainable
cities. The competition is carried out from March 2015 to September 2016.
The NBC Challenge is looking for urban challenges from all the Nordic countries,
including Greenland, Faroe Islands and Åland Islands. A Nordic jury will recommend
up to eight urban development projects.
The deadline for submitting an urban challenge is 20 May 2015.
Read more on norden.org
18
GREEN GROWTH
Green growth reports
Future solutions for Nordic plastic recycling
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A791233&dswid=-5489
Policy brief - Nordic improvements in collection and recycling of plastic waste
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A788308&dswid=7373
Guidelines to increased collection of
plastic packaging waste from households
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A788308&dswid=-183
Increased collection of plastic packaging waste from households: Background information
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A788195&dswid=1648
The Nordic textile commitment
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-512
Other reports
The Nordic textile reuse and recycling
commitment - Policy brief
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/ANP2015-719
Arctic living conditions : Living conditions
and quality of life among Inuit, Saami and
indigenous peoples of Chukotka and the Kola
Peninsula
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-501
A Nordic textile strategy
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-513
A Nordic strategy for collection, sorting,
reuse and recycling of textiles – Policy
brief
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/ANP2015-720
EPR-systems and new business models
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-514
EPR systems and new business models –
Policy brief
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/ANP2015-721
Plastic sorting at recycling centres:
Background report
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A791251&dswid=-4811
Nordic textile reuse and recycling …
Summary and recommendations – Policy
brief
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/ANP2015-714
Guideline - plastic sorting at recycling centres
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A791264&dswid=9143
Food Redistribution in the Nordic Region Experiences and results from a pilot study
http://norden.diva-portal.
org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A784307&dswid=6868
Plastic value chains – Case WEEE – Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment: Part 2
report
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A791245&dswid=5519
Guideline - WEEE Plastics Recycling: A guide
to enhancing the recovery of plastics from
waste electrical and electronic equipment
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A788210&dswid=4897
Policy brief - Nordic plastic value chains:
Case WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment)
http://norden.diva-portal.org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A788262&dswid=2248
See also:
Future Opportunities for Bioeconomy : Focus
on the West Nordic Region
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-505
Nordregio report in Indicator frameworks:
Helping planners monitor urban sustainability
http://www.nordregio.se/Publications/
Publications-2015/Indicatorframeworks-Helping-plannersmonitor-urban-sustainability/?utm_
source=Nordregio+News&utm_
campaign=c3a64c6e44-&utm_
medium=email&utm_term=0_3667666de8c3a64c6e44-335154597
Date labelling in the Nordic countries:
Practice of legislation
http://norden.diva-portal.
org/smash/record.
jsf?pid=diva2%3A790885&dswid=4767
Climate related reports
Assessment and Review under a 2015
Climate Change Agreement
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2015-530
Assessment and Review under a 2015
Climate Change Agreement: Lessons
Learned and Ways Forward
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/NA2015-907
Accounting framework for the Post-2020
period
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2014-566
Future EU energy and climate regulation
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2014-570
19
New Policies to Promote Youth Inclusion :
Accommodation of diversity in the Nordic
Welfare States
http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2014-564
FOLLOW US
f y
Norden.org
GREEN GROWTH
News flashes
Danish school class wins Great Nordic Climate Duel
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/danishclass-wins-great-nordic-climate-duel
The future of New Nordic Food - special edition of “Green
Growth the Nordic Way”
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/thefuture-of-new-nordic-food-special-edition-of-green-growththe-nordic-way
Call for men to play greater role in gender equality
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/call-formen-to-play-greater-role-in-gender-equality
Gender equality – the long shortcut to a fat wallet?
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/genderequality-2013-the-long-shortcut-to-a-fat-wallet
More recycling and reuse of textiles in the Nordics benefits
the environment and the economy
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/morerecycling-and-reuse-of-textiles-in-the-nordics-benefits-theenvironment-and-the-economy
Nordic region to increase rate of plastic recycling – new
reports and guidelines from the Nordic Council of Ministers
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/nordicregion-to-increase-rate-of-plastic-recycling-2013-newreports-and-guidelines-from-the-nordic-council-of-ministers
Nordic project to develop biofuels for aircraft
http://www.norden.org/en/news-and-events/news/
biofuels-for-aircraft?set_language=en
See also:
#NNF2024 – video on the future of New Nordic Food
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nletiQBY35w
Conferences
Growth in the Nordic Region - a leading region in Europe Copenhagen, April 30
http://www.norden.org/en/nordic-council-of-ministers/
ministers-for-co-operation-mr-sam/the-nordic-region-infocus/norden-i-fokus-i-koebenhavn-1/growth-in-the-nordicregion-a-leading-region-in-europe
FOLLOW US
f y
Norden.org
20
Get free access to
3,000+ Nordic
publications
http://norden.diva-portal.
org
Subscribe to
”Green Growth
the Nordic Way”
http://norden.us1.
list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=2ae7555a63b425efb432b715d&id=44b86e3d13
Growth in the Blue Bioeconomy – Torshavn, June 2-3
http://norden2015.fo/fiskeri/vaekst-i-bla-biookonomi/
Already held conferences – including conference
materials:
Moving Towards a Circular Economy: New Nordic
Business Models for Resource Efficiency and Waste
Prevention
http://www.copenhageniris.com/circular-economyworkshop.html
Nordic Built Cities Arena
http://nordicbuiltcities.org/arena/?utm_
source=apsis-anp-3&utm_medium=email&utm_
content=unspecified&utm_campaign=unspecified
Nordic Seminar on the Arctic Climate How to put SLCP
policies into practice
http://www.norden.org/en/nordic-council-of-ministers/
ministers-for-co-operation-mr-sam/the-nordic-regionin-focus/norden-i-fokus-sverige/events/nordicseminar-on-the-arctic-climate-how-to-put-slcp-policiesinto-practice
See also:
Overwhelming interest in Nordic competition within
welfare innovation
http://nordicinnovation.org/en-GB/news/
overwhelming-interest-in-nordic-competition-withinwelfare-innovation/?utm_source=apsis-anp-3&utm_
medium=email&utm_content=unspecified&utm_
campaign=unspecified
Editor: Michael Funch, Nordic Council of Ministers, [email protected]
Feature articles: Páll Tómas Finnsson, Finnsson & Co,
[email protected]
Layout and design: Gitte Wejnold, LimeLab, [email protected]
Web: Genau.dk, [email protected]