The Nordic environmental cooperation is led by the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate. The cooperation focuses on implementing the Programme for Nordic Co-operation on the Environment and Climate 2019-2024, contributing to long term solutions regarding environmental challenges shared by the Nordic countries. The programme is organised along five main themes:
- Circular economy
- Climate change and air quality
- Chemicals – environment and health
- Biodiversity
- Oceans and coastal areas
The cooperation does not only cover Nordic projects. Certain attention is devoted to global issues where the Nordic countries through cooperation can pursue their interest with greater emphasis and with clear Nordic synergies.
The cooperation between the Nordic countries’ governments and authorities focuses on issues which creates added value through
- exchange of experience and division of labor
- development of new knowledge
- common solutions and suggestions
- efforts focusing at the EU- and international level
Important international contexts for the Nordic environmental cooperation include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Important conventions for the cooperation are the UN Climate Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, where the Nordic countries, through cooperation can achieve common success. The Nordic countries are active in environmental cooperation within, for example, the Arctic Council and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council.
The Nordic Council of Ministers has a one-year rotating presidency. The country holding the presidency has a major influence on the work in the ministerial councils and what issues to prioritize. During 2018 Sweden held the presidency and led the efforts in developing the new co-operation programme.
The Swedish EPA participates in several of the Nordic Council of Ministers´ environmental working groups, as well as in the working group under the Committee of Senior Officials for the Environment where the affairs of the Environment ministers are prepared and followed up.
The Nordic Council of Ministers website contains more information about the working groups and their areas of responsibility:
- Nordic Working Group for Circular Economy (NCE)
- Nordic Working Group for Climate and Air (NKL)
- Nordic Working Group for Chemicals, Environment, and Health (NKE)
- Nordic Working Group for Biodiversity (NBM)
- Nordic Working Group for Oceans and Coastal Areas (NHK)
- Nordic Working Group for Environment and Economy (NME) (jointly with the finance sector)