The participating countries’ ministers for the environment and climate assembles in the Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate. The Swedish EPA participates in the Nordic cooperation at several levels. The Nordic cooperation on environment and climate is led by the Council of Ministers for the Environment and Climate.
The cooperation focuses on implementing the Programme for Nordic Co-operation on the Environment and Climate for the period 2019-2024. The programme is contributing to long term solutions regarding environment and climate shared by the Nordic countries. The Nordic region should be a global engine to contribute to the development towards a sustainable society.
The programme is organized in 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, it also includes Arctic issues, the UN 2030 agenda, as well as matters regarding sustainable cities, climate adaptation and the global work on biodiversity. 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.
Important international contexts for the Nordic cooperation on environment and climate 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 chairmanship. The country holding the chair 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. In 2020 Denmark is chairing the cooperation together with the autonomous regions in the Danish Realm – the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
The Swedish EPA participates in several of the Nordic working group on environment and climate,, 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)