Nordic ministers push for ambitious climate action

Meeting at the Nordic Council of Ministers’ session in Reykjavik 28th October, the Nordic climate- and environmental ministers adopted a declaration that seeks to strengthen their concerted call for an ambitious climate agreement at the upcoming conference (COP21) in Paris in three weeks’ time.

The declaration once again underlines the urgency of climate change, which is referred to as “one of the world’s most profound challenges”, and the ministers take the opportunity to reconfirm their commitment to achieving a comprehensive agreement with global coverage and legally binding obligations.

The gravity of climate change in the Arctic region is also highlighted in the declaration, which stipulates that the changes seen in the Arctic region “will ultimately affect the living conditions for people and fauna globally”.

The ministers agree that the Nordic countries should use this opportunity to show global leadership in addressing the climate challenges. “The Nordic countries have a long-standing history of forward-looking climate and energy policies. Our experience show that effective mitigation actions can be achieved without compromising economic growth and social development but can improve economic performance, spur investments and innovation, create jobs and have positive impacts in other areas such as health and energy security”, the ministers agree.

Additionally, the declaration calls for more focus on climate finance in future mitigation strategies. Carbon pricing and the phase-out of subsidies on fossil fuel are put forward as central to a transition to a more sustainable society. The ministers also pledge that they will contribute 1 billion USD to the Green Climate Fund, which will be used to assist developing countries in the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions.