Nordic Talks

Already marginalized communities are often the ones who bear the brunt of today's climate crisis, but still their perspectives are frequently ignored or overlooked by the decision-makers behind the green transition. In this episode we ask how communities can be empowered to fight for climate justice. How do we all ensure that their views are taken into account by politicians and the climate moveme...

Are young people today interested in politics? Surveys show that the answer is yes. Eighty-five percent of Europeans under 30 say that they discuss politics with friends and relatives. Yet on election day, less than half of them turn out to vote – be it in local, national, or European elections. In this episode we ask three young voices from the political world how we can increase Generation Z's p...

How do we manufacture our products? What energy sources do we use? How do we transport goods and how do we package them? All these questions need to be answered as we try to decarbonize the world's manufacturing industries and reach the Paris Agreement goals for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. In this episode we dive into the challenges facing sectors such as the motor vehicle and textil...

Internet, smartphones, and now artificial intelligence - the digital revolution has made us more connected, given us better access to information and led to greater transparency. Digital tools are used to promote international peace, security, and democracy, but at the same time, authoritarian regimes are becoming increasingly good at navigating the digital world - spreading propaganda, disinforma...

The entrepreneur Ada Osakwe is the founder of the fastest-growing sustainable fast-food chain in Nigeria. She is also advising politicians and other decisionmakers on how to improve the infrastructure for food production in the Global South. Listen as Ada sits down with the Estonian Climate Youth Delegate, Anna Celine Kraus, to talk about the complexities of sustainable food systems, and how we ca...

Founder and CEO of Springs of ASAL, Mana Omar, has first-hand experience with gender inequality in climate vulnerable communities. In a sit-down with the Norwegian Youth Delegate, Amalie Holmefjord, she tells her story of growing up in a pastoralist community in Kenya and the challenges that came with it. Listen as Mana and Amalie talk about Mana's role as a youth leader of the UN Women's Action C...

Benjamin Van Bunderen Robberechts lost his friend Rosa in the floods in Belgium in 2021. After this tragedy, he founded the initiative "Climate Justice for Rosa", which has sparked worldwide attention and contributed to an EU Day for the Victims of the Global Climate Crisis. Listen as the 17-year-old Belgian sits down with Danish Youth Delegates, Lise Coermann Nygaard and Marcus Taulborg...

As a child, Rose Kobusinge from Uganda experienced how longer and longer periods of drought affected her local community and their livelihoods. But it wasn't until she started university that she realized the severity of the climate crisis. Today she's a climate activist, pushing for the integration of the multiple planetary crisis into the curriculum of all education. Listen as Rose sits down wit...

Last year Agustín Ocaña from Ecuador quit his job to become a full-time advocator for the education of the world's youth as a way of fighting for the climate. Today, Agustín is head of the Global Youth Coalition – facilitating the collaboration between thousands of young people in the global North and South, teaching them to be changemakers. Listen as Agustín sits down with Icelandic Youth Delegat...

Can lava from volcanoes be transformed into house walls? And can we use fungi to clean areas in our cities from toxic waste? The answer to both questions is yes – at least at some point in the future. These are just a few of the innovative ideas coming from the growing number of architects looking for alternative ways to build and design our cities – for the sake of both people and the planet. In...

A global shift to a more sustainable diet is needed to reduce the major impact that food production has on our planet. Right now the global food system is responsible for 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, while at the same time a third of all the food produced is wasted. Can we rethink what we eat and where it comes from? Can technology offer new solutions? And can the latest Nor...

Clothing production has doubled worldwide over the last 15 years and has today a huge negative environmental and social footprint. The global fashion industry is not only the third most polluting industry, responsible for 8-10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, but it’s also notorious for low wages and poor working conditions. Without a significant shift in how we produce and consume clothin...

Imagine a picture-perfect future where clean energy projects have replaced damaging non-renewable energy sources. With many of the new green projects being built all over the world, we are slowly approaching this goal. However, while massive wind farms and solar panel parks are being built, there is a pressing issue to be addressed. What about the Indigenous people living in often remote areas whe...

Despite progress towards gender equality, women's voices remain underrepresented in the mainstream media, where male domination has been the norm for decades. But the tide is turning, and in this episode, we explore why fair gender representation in the media is vital for a more equitable society. We'll look at inspiring examples of how countries are addressing the imbalance and discuss how divers...

Do you sometimes wonder if the world is making progress on reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Are we succeeding in securing a better and more sustainable future for the planet and future generations? Now is a good time for a status update - the goals were agreed in 2015, so we are already halfway to the deadline of 2030. In this episode, we take a closer look at the goals chosen...

The war in Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis shocked Europe into realizing the risks of relying on imported gas and oil. As a result, many countries, including the Nordics, are asking themselves how they can become more self-sufficient and speed up the transition to locally produced renewable energy. In this episode, we take a closer look at how to increase energy security. How can the Nordi...

What happens when a country that has lived in peace for decades needs to defend itself? While governments may be able to obtain military hardware quickly, many forget the equally vital role played by civil defense. In this episode, we examine the importance of involving civil society in resisting threats – whether there is a military threat or threats in the form of natural disasters or pandemics....

The different neighborhoods, and their unique atmosphere, is what makes cities across the world so interesting. However, there is a pitfall to this uniqueness, as it can end up creating further division between neighborhoods. Especially when residents have less and less contact with others due to the physical infrastructure of the city. In this episode, we look at how we can create common ground i...

Reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are the essential skills that children learn in schools around the globe. But the world is changing rapidly and children will need additional skills to help them tackle pressing issues such as inequality and the climate crisis. In this episode, we explore how we best can equip and prepare our children for the future. What skills and knowledge do our children...

Hurricanes, floods, and drought. These extreme weather events are hitting the world's poorer countries more and more often due to climate change - much of which is caused by richer countries. But in the future, developing countries will receive compensation for this damage. Work is under way to set up a worldwide fund to provide financial assistance. It's called the "loss and damage" fund and was...

Has Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine destroyed any hope of dialogue between Russians and Ukrainians? Or is there still an opportunity for peace, understanding, and trust through dialogue in the future? In three special episodes of the Nordic Talks podcast, we let people talk to people. Can we create dialogue? How can we facilitate the process of creating peace in Europe? And...

Has Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine destroyed any hope of dialogue between Russians and Ukrainians? Or is there still an opportunity for peace, understanding, and trust through dialogue in the future? In three special episodes of the Nordic Talks podcast, we let people talk to people. Can we create dialogue? How can we facilitate the process of creating peace in Europe? And...

Has Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine destroyed any hope of dialogue between Russians and Ukrainians? Or is there still an opportunity for peace, understanding, and trust through dialogue in the future? In three special episodes of the Nordic Talks podcast, we let people talk to people. Can we create dialogue? How can we facilitate the process of creating peace in Europe? And...

Did anyone ever tell you that the future is digital? It's a phrase you've probably heard many times over. But what happens in reality when governments around the world try to kickstart the digital transformation of their societies? How do we make sure no one is left behind? And how do you make people feel safe entrusting sensitive data to the authorities? In this episode, we investigate the situat...

We came to COP27 with a sense of urgency, as we know from science that we are already running out of time. Technological fixes are certainly not enough - we need deep systemic change within every sector. Recently the pandemic showed us that it is possible to respond rapidly to a worldwide crisis. So, can we use this ability to fight the climate crisis? In the final episode of our COP27-special, th...