Nordic Talks

Is the fight against climate change now seen as so urgent, that it will move humanity towards a more sustainable and just world? Or will we continue to head towards further destruction of biodiversity and natural resources, which are both so important for peace and prosperity? Are today’s parliamentarians able to make the decisions needed to pave the way for behavioral change? These are some of th...

The Arctic has warmed three times quicker than the planet as a whole, and up North the effects of the climate changes are visible already today. How can Arctic societies be agents of change in the green transition? How do Arctic societies adapt to climate change? And what pathways are possible for sparsely inhabited areas with vast distances and a harsh climate? In short: What could Arctic societi...

How do we improve people's health by decreasing exposure to black carbon, reduce carbon emissions, prevent deforestation, and promote gender equality by empowering women? Well, it's actually all about clean cooking. But more than 4 billion people globally, including almost 900 million people in Sub-Saharan African countries, lack access to modern and clean cooking solutions. The topic is discussed...

How can we reimagine our cities for a regenerative transformation? To regenerate means not only to do less harm, but to become a positive force that restores, renews, and regrows. In this special episode of the Nordic Talks podcast, recorded at COP27 in Egypt, we will explore how we can create a regenerative world that works within the planetary boundaries. How do we create a future where humankin...

How can we accelerate our fight for the climate through climate finance and market mechanisms? Can we succeed in changing the way we think, create, and invest in new projects? And how can purpose investments from the private sector and voluntary compensation work as new ways of accelerating the change? This is discussed by Jon Johnsen, CEO of the pension fund PKA, and Hanna-Mari Ahonen, Senior Con...

It turns out that building social cohesion in your local community can in itself have a significant impact on levels of climate action. This is one of the findings from the Nordics, where several experiments are taking place using art and culture to trigger new ways of thinking and create change. In this episode, we look at how artists, grassroots activists and other creative minds are working to...

How can I be happy at work? It seems that more and more people worldwide are asking themselves precisely this question. The COVID-19 pandemic especially made many of us reflect on the work-life balance and ask whether there is more to life than work. In this episode, we look at important questions surrounding working life today. How to improve your working conditions? How to find the strength to l...

Did you know that over 80 percent of goods traded internationally are transported by sea? This makes the shipping sector a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, but efforts to reduce its carbon footprint are under way. Green shipping corridors - routes between ports where all transport is emission-free - are part of the new wave of climate-friendly solutions. The Nordic count...

The Black Lives Matter movement was propelled into the global spotlight as protests spread following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Having started as a grassroots movement protesting racially motivated violence and police brutality in the United States, Black Lives Matter has now grown into an international social and political phenomenon, with activists organi...

The world urgently needs to move to green energy for the sake of the climate. But what if scrapping fossil fuels means that you lose your job or face rising living costs? Tradeoffs like these pose a major dilemma for the politicians, activists, and businesses leading the green transition, who are now asking how the switch to cleaner energy can be made fair. In this episode, we look at the efforts...

Women are increasingly bearing the brunt of digital abuse. The rise of social media platforms has created greater opportunities for hate against women to make its way online. This abuse can be devastating for those targeted and it also has direct negative consequences for women's democratic participation. In this episode, we'll examine what's behind the phenomenon of online abuse and examine the w...

What do you think of when you hear the word library? Maybe you think of a building full of books - a place to explore other worlds and perspectives. But in the 21st century libraries have become much more than that. They mirror society and reflect the developments occurring in the surrounding world. In some libraries, you can now even borrow a so-called human book – a real human being sitting in f...

The ice is melting, the flora and fauna are changing, and people's ways of life are at risk. In the Arctic's, inhabitants have first-hand experience of the consequences of climate change. This is one of the reasons why the Nordic countries have stepped up to the plate to address the climate crisis and why they are working hard to persuade other countries with interests in the region to do the same...

When COVID-19 hit with its lockdowns and foreign travel restrictions, did you suddenly feel drawn to life somewhere more remote? If so, you weren't alone. Rural areas around the world suddenly found themselves overwhelmed with visitors, and in some cases, this influx even overpowered the infrastructure. But on the other side, as people got more open-minded about rural living, they also became more...

The world is suffering from a second worrying pandemic – not COVID-19, but a major outbreak of distrust: Accusations of fake news and lies, general disregard for the facts, and freely circulating conspiracy theories. All this doubt makes it difficult to implement policies for the common good needed, for example, in the fight against COVID-19. Here the Nordic countries are faring better than most,...

Africa's total population is expected to almost double to nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, where roughly half will be living in urban areas. Urbanization is at the heart of development on the African continent, where currently 17 of the world's 20 fastest-growing cities are located. While urbanization comes with many challenges, it also offers great opportunities. If planners can adopt people-centered...

Did you know that your pension can be a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change? However small your pension pot, when pooled together with the savings of hundreds of thousands of other people, it can have a major impact. And the impact is growing as large amounts of money from both private and public funds are increasingly invested in green and sustainable companies. Investors from the...

A woman’s right to decide over her own body is a cornerstone of gender equality and sustainable development but remains a battlefield across the globe. Even discussing issues related to sex and reproductive health is often taboo. What will it take to get to a point where all women have control of their own lives and bodies? In this episode, we hear from activists, ministers, and global organizatio...

Darkness, lousy weather, and a sleepover in the middle of nowhere. Sound fun? Apparently yes! The Nordic countries have successfully branded their remoter edges as desirable tourist destinations. Is it luck because the far north is 'in' right now? Or does it reflect a growing longing for alternatives to well-known, popular destinations? In this episode, we find out how the Nordics attracted visito...

Bees are dying out and that’s a big problem for us human beings. If bees and other pollinators disappeared altogether, we would lose a third of our food supply. Half of all the fruit and vegetables on our supermarket shelves would vanish. And the impact on our planet's biodiversity would be catastrophic. So what's our Plan Bee? How do we save the world's pollinators? In this episode, we dive into...

Education is a fundamental human right, yet only 70 percent of children worldwide are in school. How can we bridge this gap to reach the goal of free quality education for all by 2030? The Nordic countries are among the world leaders when it comes to supporting education in low- and middle-income countries globally. They also have the most experience to share in providing free public education for...

Achieving gender equality in all aspects of society isn't just ethically right, it's also economically smart. Numerous studies show that increasing gender equality increases economic growth, making it a win-win situation. Women make up half the global population and half the workforce, meaning that society is missing out on a lot of valuable ideas if they are not properly included. In this episode...

More short-term or freelance work. Less steady employment with fixed pay. The labor market is undergoing massive changes, creating uncertainty for millions of people. Why is this happening? And is it possible to reverse this trend?   In this episode we examine possible solutions to the global increase in job insecurity, looking at Nordic experiments with a government-paid basic income. We also see...

You can't see it, but you still breathe it in: Air pollution is an invisible threat to millions of people living in urban areas, and many lives are lost prematurely because of it. Increased efforts are being made, not the least in the Nordics, to tackle this health issue through urban design. Researchers are cooperating with urban developers to change transport systems, reduce pollution around sch...

The rollout of 5G, the superfast fifth generation mobile internet network, is underway. But will it mean more than just better networks and faster downloads? Can this more accessible technology be used to change society for the better and improve our everyday lives? In this episode, we hear from three female leaders working with technology and 5G, who share their understanding of the key megatrend...