About

The Nordic project for 2023 is run by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute in collaboration with We Don't Have Time. The outcome of the Dialogue Workshops will be compiled in a Policy brief and a Report. These will serve as input to political discussions at COP and will hopefully also guide governments in taking progressive climate action during this critical decade.

The MWP was decided at COP27 in 2022. The focus of the MWP is on increasing the implementation of climate action and ambition pre-2030. It runs until 2026 (with a possibility for extension) and will have two global dialogues per year and possibly also regional dialogues, as well as investment-focused events.

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Previous work in the Nordic Dialogue

Nordic Dialogue Workshop – “Accelerating a just energy transition – Energy systems”

On October 19 and 20, two interactive stakeholder workshops were organized on the theme “Accelerating a just energy transition – Energy systems”.

More than 40 Nordic business leaders, academics, policy-makers, public servants,  entrepreneurs, and representatives from relevant interest groups joined in to discuss solutions and challenges, policy development, opportunities, and best practices. 

Keynote speeches were given by:

• Boaz Paldi, Chief Creative Officer, United Nations Development Programme
  What is a Just Transition – and why is it important?

• Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and Founder, We Don’t Have Time
  The importance of communication to solve the climate crisis

• Simone Andersson, Project Manager, International Business, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
  The Sharm El Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme (MWP) – and the set-up of today's Nordic Dialogue.

Time and date for the Nordic Dialogue workshops* 2023: 

• Workshop 1: Thursday, October 19th, 13:30-16:00 CEST
• Workshop 2: Friday, October 20th, 09:00–11:30 CEST

*Some stakeholders have been interviewed separately, and those invited which couldn’t  join the workshop were given the option to register for updates on the Nordic Dialogue.  

Structure of the workshops
Group discussions in break-out rooms, and plenary summary.
Session 1:  Achieving a just transition, Risks and opportunities in the transition to a sustainable tomorrow
Session 2: Priorities, Synergies and Communication, Incentives and blockers – the role of policy to speed up change
Session 3: Transition = transformation? Tech and behavior in systems change, diverting from business as usual
Summary and brief of Nordic Dialogue Now what? Reflections and action going forward.

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Accelerating a Just Energy Transition in Transport Systems

A proposal was submitted 15 Sep, 2023, to UNFCCC for the Mitigation Work Programme 2^nd Global Dialogues in Abu Dhabi, 15-17 October 2023. The proposal presents Nordic opportunities, best practices, actionable solutions, expertise, challenges and barriers of relevance to the topic “Accelerating just energy transitions in transport systems”.

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There were four sub-topics specified for these discussions: 

1.  Deploying and shifting to collective and non-motorized modes of transport (rail, urban public transit, cycling, etc.) 

2.  Energy and resource efficiency in the transport sector (design improvements, circular economy and material changes, vehicle vintage, carpooling, etc.) 

3.  Electrification of vehicles (infrastructure, batteries and minerals) 

4.  Shifting to low- or zero-carbon fuels (hydrogen, biofuels, biogas, compressed natural gas) 

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Find the document uploaded in the UNFCCC portal or download here.
(Search “mitigation” and click on Calls for submissions…. (5), then scroll down to a list of uploaded documents from various organizations and countries.)  

The Nordic countries are at the forefront of development towards reducing transport emissions thanks to an inclusive and holistic mobility planning, along with technology advancements. Recurring input from stakeholders regards the need for a clear policy landscape to enable long-term planning and investments. The need of knowledge elevation within authorities and capacity to modernize policies and regulations to match the transition ambitions and goals, is also mentioned. Standardizations, sector integration, public procurement demands and collaborative clusters with representatives from authorities, the private sector, research entities and civil society are other success factors in accelerating this development in the Nordics.  

An overall observation further, is that many parts of a transition are in reality blocked by social resistance – when people need to change habits and what is perceived as valuable freedom of choice. Besides technological progress and economic incentives, there is a need for a more human centered approach to accelerate change. Real impact will come when people and companies utilize the solutions offered. Hence, showcasing role models, enhancing communication within value chains, as well as to create public awareness, acceptance and demand, should be given more attention.

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About the organizers

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is an independent research institute in the field of environment and sustainability. We work with applied research and consulting assignments that contribute to fulfilling both the global sustainability goals and the Swedish environmental goals. With over 400 experts, IVL drives the transition to a sustainable society by transforming science into reality, environmental problems into opportunities and linear processes into a circular economy.

‍We Don’t Have Time is a climate broadcaster and the world’s largest social media for climate solutions. Serving as a conduit for change, the organization leverages the power of social media to communicate solutions and foster a broad and impactful climate dialogue. In a spirit of cooperation and urgency, WeDontHaveTime.org acts as a crucial space for the convergence of ideas, strategies, and actions to speed up the transition to a sustainable tomorrow. Download our mobile app or sign up on WeDontHaveTime.org

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