Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden met with UN Environmenton 22-24 November 2016. The Nordics were led by host country Denmark’s Minister for Food and Environment Esbun Lunde Larsen. The delegation of UN Environment was headed by Executive Director Erik Solheim.
A central element in the discussion was strengthening UN Environment’s role as the lead authority in providing knowledge and political guidance on the implementation of the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals and the broader global environment agenda. The Nordics expressed that the UN Environment Assembly should provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss and find concrete solutions to the most pressing environmental problems.
Another highlighted topic is the organizational effectiveness and results-based management of UN Environment. The Nordics also commended UN Environment for its efforts to engage with the private sector and to include the gender aspect in environmental work. Priority issues such as oceans and marine litter, ecosystems and biodiversity, climate change and environmental security, and sustainable consumption and production were also discussed.
The Nordics, who are top contributors to the Environment Fund as well as earmarked funding, stressed the importance of ensuring secure and stable funding by widening the donor base. The staunch support from the Nordic countries is held in high regard by UN Environment and it looks forward to a continued strong partnership in the years to come.
