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Eco-modernity nordic style : The challenge of aligning ecological and socio-economic sustainability

Midttun, Atle and Olsson, Lennart LU (2018) p.204-228
Abstract

This chapter explores the Nordic countries’ attempts to reconcile their environmental front-runner ambitions with their high productivity as advanced welfare states. On the one hand, the Nordics have taken leading positions in promoting environmental issues on the international stage. On the other hand, however, their high productivity, which is needed to support their welfare aspirations, has made them reluctant to promote and implement ecological measures that would limit economic growth. The chapter shows how this Nordic dualism may also be ecologically justified. In terms of biological capacity, three of the large Nordic countries - Finland, Norway and Sweden - are capable of absorbing their ecological footprints, given their vast... (More)

This chapter explores the Nordic countries’ attempts to reconcile their environmental front-runner ambitions with their high productivity as advanced welfare states. On the one hand, the Nordics have taken leading positions in promoting environmental issues on the international stage. On the other hand, however, their high productivity, which is needed to support their welfare aspirations, has made them reluctant to promote and implement ecological measures that would limit economic growth. The chapter shows how this Nordic dualism may also be ecologically justified. In terms of biological capacity, three of the large Nordic countries - Finland, Norway and Sweden - are capable of absorbing their ecological footprints, given their vast territories and small populations. In terms of climate emissions per capita, however, the Nordics- apart from Sweden - are mediocre performers. When it comes to the implementation of climate policy, there is considerable Nordic diversity. Most of the Nordic countries have embarked on a path towards lowering their carbon emissions. However, their trajectories have varied greatly, reflecting differences in industrial structure and resource bases. Nevertheless, a belief in urban greening is widely shared, and the Nordic capitals top European green city rankings. Based on a green growth agenda, urban greening may provide an attractive opportunity for bridging ecological preservation and economic development, and allow the Nordics to transcend their ecology-versus-growth dilemma.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Sustainable Modernity : The Nordic Model and Beyond - The Nordic Model and Beyond
editor
Witoszek, Nina and Midttun, Atle
pages
25 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:85049547192
ISBN
9781351765633
9781138718210
DOI
10.4324/9781315195964
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
41cd7885-7f0d-4945-9c6e-a29da909daa4
date added to LUP
2018-07-26 11:09:03
date last changed
2024-09-17 00:33:27
@inbook{41cd7885-7f0d-4945-9c6e-a29da909daa4,
  abstract     = {{<p>This chapter explores the Nordic countries’ attempts to reconcile their environmental front-runner ambitions with their high productivity as advanced welfare states. On the one hand, the Nordics have taken leading positions in promoting environmental issues on the international stage. On the other hand, however, their high productivity, which is needed to support their welfare aspirations, has made them reluctant to promote and implement ecological measures that would limit economic growth. The chapter shows how this Nordic dualism may also be ecologically justified. In terms of biological capacity, three of the large Nordic countries - Finland, Norway and Sweden - are capable of absorbing their ecological footprints, given their vast territories and small populations. In terms of climate emissions per capita, however, the Nordics- apart from Sweden - are mediocre performers. When it comes to the implementation of climate policy, there is considerable Nordic diversity. Most of the Nordic countries have embarked on a path towards lowering their carbon emissions. However, their trajectories have varied greatly, reflecting differences in industrial structure and resource bases. Nevertheless, a belief in urban greening is widely shared, and the Nordic capitals top European green city rankings. Based on a green growth agenda, urban greening may provide an attractive opportunity for bridging ecological preservation and economic development, and allow the Nordics to transcend their ecology-versus-growth dilemma.</p>}},
  author       = {{Midttun, Atle and Olsson, Lennart}},
  booktitle    = {{Sustainable Modernity : The Nordic Model and Beyond}},
  editor       = {{Witoszek, Nina and Midttun, Atle}},
  isbn         = {{9781351765633}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  pages        = {{204--228}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  title        = {{Eco-modernity nordic style : The challenge of aligning ecological and socio-economic sustainability}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315195964}},
  doi          = {{10.4324/9781315195964}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}