Open Letter
In 2024, together with various NGOs, social movements, youth-led initiatives and individuals, we released an Open Letter, calling for urgent systemic action for a more sustainable future in the Nordic and Baltic Sea region. The Open Letter was addressed to regional and national decision-makers of our region, prior to COP29 conference.
The body of this letter was developed democratically during ReGeneration Week 2024, a meeting of over 100 youth environmental advocates from the Nordic and Baltic Sea region. We present these specific policy proposals across five key areas - following the UN Environment Programme’s Anatomy of Action approach - that should be deployed in order to drive effective climate and environmental action in the region.
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5
Areas for systemic change
100+
Youth co-creators
315
Endorsing signatories
85
Supporting groups and organisations
Main demands
FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS
The financial systems of our regions are deeply dependent on both local economies and global supply chains. The reallocation of investments is needed to catalyse the shift from extractive models to those based on sustainability and social progress.
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
Our region is heavily reliant on cars and short-haul flights, causing significant amounts of carbon emissions. The shift to sustainable transport models is necessary for reducing our carbon emissions regionally.
CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Even though our region has been a leader in waste management and recycling, the extremely high consumption rates remain a key contributor to environmental destruction. The shift to transparent circular models of production and consumption is necessary in order to achieve a more sustainable system.
FOOD SYSTEMS
More than 70% of the eutrophication in the Baltic Sea is caused by unsustainable agricultural practices. This necessitates systematic changes in the management of food systems to protect both our environment and our food systems.
LEISURE AND WELFARE
Even though Nordic countries rank highest in quality of life, inequalities in rural and marginalised communities remain. Equitable access to welfare and leisure is necessary for sustainability and social cohesion.
In summary, our region bears the responsibility of preventing climate and biodiversity collapse, not only within our borders but also globally. We ask for urgent political and economic action to reach climate and social justice while ensuring human rights, personal freedom, and peace across and within borders.
It is essential to initiate reforms in government structures to move from colonial to democratic systems of governance. It’s necessary to practice a healthy democracy and make an active effort against polarisation, while also developing enforcement mechanisms that can effectively hold governments accountable to the agreements and laws they commit to, ensuring they adhere to and fulfil their obligations.
We ask you to promote educational change so that the committees addressing climate change at the governmental level can choose experts who have core knowledge of the issue. Sustainability education must also prevent the spread of misinformation.
Finally, we, as a Nordic and Baltic Sea region, need to stop burning through resources that are not ours to take, neither from other communities nor our own future.
Signed,
