A group of private sector CEOs dedicated to promoting Nordic climate action has met with heads of state to develop a collaborative approach on sustainability.
Nordic CEOs for a Sustainable Future, a group of business leaders from Nordic states working towards the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), met with the leaders of Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Åland Islands at the Nordic Council of Ministers in Reykjavik, Iceland. The CEOs, representing companies including Equinor (Norway), Nokia (Finland), Íslandsbanki (Iceland), Marel (Denmark) and Telia (Sweden), have declared their commitment to achieving Nordic climate action by integrating the Sustainable Development Goals into their business practices.
Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri said: “The Nordic nations are respected around the world for two things: business innovation and strong social systems. We can combine those two qualities through public-private partnerships; and in doing so, meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. By working closely together, business and governments can harness the advances of the fourth industrial revolution to fight climate change and make workplaces more diverse. No less than the futures of our children and grandchildren are at stake – let’s collaborate now and start solving those challenges.”
Eldar Sætre, President and CEO of Equinor, said: “Equinor’s actions are inspired and guided by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Diversity and inclusion, as well as climate solutions are at the core of our priorities and the SDG principle of ‘leaving no one behind’. I am looking forward to our collaboration through the Nordic CEOs for a Sustainable Future initiative and engaging in constructive dialogue with the Nordic Council of Ministers, to speed up the pace of change and deliver solutions at scale.”
The CEOs and heads of state agreed to intensify collaboration between the public and private sectors in order to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and achieve the targets set in the Paris climate agreement by 2030.
