Nordic Council of Ministers partners with UNLEASH
Across the Arctic, the effects of climate change are unfolding at a pace unlike anywhere else in the world, nearly four times faster than the global average[1]. Communities in the region are already navigating rising temperatures, shifting ecosystems, and changing landscapes, all while striving to protect their wellbeing, identity, and ways of life.
Yet the Arctic is not only a frontline of climate impact. It is also a place of deep knowledge, resilience, and stewardship. Youth with lived experience in Arctic contexts, including many from Indigenous communities, carry perspectives that are essential to designing solutions that are both just and sustainable.
We are proud to partner with the Nordic Council of Ministers through the Nordic Arctic Program to bring these voices into UNLEASH Europe and explore how the built environment’s future looks like in rapidly changing environments.
“Youth with lived experience in the Arctic understand climate change not as an abstract concept, but as a daily reality, which we already saw during UNLEASH Greenland in 2022. That experience showed us not only the urgency of the challenges Arctic youth face, but also the strength of the solutions that emerge when they work together on issues rooted in their own environments. Now, we’re collaborating with the Nordic Council of Ministers to bring that knowledge and expertise into UNLEASH Europe, where they’ll co-create solutions alongside peers from across the continent,” says Chairperson of UNLEASH, Prof. Flemming Besenbacher
Through this partnership, youth in the Arctic will collaborate with youth living in the continent to develop solutions that combine innovation and lived experience. The Nordic Council of Ministers will also support the process with thematic expertise and cultural guidance, ensuring that the solutions developed are grounded in the local context, respectful of the environment, and community-centered.
The collaboration also builds on a key insight from UNLEASH Greenland: when young people design solutions that function in extreme, rapidly changing conditions, those solutions often hold potential far beyond the Arctic. Ideas informed by deep local understanding and shaped to be resilient in geographically isolated areas, can offer valuable approaches for other remote or underserved regions across Europe and the globe.
The Nordic Arctic Program open call is administered by The Nordic Institute in Greenland, NAPA, and among other things supports the promotion of green transitions and sustainable circular economy of the region.
“UNLEASH Europe is well anchored in the Nordic and Arctic Region and focuses on the young people. We are very much looking forward to follow the outcomes and contribute to connecting tie dots with Nordic knowledge, research and initiatives in this field,” says Susanne Andreasen, Director of NAPA.
We look forward to building this journey together and supporting the next generation of changemakers as they imagine the future of the Arctic.