June 2012: The Nordic Council of Ministers has launched a blog featuring high-level contributors, as well as the “Donate a Word” project, ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). The activities are part of the “Nordic Way at Rio+20” project.

“Donate a Word” is an interactive website that allows visitors to input one word to define “nature,” “human,” and “sustainability,” along with their country. The most popular ideas from each continent are collected on the site.

The Council has also issued new publications on green economy and sustainable development, including a brochure titled “Sustainable Development in Practice – Examples from the Nordic countries;” a publication titled “Nordic Environment: Greening the economy – the Nordic way;” a report titled, “Nordic cleantech clusters and competencies;” case studies of “Nordic Solutions for Sustainable Cities;” and a working paper on “intercity connectivities.”

In addition, the Council is hosting a ministerial dialogue on “seizing ecolabelling and sustainable public procurement opportunities” on 20 June, and has convened three seminars, covering sustainability and gender equality, Nordic food and the rural economy, and the socioeconomic value of natural capital. [Website of Blog] [Donate a Word Project] [Calendar of Events] [Publication: Sustainable Development in Practice – Examples from the Nordic Countries ] [Publication: Nordic Environment: Greening the Economy – the Nordic Way] [Publication: Nordic Cleantech Clusters and Competencies] [Publication: Nordic ‘Intercity Connectivities’ in a Multi-scalar Perspective]