The People's Festival 2024

The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), which are based on what is good for human health and the climate, form the basis for the national dietary guidelines in Denmark. Join us for a cook-along with Thomas David Parry from Alchemist Restaurant, Karen Ellemann from the Nordic Council of Ministers and Andreas Hansen from UN World Food Programme. 

Organised by: The Nordic Council of Ministers and the UN World Food Programme

Venue: C40 – The SDG Food Stage

We need to accelerate the pace of the green transition if we are to reach climate neutrality by 2045. But what will life be like in a climate-neutral society? And why run if we can't see the finishing line? The debate attempts to demystify life at net-zero.

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12 

Working and innovating together has made the Nordic Region a leading voice in sustainable food systems. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations are a prime example. Karen Ellemann opens the event with a two-course menu she had put together based on the recommendations. Visitors are welcome to taste the food as we explore the thinking behind the Nutrition Recommendations and New Nordic Food, which is celebrating its first 20 years.

Organised by: The UN World Food Programme and the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Venue: C38 – The SDG Tent

With a total population of 27 million, the Nordic Region is ranked as the fifth biggest economy in Europe, and there is no doubt that an economy on that scale has a significant impact on the environment. But how do Danish and Nordic consumers feel about the green transition? 

Organised by: Ecolabelling Denmark and the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

A new Scandinavian verb has popped up – "prepper". You need to prepare yourself. For what? The official response in Sweden is "for the worst", and the average citizen is encouraged to prepare for war and other crises. Home should always have emergency batteries, food and water for several days, etc. Should we do the same in Denmark and the rest of the Nordic Region? 

A new political era seems to be on its way. Can Nordic co-operation make the region resilient and prepared? What role can we play in a world in which Western and Nordic values are under increasing pressure?

Venue: The Main Stage/C20 

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, whether we like it or not. The question is how we should relate to it all. What rules should apply? And how can the Nordic countries turn the new technology into a competitive advantage? The Nordic Region has an ambition of being the world leader in ethical AI and the responsible use of data. This session takes a closer look at recommendations and discusses how to turn the Nordic Region into a world leader in ethical AI.

Organised by: The Nordic Council of Ministers and Nordic Innovation

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

Tourism plays an important role in Nordic economies and societies. We want the industry to grow, but see an increasing need for sustainable solutions. Does AI have a role to play?

Organised by: Nordic Innovation and the Nordic Council of Ministers

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

Where are the countries doing well together? Where can we improve and learn from each other? The debate takes a closer look at the example of co-operation on policing and fighting organised crime in Europe, and discusses what difference open borders in the Nordic Region and BENELUX countries make, e.g. to living, studying or working in a neighbouring country.

Organised by: Embassy of Belgium to Denmark, Nordic Council of Ministers, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Denmark, Embassy of Luxembourg to Denmark

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

Business meets indigenous peoples in this event – literally. The green energy transition is underway, in Denmark and globally. Stine Bosse will guide us through our problem-solving process. and the growing need to tackle human rights issues during the transition. 

Organised by: CBS, Greenlead, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)

Venue: C38 – The SDG Tent

Ideas abound about what a sustainable future should look like, but the path to get there is unclear, and doubts and dilemmas sometimes get in the way. What is right for you? And how will you get to your personal sustainable future. The interactive dialogue game, Inner Sustainability Game, challenges you and your friends to address and solve ethical dilemmas and bring you closer to a sustainable future.

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

The Nordic countries are investing in hydrogen from renewable energy sources as part of the green transition of industry and marine transport. We are also investing in energy storage and in hydrogen as a product to export to our European neighbours. Enhancing positions of strength and scaling up of local hydrogen value chains (Hydrogen Valleys) – from energy resources, processes and infrastructure to end users – is a necessity if we are to maintain our leading position and ensure fast and efficient decarbonisation. What role should Denmark play?

Organised by: Nordic Energy Research, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council 

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

The backdrop to this event is serious. The crises are queuing up. The pandemic was followed by wars around the world, a wave of migration and a series of climate-related events. Despite international activity in the EU, NATO and Nordic co-operation, much of the work on security and contingency planning is done at national level. But is this the best way to deal with crises that are cross-border by nature? 

Organised by: The Nordic Council of Ministers and NordForsk

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

This high-level session explores how closer co-operation between the Nordic and North American parts of the Arctic can speed up the development of innovative solutions to complex Arctic issues, promote sustainable development and environmental protection, amplify indigenous voices, build resilience and contribute to regional stability.

Organised by: The Nordic Council of Ministers, the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Denmark, Embassy of Canada to Denmark

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council host a conversation about Nordic identity and answer questions about Nordic co-operation.

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

Loneliness is a widespread problem in the Nordic and Baltic countries, especially among young people. This debate – part of a Nordic-Baltic series on loneliness – focuses on young people and the effects of technology. Does new technology encourage them to spend time together, or does it make them feel further apart and lonely? The event discusses how we can and should relate to technology in the work that needs to be done to combat loneliness among young people.

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

Russia's war of aggression has inflicted enormous damage on the Ukrainian people, infrastructure and environment. Even before the war, the use of fossil fuels and poor water management had a negative effect on the environment, locally, globally and in the Baltic Sea. We look at what good Denmark's support for the utilities sector in Ukraine does for the climate and environment, and the impact it has on the people of Ukraine and Denmark. Repairing the wastewater treatment plant in Lviv is one of the projects that has an impact on Bornholm and Denmark: without adequate treatment, the untreated wastewater flows straight into the Baltic Sea.

Organised by: Nefco and the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

The Nordic Council report "Attractive Vocational Education and Training in the Nordic Region" presents proposals for solutions to the skills shortages facing the Nordic countries. Analyses show that the Nordic Region as a whole could lack hundreds of thousands of skilled workers in 10–15 years. According to the Economic Council of the Labour Movement, the figure for Denmark in 2030 could be 99,000. At a whole, the Nordic countries face the challenge of a large group of young people excluded from the labour market and education. How can Nordic co-operation help remove the obstacles that prevent us from using our qualifications in other Nordic countries? How can it help get more Nordic young people to choose vocational education and training?

Organised by: The Nordic Association and the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12

There are major differences in employment and unemployment rates between the Nordic countries. Could jobs in one country be filled by people from another? The Nordic Region has had a common labour market for 70 years, and yet only 1.7% of the population work in a Nordic country other than the one in which they were born, and the number of cross-border commuters in the Nordic Region is half the EU average. What is stopping the Nordic countries from realising the full potential of our common labour market?

Organised by: The Nordic Association and the Nordic Council of Ministers 

Venue: The Nordic Tent/B12