Where does the green economy grow? The Geography Of Nordic Sustainability Transitions

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to greening the growth path of an economy as this depends on place-based policy and institutional settings, level of development, resource endowments and particular environmental pressure points. This research proposal addresses the place-based, context-dependent nature of the shift to green growth in the Nordic countries by asking the question: where does the green economy grow? In addressing this question, we foreground the importance of innovation, new industry formation, and radical industry transformation.

The project is based on a mixed methods approach. Quantitative techniques will be applied to analyse the importance of human capital and technological specialisation for the greening of the economy. Qualitative case studies of Nordic regions will focus on the role of institutions and account for the diversity in Nordic regional green pathways.

Participating regions will benefit from a thorough analysis of current green growth processes and the opportunities for further greening. The project in particular seeks to engage pioneering green growth regions in the case study analysis, and a full work package in the project will be focusing on the possibilities for policy-learning between participating regions. An important element here will be to distinguish between those successful practices that can be transferred between regions, and those which are context dependent.