When Green isn’t enough: Advancing a Gender Just Transition in the Nordics

Gender equity is a condition for a sustainable future - and for sustainable business. In Helsinki, over 200 business leaders and professionals from across the Nordics gathered for this year’s Nordic Meeting focusing on a Gender Just Transition. 

Just transition means leaving no one behind. But today, we risk that gaps are growing faster than bridges are being built.

“Deciding on the topic in early 2024, we couldn’t have anticipated how deeply that theme would echo today,” says Sophia Lawson, Programme Manager, Social Responsibility & Human Rights, UN Global Compact Network Finland.

By 2050, climate change could push 158 million women and girls into poverty – that’s 60 million more than men and boys. And while ILO estimates that the green transition could generate 24 million new jobs by 2030, 80 % of them will emerge in sectors still dominated by men.

The Business Case for a Gender Just Transition

Throughout the Nordic Meeting 2025, we drew strength from being in the same room. We had the pleasure to hear from former Finnish President Tarja Halonen, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Karen Ellemann, former Member of the European Parliament and advisor to UN Global Compact Finland, Heidi Hautala, and Vicky Sins from the World Benchmarking Alliance.

With shared values and strong collaboration, the Nordic region is well-placed to advance a Gender Just Transition. 

And that’s good news for business.

Companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 25 % more likely to have above-average profitability. Transformation lives in the choices we make – in who we listen to, who we invest in, and who we bring to the table.

“The Ten Principles and the 2030 Agenda are not only guiding stars. They are a shared framework for action – also when equity feels complex, and inclusion takes time,” says Sara Krüger Falk, Executive Director at UN Global Compact Network Denmark.

Nordic Meeting 2025 is hosted by UN Global Compact Network Finland and organized in collaboration between the Country Networks of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland.

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So what can businesses do?

"Many companies have good intentions but lack the tools to implement them. The Nordic Programme on Non-Discrimination helps bridge that gap – building on Nordic strengths and aligned with global commitments," says Silke Sønderstrup-Granquist.

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