What should be the role of the youth in the implementation of the sustainable development goals in the Nordic and Baltic regions? A group of young leaders passionate about sustainability decided to invite youth from 13 Nordic and Baltic countries to come together yearly on the Åland Islands to generate answers or practical approaches to this question. Over the course of three days, around 100 youth meet with the local and international politicians, activists, academics and business representatives in an intergenerational and intercultural dialogue during ReGeneration2030 Summits, with a focus on SDG-12 and 13. 

During the first summit in 2018, the group agreed upon a manifesto to guide and promote their future work using the actual parliament as their main venue, which provides participants the opportunities to experience how various policy documents are drafted. The manifesto is a critique of using the resources of our planet as if they were infinite and sets a vision of making sustainable production and consumption the new norm in the Baltic and Nordic regions. Today, we consume 1.7 Earths a year globally, over 3.1 Earths in Norway. High time to change that!

The 2019 Summit theme was “changing climate, changing lifestyles” and it was dedicated to identifying the challenges in six areas: zero waste, green fashion, everyday private consumption, circular economy, food waste, towards a healthy and sustainable food system. In workshop, groups were challenged to come up with innovative ideas to tackle each one of them. E.g.: challenge yourself and some friends to host dinners with the local ingredients only, with plastic-free packaged products, or both! ReGen 2030 is an ideal setting to discuss what, on the many levels has to be done to make sustainable consumption the new norm.