Energy Innovation and Sustainable Development: Are the Nordic Countries More Than Bumble Bee ^* ?

Abstract

Today, the need for renewable energy is rising steadily. Various steps are being taken by nations to address the rising need. The developments occurring in proportion to the industrial structures and economic levels of the countries, these efforts, the political structure of the country, some established patterns from the past, and many other external factors affect the use of renewable energy and therefore sustainable development, which has been one of the most important agendas since the early 1990s. In this study, it is examined whether certain characteristics of the Scandinavian Welfare Model affect the background of this successful image of Finland, Denmark, and Sweden, which rank in the top three positions in both the Global Energy Innovation Index and the Sustainable Development Report. As a result, although the use of fossil fuels increases the ecological footprint in the Scandinavian countries, which are evaluated as in the rest of the world, continuing the principles of innovation, trust, equality, openness, and sustainability with determination, the Nordic approach has not departed from the welfare state principle compatible with its own codes, unlike the transformations experienced by other welfare regimes, and has become a distinctive factor.

Citation

Baş, H. and Coşan, B. (2023), "Energy Innovation and Sustainable Development: Are the Nordic Countries More Than Bumble Bee ^* ?", Dinçer, H. and Yüksel, S. (Ed.) Renewable Energy Investments for Sustainable Business Projects, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-883-120231007