COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Nordic prime ministers and business leaders sought on Tuesday to reinforce the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by signing a joint declaration to promote public-private partnerships.
The declaration, signed by the prime ministers of seven Nordic countries, said the region must "lead by example" and such partnerships were needed to make it a leader in combating climate change and achieving a more sustainable society.
Business signatories included the CEOs of Equinor, Nokia, Storebrand, Telenor, Telia, Vestas, SAS and Yara.
"The vision is that the Nordic region will become the most sustainable in the world," said Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobssdottir at the signing ceremony in Reykjavik.
The international unity that enabled the SDGs and Paris Agreement on climate change to be adopted has been undermined by changes in leadership in certain countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump said last year he would pull the United States out of the Agreement.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; editing by James Drummond)