https://www.norden.org/en/person/mary-gestrin

Stefan Sundman is responsible for UPM´s public and media relations. He has a 20 years experience of the forest based industry and it´s transformation. In his work he is networking and communicating about the sector and the UPM, its strategy and direction. He´s a strong believer that renewable, biobased solutions can offer a way to combat climate change in a world beyond fossils.

Tinna Hallgrímsdóttir is a 26-year-old Icelandic environmental and sustainability activist. She is the vice-chairperson of the Icelandic Youth Environmentalist Association and of the Student Association of the Environment and Natural Resources program at the University of Iceland. Tinna is the Icelandic Youth Representative for the United Nations in the field of sustainable development, as well as the vice-representative in the field of human rights. She is currently doing her graduate studies in Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Iceland along with an extra graduate diploma in Practical Equality Studies.

Nadia is the Danish Youth Delegate to the UN for climate and environment and participates through that in conferences related to UNFCCC and CBD. She is elected by the Danish Youth Council and is through that representing 600.000 Danish young people. She is studying environmental economics at the University of Copenhagen. Furthermore, she is an SDG ambassador where she educates young people in sustainable development goals focusing on engaging them on the agenda. In addition to that, she has a background in youth politics where she has been a spokesman for climate and environment in the social liberal youth party.

Bernt G. Apeland is Secretary General of Norwegian Red Cross. He is currently chairing the Virtual Fundraising Hub, an initiative of the Movement-Wide Resource Mobilization Principles, adopted by the Council of Delegates of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in 2017. Mr. Apeland has held positions in the humanitarian sector for over 25 years and has a long-time experience with communication, advocacy and fundraising. Mr. Apeland started his career as a journalist in Norway but joined the ranks of Norwegian Red Cross as communications officer as early as 1994. Over the years he has worked in all parts of the Movement, both in the field and in headquarters. When he left the organisation in 2011, he was Director of Communications and Fundraising.

Helena Thybell is the CEO of Save the Children Sweden. She has a special engagement in child protection, girls in migration and how children are affected by climate change. She has a background as a social worker, she has worked with countries as Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia for the Red Cross, started up two foundations and she has been Head of HR for H&M Group with responsibility over 179 000 employees. Helena now leads Save the Children in Sweden - a global child rights movement active in 117 countries around the globe and with over 60 000 members in Sweden. We have a bold ambition: we believe in a world in which all children survive, have the opportunity to learn, and are protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

David has been the Director of Policy of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) since 2017. He has an MBA from London Business School and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in law from the University of Iceland. David was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Icelandair from 2009-2017, General Counsel of the investment bank Askar Capital from 2007-2009 and General Counsel of the Iceland Chamber of Commerce from 2005-2007.

Dr. Davíðsdóttir is a Professor of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) at University of Iceland and is the academic director of the ENR graduate programme. She has extensive teaching, research and consulting experience in issues related to energy and the environment, such as energy policy, sustainable energy development, sustainability indicators, ecosystem services, climate change mitigation and adaptation and modeling energy related technological transitions. In addition to her academic duties Dr. Davidsdottir currently serves on several committees in Iceland, e.g. is the vice chair of the Icelandic Climate Commission and sat on the committee for future energy policy. She also sits on the Scottish council of economic advisers. Dr Davidsdottir also is active in the private sector and is e.g. the chairman of the board of Reykjavik Energy and sits on the board of the Arctic Circle Foundation, which hosts one of the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic.

Third year student in biology at the University of Iceland. Is a member of the student council of the university of Iceland and president of the student council’s Environmental- and Transport Committee.

Grete is CEO of JA Norway, a non-profit organization that works with training students from primary school to university in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy. She is concerned with giving young people the opportunity to test their abilities in several areas, and to see opportunities to contribute to the future society. She has previously worked as part of the management in large Norwegian companies as Telenor, Statkraft and Veidekke. She has a M.Sc. from NTNU - and has been a top international athlete in cross-country skiing and biathlon.

28-year old student who has spent several years engaged in climate politics within various sectors such as academia, policy and business. Currently finishing my masters degree with focus on climate ethics. Every year, I become increasingly frustrated when I see the minimalistic approach to climate change being ever more the go-to mindset of people in power. The time for change is long overdue!

Ms. Gunvor Kronman has extensive experience of leadership and international assignments. She is currently the CEO of Hanaholmen –Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre, and during the past 25 years has held central positions nationally and internationally across all sectors; private, public and third sector alike. Gunvor is also Chair of the Board of Konstsamfundet, Amos Rex Contemporary Art Museum and Kalevala Jewellery Company. Vice-Chair of Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem and Plan International Globally. Also serving as member of the Board of Rand Europe, UN Live and Mälardalen University in Sweden, just to mention a few. Received several honorary medals for promoting the relations between Nordic countries and carrying out humanitarian work.

Johan Strang is an intellectual and political historian of 20th century Scandinavia who has written extensively on issues related to democracy, the welfare state and Nordic cooperation. He is currently particularly interested in how Norden as a political concept faded away after the end of the Cold War, and how it has been reinvented as something quite different during the recent decades. He engaged in a number of research projects in collaboration with scholars across the Nordic region (e.g. Norden since the End of History, Neoliberalism in the Nordics, and Reimagining Norden in an evolving world). He is also a frequent commentator on Nordic affairs in Finnish, Scandinavian as well as foreign media.

Sigurður is an environmental engineer and a climate activist. He is the youth representative in the Icelandic Climate Council and was secretary of The Icelandic Youth Environmentalist Association for two years. He was one of the main planners of the weekly climate strikes in Iceland for half a year. His main professional expertise is in the fields of climate change, carbon footprint, Life Cycle Assessment and BREEAM certification of sustainable buildings.

Hrund is the Managing Director of Festa – center for sustainability. Hrund is the former Chair of the Technology Development Fund in Iceland, which supports innovation. She has 20 years experience in global development and entrepreneurship e.g. with the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, in areas related to sustainable development, the circular economy, gender equality, the fourth industrial revolution, complex emergencies and 21st century leadership. She is also the co-director and writer of the documentary InnSæi – the Sea within, which explores the art of flourishing, leading and innovating in an age of distraction and transformation, shown worldwide on Netflix. She is a Yale World Fellow, WEF Cultural Leader and was selected Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum in 2011. Hrund has served on various boards related to innovation, the arts, global leadership, education and human rights.

Simon Holmström is the environmental activist who became the youngest Member of Parliament on Åland because of his frustration over the climate crisis. He represents a new Ålandic party which now is part of the regional government. Simon has a Master's degree in environmental psychology from Surrey University and has since then taken a leading role in the Ålandic sustainability work. He is also co-founder of the youth movement ReGeneration 2030 which works for Agenda 2030 in the Nordics and the Baltic Sea region. As a new member of the Nordic Council from Åland, Simon has taken the initative for a member proposition for an end date of the use of fossil fuels. According to him, this is a way of planting a seed for a new international movement.

Emma Holten is an online human rights activist, editor (Friktion Magasin), and works part-time on campaigns and policy on gender and economic inequality at Oxfam IBIS, Denmark. She has delivered keynotes at the Conference on the status of Women at the UN, The Next Web, TEDxVienna and Point Festival, among many others. She was born in 1991 and lives in Copenhagen.

Henrietta researches intersections between COVID-19 and climate change, belonging to the Green Economic Recovery project at the University of Oxford. Prior to joining the team, she completed an MSc in Environmental Change and Management at the same university. Between 18/19, Henrietta served as Sweden's Youth Delegate to the UN, where she advocated for social and environmental justice for young people.

Amos is a 24 year old student of Global politics from Helsinki and active in the European climate justice movement since 2018. Taking part in mobilizing with Extinction Rebellion and local struggles for climate justice such as Folk mot Fossilgas, Ende Gelände and Swiss Collective Climate Justice. Inspired by Gandhian civil disobedience as well as Nordic eco philosophy Amos sees both state policies and non violent direct action as necessary tools to secure the survival of people and environment both today and in for the future.

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Aldis is 26 years old, from Reykjavík and in the final year of her master’s in law at the University of Iceland. Her main focus is on human rights, European and international law. She’s currently the president of the Nordic Youth Council and the international officer of the Social Democratic Youth in Iceland. Aldís was active in the student movement for 5 years and held various positions. She was the president of the national union of students in Iceland in 2017-2018 where she worked to secure grants as part of the financial support for students through a reform of the student loan fund law. She was a board member of the European Students’ Union representing Icelandic students and participated in the Nordic student organisations’ network NOM. Aldís’s main focus is working towards equality, a just refugee policy and legal framework, immediate climate crisis actions and active international cooperation.

Sustainability advocate and champion at Storebrand,Norway's largest asset manager. Co-founder/former CEO of Young Sustainable Impact, a global non-profit helping young entrepreneurs build impact startups. Educated in Economics and Entrepreneurship, and trained problem solver through a career in management consulting.