Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Net zero and the Nordics
Sustainability | Europe
November 7, 2022 – Is a Nordic Silicon Valley of sustainability developing? Nordic companies lead on technological capital and are home to institutions that lead the world in sustainability research and in R&D investments as a share of GDP. This has resulted in a high proportion of climate-related patents per inhabitant and a large share of sustainable companies, say McKinsey senior partner Fredrik Dahlqvist and coauthors.
To read the article, see “Playing offense to create Nordic sustainability champions,” September 1, 2022.
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Visual form
Benchmark comparison chart.
Layout / body structure
The chart is laid out as a global benchmarking view, with the Nordics placed against other regions or countries on the dimensions that matter for sustainability-led competitiveness. Reader moves across the indicators to see where the Nordics lead.
What is being compared
It compares the Nordics with the rest of the world on technological capital, sustainability-oriented research intensity, climate-related patenting, and the share of sustainable companies.
Measurement system
The chart uses benchmark scores or relative shares across several innovation and sustainability indicators. Each indicator provides a different measurement window on how strong the Nordics are as a sustainability platform.
Visible structure inside the graphic
The internal structure is built from indicator-by-indicator comparisons, with the Nordics highlighted against the global field. The chart organizes those benchmarks so technological capital and sustainability leadership reinforce one another visually.
Main takeaway from the visual
The page shows that the Nordics are not just environmentally ambitious; they also have the innovation base to translate sustainability into competitive advantage. The chart is constructed to make that combination of technological and sustainability leadership stand out.
Key standout values or extremes
The strongest headline is that the Nordics are leading globally in technological capital. The surrounding indicators, including climate-related patents per inhabitant and R&D intensity, reinforce that lead rather than replace it.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
This is a static chart image with no in-chart controls to operate.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart image is the full visual on this page.