Sustainable Work Environment — Nordic Labour Journal

When there are too many tourists for too little gain

(May 27, 2025) A pilgrimage from Oslo to Trondheim’s Nidaros Cathedral became a reminder of the actual costs of tourism – to nature, hosts and local societies. As tourism continues to grow, we have to ask ourselves: What does it mean to be a good guest?

Danish GreenKayak promotes sustainable tourism

(May 27, 2025) Rent a kayak and pick litter out of Copenhagen’s harbour. That was the simple idea Tobias Weber-Andersen had while out running one day in 2017. Nine years later, GreenKayak is a tourism magnet with kayaks in four Nordic countries, plus Germany and Japan.

Tourism, yes please – but on the locals’ terms

(May 27, 2025) Tourism is coming in for increased criticism, especially in Spain, but also in other popular destinations like Amsterdam, Berlin and Venice. Unease about the number of tourists also exists in some places in the Nordics, and many are working on strategies for more sustainable tourism.

15,000 volunteers queuing up to help Faroese nature

(May 27, 2025) When the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands announced in 2019 that he would close the country for an entire weekend to allow for the restoration of environmental damage, more than 3,000 volunteers from around the world said they wanted to help. Since then, the Faroes have repeated the success every year. 15,000 applied for this year’s 80 spaces.

Iceland: Sustainability no longer a choice but a necessity

(May 27, 2025) Iceland is seen as an environmentally friendly country in many ways, but sustainability is still a relatively new concept – even within the tourism industry. Interest is now growing, especially as customers increasingly demand responsible choices.

Tourism when the destination takes centre stage

(May 27, 2025) Sustainable tourism is about preservation. Regenerative tourism is about improvement and contributing to recovery. Kullaberg Nature Reserve involves the surrounding community to maximise the positive effects of tourism.

Norway’s Fløibanen funicular: on track for sustainability

(May 27, 2025) With more than 2.3 million annual visitors, how does Bergen’s Mount Fløyen balance growth and sustainability?

The price of a Nordic tourist boom

(May 27, 2025) Tourism in the Nordic region has grown a lot over the past decades. It creates jobs and money in the state coffers. But mass tourism comes at a price. And local communities and researchers are sounding the alarm: Sustainable tourism must be about more than the climate and money.

Little, strong Utsira – life in Norway’s smallest municipality

(Mar 27, 2025) When a young Julie Faldt Faurholt moved from Denmark’s smallest municipality – the island of Læsø – she was determined she would never live in such a small place again. But the island she lives on now is far smaller. With 217 people, Utsira is Norway’s smallest municipality.

Municipal Nordics face common challenges

(Mar 27, 2025) Municipalities across the Nordic region are under pressure from ageing populations, labour shortages and rising costs. The challenge is to deliver quality services in line with residents' growing expectations, according to the Nordic municipal organisations.

Danish expert: Support young people to get pregnant, not to freeze their eggs

(Mar 25, 2024) Female employees in large American companies can have their eggs frozen and delay having children – as a workplace benefit. A leading Danish infertility expert recommends Nordic employers and governments take an opposite approach and support young people to have children while they are students or newly employed.

The greatest threats to energy supply in the Nordic region

(Mar 23, 2023) Nordic Energy Research has presented a list of risks to the energy market. Topping it, somewhat surprisingly, is the long approval process facing new energy projects along with the fact that there is little public support for state-funded infrastructure investments.

When sustainability becomes the fashion

(Jan 19, 2023) The circular economy is only part of the solution for making our society greener. But it is very concrete and it is easy to measure its results. The circular economy is the theme for this edition, and we look at how it influences trade, fashion and the textile industry.

Finland shows the way towards a circular economy

(Jan 19, 2023) Finland wants to be a world leader in the change towards a circular economy. To do that, the country has taken a holistic approach and written the world’s first national roadmap detailing the necessary measures.

EU initiative will make circular products the new normal

(Jan 19, 2023) Sustainable and circular products will be the new normal in EU markets. That is at least the idea behind the EU Commission’s initiative for a new circular economy action plan which is now being scrutinised by the EU decision-making machinery.

How donated textiles become new clothes

(Jan 19, 2023) Fashion and textiles are environmental bad guys in terms of raw material production, work environments and pollution from processes to finished products and transport. There are many ideas for circular solutions in all parts of the chain, but it will take time to turn this big ship around.

Sustainability brings new Nordic retail jobs

(Jan 19, 2023) Clas Ohlson is one of the companies striving to make a difference for the planet. It aims to be carbon neutral with a circular value chain by 2045 and is already underway.

Sustainability requirements at the Copenhagen Fashion Week

(Jan 19, 2023) For the first time ever, the Nordics’ largest fashion week has implemented sustainability requirements for participating fashion brands. A new era, but the road to a sustainable fashion industry is long, says expert.

Healthcare staff in Sweden look forward to stricter daily rest rules

(Jan 19, 2023) A minimum of 11 hours of consecutive rest between shifts. That is the result of negotiations between Swedish trade unions and employers. Rules had to be changed after the European Commission questioned certain parts of the Swedish collective agreement on working hours.

From modest environmental goals to the world's most sustainable region

(Mar 25, 2022) 23 March marked 60 years since the signing of the Helsinki Treaty in 1950. It came into force on 1 July that year and saw amongst other things the creation of the Nordic Council of Ministers – the Nordic governments' cooperation body.