Nordic employers’ important role in the green transition

heads the Icelandic employers' organisation, SA.  At the Tripartiate Dialogue on the Green Transition of the Nordic Labour Market she said that "it´s good business to be green", but of course we need both the unions and the governments.

- When I think of the green transition from the employer’s side in Iceland, there are three main things we should be working on:

- First of all in Iceland we need to work on economic stability. We have an inflation which is 8 per cent and it has been like that for almost two years. Interest rates are 9,25 per cent and that is way too high, because we need investments to do the green transition.

- Secondly, together with the government we have created what we call the Climate Guidelines for industries. We delivered 332 proposals how to guide Icelandic businesses and what options we need to take. If the government could take that in account when they do their action plans, that would be perfect.

- Thirdly, we also need to work on the labour force. In Iceland we are reliant on immigrants. Our population can only grow with 0,5 per cent by year, but for the past years we have been growing 12 per cent thanks to immigration.  We need those people, and we need to work on the skilling side.

She said that there were great examples in Iceland how the workers and employees have been working together in changing huge systems, like the pension system. Another big project has been is funding the Education and Training Service Centres, ETSC.

The ETSC is owned by the Icelandic Confederation of Labour (ASÍ), the Confederation of Icelandic Employers (SA), the Federation of State and Municipal Employees (BSRB), the Ministry of Finance and the Association of Local Authorities in Iceland. The main aim is to be a leading actor in analyzing, validating and increasing competence in working life. 

Also, to the right in the picture above is Finland's Minsiter of Employment Arto Satonen. To the left is Bernt G. Apeland, President of the Norwegian employers' organisation Virke.