An important agreement was reached in the first week of December 2023, when representatives of Nordic governments and social partners met in Reykjavik for the Nordic Tripartite Dialogue on the Green Transition in the Nordic Labour Market. Participants from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway set out to promote sustainability and integration, with a vision to make the Nordic region the most sustainable in the world.

The agreed memorandum outlines key commitments and principles to guide the Nordic countries through the challenges and opportunities of the green transition.

In line with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) resolution, participants emphasised the crucial role of a Just Transition in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. IndustriAll Europe welcomes this approach as we need to ensure that no worker in any region is left behind.

Recognising that the shift to a greener economy will bring changes and opportunities, representatives committed to prioritising social inclusion, job creation and reducing economic inequalities. It was agreed that social dialogue has a crucial role to play in ensuring an effective and successful transition in the Nordic labour market. In addition, the Memorandum underlines the importance of addressing social security and labour market related rights and maintaining a fair and efficient labour market.

Given the transformative nature of the transition, the signatories emphasised the need for new skills to meet the new job requirements in a low-carbon economy. The agreement stressed the importance of reskilling and upskilling opportunities for workers and job seekers, as well as promoting occupational and geographic mobility. As highlighted in our position paper, 2023 should be the year for achieving the right to training, and this objective is in line with the resolution of the Nordic Tripartite Dialogue. This forward-looking approach of the Nordic agreement is therefore well suited to prepare the Nordic labour market for the green transition.

A Just Transition is also about recognising the potential negative distributional effects and the need to mitigate them. The Memorandum thus calls on the relevant actors and sectors within Nordic cooperation to promote tripartite consultation and social dialogue in order to share best practices and facilitate a just green transition.

As the countries work towards their ambitious 2030 vision, this historic agreement is a crucial step towards ensuring a fair and inclusive transition in the Nordic labour market. However, this agreement is not a binding instrument and needs to be implemented on the ground. IndustriAll Europe welcomes the agreement and calls for more concrete action.

Memorandum of Understanding: EN