The Nordic future of workHow will work and working life in the Nordic countries change in the future? This is the question to be addressed in the project The Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Models. This initial report describes the main drivers and trends expected to shape the future of work. It also reviews the main distinctions of the Nordic model and recent developments in Nordic working lives, pointing towards the kind of challenges the future of work may pose to the Nordic models. Too often, debates about the future narrowly focus on changes in technology. This report draws attention to the broader drivers and political-institutional frameworks influencing working life developments, aiming to spur debate about how the interaction of changes in demography, climate, globalization and digital technologies may influence Nordic working lives in the coming decades.

In the runup to the ILO's 100th anniversary in 2019, the ILO asked the Nordic countries to contribute to the debate about how the future of work can be shaped. the Stockholm conference gathered more than 120 participants, and was number three out of four annual Nordic conferences. The debate was divided into four main themes: 1) How will the technological developments affect the Labour market? 2) How are the Nordic countries preparing for a more digitised and automated labour market? 3) How are companies and industries affected by the technological development? 4) How to deal with the need for skills? The programme included perspectives from all of the Nordic countries, from multinational organisations such as the OECD and the ILO, international companies such as McKinsey and Google, Nordic labour market authorities, social partners and companies undergoing changes.

Abstract: The conference aimed to identify Nordic and global future of work trends including new forms of work and new technologies and production models resulting from digitalization. It pointed to challenges of ensuring adequate protection, employment opportunities and safeguarding competitiveness in the Nordic region amidst rapid technological and demographic changes. As policy responses speakers identified the need to invest in education and skills, to update policies, legislation and collective agreements to better respond to the future labour market. Furthermore they emphasised that social protection should have a broad coverage and encourage active labour market participation. Global cooperation, labour standard and social dialogue are needed to promote decent work. Last but not least gender equality is an important principle and policy goal also for the future ILO work

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-520/ Major changes in technology, economic contexts, workforces and the institutions of work have ebbed and flowed since well before the first industrial revolution in the 18th century. However, many argue that the changes we are currently facing are different, and that the rise of digitalized production will entirely transform our ways and views of working. In this collaborative project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, researchers from the five Nordic countries have studied how the ongoing transformations of production and labour markets associated with digitalization, demographic change and new forms of employment will influence the future of work in the Nordic countries.

In connection to the 100th anniversary of the ILO in 2019, the Nordic Council of Ministers arranged a conference to debate the future of work in the Nordics. The event was held on the 4th-5th of April in Reykjavik and was the last in a series of four annual conferences. The debates centered on the changing labour market and whether the Nordic model will be able to adapt to this. The conference lasted two days, each with a particular theme: 1) Future of Work – where the future of the Nordic model was discussed 2) Gender Equality – where the debate revolved around the challenges and solutions regarding the inequalities between men and women on the labour market. The programme included perspectives from all the Nordic countries, as well as from international organisations such as the ILO and the OECD, international companies, Nordic labour market authorities, social partners and companies.

Available online: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:norden:org:diva-6158 Is labour law in the Nordic countries prepared to meet future challenges, or is there a need for adjustments and renewal? These questions form the backdrop for the analysis in this report. The Nordic systems of labour law are built on a binary divide between employees and the self-employed. As a main rule, employees are protected by labour law, while self-employed are not, and the employer is responsible for complying with the legal framework. If future labour relations make it harder to assess whether a worker is an employee or self-employed, and to decide who is the employer, this might undermine the efficiency of labour law regulations. The report analyzes the adaptability of the legal framework, and points at strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the study discusses how the identified challenges can be addressed, by suggesting avenues for legal development and reform. The report is the concluding analysis of Pillar VI in the project Future of Work: Opportunities and Challenges for the Nordic Models (NFoW), funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-507/ The psychosocial work environment encompasses a wide variety of factors that impact occupational health. As Nordic work life evolves, changes in the work environment must be accounted for to maintain a sustainable, healthy work life. This report discusses the results of two studies: 1) a literature study of impacts of new technologies on work environment and health, and 2) a Delphi study compiling Nordic experts' views on the future of the Nordic work environment. A central finding is that as complexity and uncertainty increase, a steady focus on protective work environment resource, perhaps most markedly worker autonomy, is important to meet future challenges. Many developments are likely to challenge and disrupt the high quality Nordic work environment. However, appropriate utilization of existing work environment resources may counteract possible adverse effects.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/nord2020-001/ Abstract [en] State of the Nordic Region 2020 gives you a unique look behind the scenes of the world’s most integrated region, comprised of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, along with the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The report presents a series of facts and figures showing the current state of play within core socioeconomic sectors, including demography, labour market and economy. In addition, you can read about wellbeing and energy pathways towards a carbon neutral Nordic Region. State of the Nordic Region 2020 is published by the Nordic Council of Ministers and produced by Nordregio, an international research center for regional development and planning established by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2021-542/ A core element of sustainable development strategies is that economic growth is decoupled from resource use and associated environmental degradation. This report examines evidence from literature to evaluate whether absolute decoupling is a realistic long-term solution to rapidly approaching environmental crises. It finds limited evidence for periods of absolute decoupling, despite two decades of green growth policy. Where absolute decoupling in environmental pressures has occurred, this has not been rapid enough to respect planetary boundaries. It makes a number of recommendations to policy makers. These include the consideration of concrete targets for resource use and emissions reductions linked to planetary boundaries and global fair shares, developing consensus on alternative measures for societal progress and accepting low levels of economic growth for the Nordics.

This report presents the third evaluation of the Nordic Swan ecolabelling scheme. The evaluation is conducted from the perspective of the public administration, and it examines the role of the Nordic Swan in a policy context. Recommendations are presented for authorities in the Nordic countries and for the bodies operating the schemes on a Nordic and national level. The evaluation focuses on current opportunities and challenges in the operating environment of the scheme. It examines the relations between the Nordic Swan and the EU Eco-label in the Nordic countries, including their governance procedures, popularity and reception in the market. Other current topics addressed include the progress achieved by the Nordic marketing strategy for the Swan and some current governance issues in the scheme, including the grounds for public funding for the Nordic Swan. The report also analyses the relations between the Swan and other environmental information systems. In particular, the report investigates the opportunities and challenges ensuing from the current attention to climate issues for the Nordic Swan.