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Nordic Toolbox for a Just Green Transition

This is how policymakers can invest in inclusive reskilling and upskilling

This section highlights examples of how various countries have supported workers during the green transition or developed upskilling and reskilling programmes. We also include tools which describe additional good practices and offer hands-on guidance.

EXAMPLE: Enhancing vocational education and training (VET) for the green transition

Location

Denmark 

Description 

In 2024, the Ministry of Children and Education launched a new agreement to enhance vocational education, emphasising green competences. The initiative includes funding for work-based learning, teacher upskilling in green skills, promoting learning mobility and incorporating a green component into VET students' final exams. It also strengthens the role of knowledge centres with the aim of preparing students for the future green job market.

Outcome

Over the next four years, EUR 28 million (DKK 210 million) will be invested in updating and acquiring state-of-the-art equipment for VET schools. Additionally, EUR 12 million (DKK 90 million) will be allocated to upskill teachers in green competences. That training will equip educators to teach the skills necessary for green jobs effectively, aligning student instruction with current environmental standards and practices.

Read more

A description of the initiative can be found on Cedefop's website.

Example: The Committee of Skills Needs (Kompetansebehovsutvalget)

Location

Norway 

Description

The Committee of Skills Needs was founded in 2017 and was mandated to deliver assessments of Norway's future competence needs. The committee is composed of representatives of the social partners, researchers and county authorities. The committee’s assessments guide strategic planning and decision-making by public authorities regarding skills development and the workforce at national and regional level. In 2023, the Committee published a report on skills needs during the green transition, with a focus on the petroleum sector, the renewable energy sector and the public sector.

Outcome

The committee and its work are described as an interesting practice in a recent OECD report on skills needs for the green transition. According to that report, no major skills initiatives related to the green transition have been implemented so far, partly due to the relatively recent developments in the field.

Read more

Website of the Committee of Skills Needs (in Norwegian):
Kompetansebehovsutvalget. 

Example: Educational support for reskilling (Omställningsstudiestöd) 

Location

Sweden 

Description 

In 2022, the social partners in Sweden agreed on two national agreements for training, reskilling and upskilling. The agreements give employees and unemployed people who have worked for a minimum of eight years during the last 14 years the right to participate in training activities and to receive financial support during that period. Some additional requirements and conditions apply. Participants receive 80% of their previous salary, up to a limit of SEK 5,275 per week. In addition, a loan of up to SEK 3,426 may be granted. The financial support is provided for a maximum period of 44 weeks (or longer if the studies are part-time).
The goal of the initiative is to improve labour mobility, enhance the skills and employability of the workforce and address labour shortages. The training should therefore convey skills and competences that are in demand on the Swedish labour market. “Transition organisations” run by the social partners help with new job placements or the transition to self-employment.

Outcome

Almost 5,200 persons took part in the initiative and participated in upskilling or reskilling during the first year. However, more than 15,000 people had their applications for financial support rejected because they did not fulfil the required conditions.

Read more

Information on the initiative (in Swedish) from Centrala studiestödsnämnden (CSN).
A description of the initiative can be found here "Sweden: Ground-breaking agreements on education support to enable a Just Transition" on industriAll's website.

Example: Future Skills Council and Centre

Location

Canada 

Description 

In 2019, the Government of Canada established a Future Skills Council and a Future Skills Centre to support the reskilling of its labour force.
The Future Skills Council is an advisory body consisting of multi-sectoral experts on skills development. Its members draw on their extensive networks and contacts to advise on emerging skills trends and priority areas for skills development. 
The Future Skills Centre is an applied research organisation that conducts a range of projects. Its work includes analysis of skills trends and identification of good practices and solutions to upskill and reskill Canada’s labour force to meet the needs of the changing economy.
Both organisations also promote access to training and equal labour market access, with a focus on underrepresented groups. A podcast series informs the public about trends and challenges in the world of work.

Outcome

A recent evaluation concluded that the initiative was successful in engaging a pan-Canadian network of stakeholders and experts in the field of skills development and that it also developed knowledge for the skills development ecosystem. However, it was too early to assess the usefulness of the knowledge produced and the impacts of diverse policies and programmes. The evaluators proposed several recommendations for improvement of the initiative, which were accepted by the leaders of the Future Skills initiative.

Read more

Website of the initiative Future Skills on the Government of Canada's website.
The results and Evaluation of the Future Skills programme is available of the Government of Canada's website.

Example: Taskforce on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities

Location

Canada 

Description 

With the goal of a coal power phase-out by 2030, the Canadian government established a Taskforce on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities in 2018. The Taskforce was asked to provide knowledge, options and recommendations to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on how to implement a just transition for workers and communities who are directly affected by the coal power phase-out. 
The taskforce consisted of nine members and two chairpersons. It was made up of representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress, the United Steelworkers Union, unions for coal power generating facilities (Unifor) and skilled trades related to coal power (IBEW), municipalities, NGOs, electricity companies and sustainable development experts.
Over a period of nine months, the taskforce hosted several meetings and engagement sessions with affected communities, stakeholders and the public. They also visited several generating stations and coal mines as part of their research.

Outcome

Based on their engagement with local coal workers and communities, the taskforce presented a report containing ten recommendations for the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Those include, for example, the recommendation to establish locally-driven transition centres in affected communities, to create a pension bridge for those choosing early retirement and to create a job bank to help coal workers find new jobs. The government intends to implement those recommendations within the framework of its proposed Just Transition Act.

Read more

About the taskforce on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities on the Government of Canada's website.

EXAMPLE: Reskilling4Employment

Location

European Union 

Description 

The Reskilling4Employment initiative was launched in 2021 by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), which brings together CEOs and chairpersons from large European companies. The initiative aims to stimulate public-private partnerships to reskill workers who are unemployed or at risk of unemployment. Reskilling is intended to provide skills and competences related to the green and digital transition, with curricula adapted to the specific needs in each country and sector.

Outcome

Pilot projects were conducted in Portugal, Spain and Sweden. In Sweden, a pilot project was conducted with involvement of the Volvo Group, targeting young people aged between 18 and 23. A total of 80% of participants moved on to employment. The initiative is now scaling up and starting pilot projects in further EU Member States. The project aims to reskill five million people in Europe by 2030. 

Read more

A description of the initiative from the European Commission (PDF).

EXAMPLE: Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment

Location

Germany 

Description 

In 2018, the Federal Government of Germany established the Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment with the goal of ending coal-fired power generation by 2038. The Commission brought together representatives from the energy sector, mining regions, trade unions, environmental NGOs, the scientific community, citizens and the parliament. Technical experts provided the commission with input and expertise. It sought to build consensus around how to phase out coal while minimising negative social and economic effects to affected communities.
The commission held ten plenary meetings and conducted three field trips to mining regions between June 2018 and January 2019. In addition, several working groups met to discuss topics such as the energy industry, climate targets, economic development and jobs.

Outcome

Following an eight-month period of discussions and plenary sessions, the commission adopted the final report on proposals outlining how Germany can reduce and ultimately end coal-fired power generation in a way that accounts for the needs and interests of affected communities, in particular those in lignite mining areas and in the areas where coal-fired power stations are located. The proposals included funding for a number of measures:
1) Supporting workers by means of reskilling and social benefits, including through training, compensation for financial losses, early retirement options and placement in skilled jobs,
2) Involving unions in the development of collective agreements for workers’ rights and early pensions,
3) Balancing energy pricing during the phase-out period,
4) Holding dialogues between state governments and residents living in mining regions,
5) Compensating power plant operators when closing the power plants.
Since its adoption, 40 billion EUR have been allocated to the phase-out work through a Structural Reinforcement Bill, while 14 billion EUR have been allocated to specific projects in the affected regions. Just over 4 billion EUR to power plant operator compensation. The work is supported by wider policies such as the Climate Action Law and the Coal Exit Law.

Read more

About the Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment on World Resources Institute's website.

EXAMPLE: Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019

Location

Scotland 

Description

In 2019, the Scottish Government defined the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Just transition principles were identified as central to achieving that goal and were enshrined in the law. 
The Act mandates that climate policies must describe how they contribute to a just transition and the sustainability goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. Policymakers must also assess the employment-related impacts and spatial impacts of proposed climate measures and set out mitigation measures to facilitate the green transition for workers, employers and communities. In addition, the Act requires that progress be measured and evaluated.

 Outcome

While the ambitions of the Scottish climate goals have been described as laudable, the government has fallen behind in reaching its emissions reduction goals. Despite those shortcomings, the aim of estimating employment and regional impacts of climate policies could be an interesting example for more systematic employment assessments for the Nordic countries as well.

Read more

The text of the Act is available on legislation.gov.uk.
A comment on progress made in the decarbonisation process "Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible" is available on The Climate Change Committee's website.

EXAMPLE: Scottish Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund

Location

Scotland  

Description

Due to a drop in oil and gas prices, many jobs were lost in the oil and gas sectors during 2014 and 2017. To support workers who were facing redundancy, the Scottish government launched the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund. It was approved in February 2016 and ran for a period of three years. It had a budget of GBP 12 million, allocated by the national government.
Workers in the oil and gas sector could receive grants of up to GBP 4,000 to participate in training or reskilling programmes in fields with current or anticipated labour demand.

Outcome

More than 4,200 workers participated in the programme, and nine out of ten were employed as of 2019.

Read more

Description of the fund and its impact: Scotland: Re-skilling through the Oil and Gas Transition Training Fund on World Resources Institute's website.

EXAMPLE: Green Jobs Taskforce

Location

United Kingdom 

Description

In 2020, the Ministers from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Education (DfE) convened the Green Jobs Taskforce to advise the government on how the UK could deliver on the ambition to create two million green jobs by 2030 and support industries and workers during the transition. The taskforce discussed:
1) Skills needed to drive a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,
2) Skills needed to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050,
3) How to ensure green jobs are good and accessible jobs,
4) How workers in high-carbon sectors can be supported in the transition to a green economy.
The 16 members of the taskforce included individuals representing industry, trade unions and the skills and education sector, among others. 
Between November 2020 and July 2021, the taskforce members reviewed industry and academic reports and facilitated stakeholder workshops. The taskforce was supported by a secretariat consisting of civil servants from the Department for BEIS and DfE. The work produced hundreds of policy ideas, which were then distilled by the taskforce into 15 recommendations. Those were discussed and validated by stakeholders at multiple workshops. The taskforce members met with ministers four times during the process to update them on key findings and the development of recommendations.

Outcome

The taskforce recommendations informed development of the government’s Net Zero Strategy, published in October 2021.

Read more

About the Green Jobs Taskforce on the UK Government's website.
Green Jobs Taskforce report from UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Business and Trade and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Tool: Skills forecasts country reports

Author or Publisher

Cedefop 

Year of publication

2023 

Description 

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) regularly publishes skills forecasts for the EU Member States, including for Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Those forecasts provide information on employment outlooks, labour force projection results and sectoral and occupational employment trends. While they do not provide any information about trends at subnational level, they may help policymakers from Denmark, Finland and Sweden to obtain a broad overview of expected trends and how they compare to other European countries. 

Read more

The skills forecasts are available at: Skills forecasts country reports on Cedefop's website.

Tool: Vocational and educational initiatives to reskill and upskill workers

Author or Publisher

European Commission 

Year of publication

2023 

Description 

This publication highlights various specific examples from around Europe on how countries and regions have developed vocational and educational programmes to upskill and reskill workers in carbon-heavy industries. Those may provide ideas and inspiration for Nordic policymakers.

Read more

Tool: Anticipating skill needs for green jobs: A practical guide

Author or Publisher

Gregg, C., Strietska-Ilina, O. & Büdke, C. 

Year of publication

2015 

Description 

This publication offers guidance on how to identify and anticipate future skills needs for a green economy. It includes information on data sources and advice on how to map and estimate skills demands and skills shortages for individual sectors.

Read more

Link to the publication Anticipating skill needs for green jobs: A practical guide from the International Labour Organization. 
Nordregio I www.nordregio.org/publications