Former Nokia boss Jorma Ollila to boost Nordic co-operation on energy
The purpose of this review is to clarify how Nordic co-operation on energy can be most effectively developed over the next five to ten years. The report is intended to result in 10 to 15 concrete proposals for co-operation, which could form the basis for the Nordic Council of Ministers’ future ventures in the energy sector.
“The energy sector is facing major changes as the industry switches to more sustainable energy sources. The Nordic Region is a world leader when it comes to sustainable energy and is a pioneer in energy co-operation. To retain its position, it is crucial to identify those areas in which it is worthwhile to invest in the future. I’m pleased to be a part of this and to help the Nordic countries in this area,” Jorma Ollila says.
Ollila is a big name in the international business community. His roles have included chairman and CEO of mobile manufacturer Nokia at a time when the company was a world leader in the 1990s and 2000s. He was also the chairman of Shell from 2006 to 2015. Ollila is currently the chairman of the steel group Outokumpu.
“The energy sector is facing major changes as the industry switches to more sustainable energy sources. The Nordic Region is a world leader when it comes to sustainable energy and is a pioneer in energy co-operation. To retain its position, it is crucial to identify those areas in which it is worthwhile to invest in the future.Dagfinn Høybråten, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, is very pleased that Ollila is taking on this challenge. The energy sector is a high priority for Nordic co-operation, and this strategic review is yet another way to focus on energy co-operation. Sustainable energy is a keyword in the Nordic Region, which, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), is already 25 years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of reducing the CO2 intensity of its electricity production.
“I’m both proud and excited about this venture, not least because it will have Jorma Ollila at the helm, one of the biggest names in the Nordic Region’s business community and a person with a broad international network of contacts. He can challenge and boost the already close Nordic co-operation so that we can be even better equipped for the future,” Høybråten says.
EU focus
The goal is for Ollila to complete his report by early 2017. The review will not only consider internal Nordic co-operation, but will also address regional and international aspects. There will be particular emphasis on co-operation within the EU.
“The coming years will involve a number of new opportunities and challenges for Nordic co-operation on energy, such as with regard to the EU’s plans for an energy union. For this reason it is highly relevant to now conduct a strategic review,” says Finnish Minister for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn, who this year chairs the council of ministers for energy within the Nordic co-operation.
The strategic review of energy co-operation is part of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ reform project, which among other things aims to make the council of ministers’ work more efficient. The council of ministers has previously commissioned strategic analyses within the health sector, which culminated in the so-called Könberg report, as well as within defence and security policy, culminating in the so-called Stoltenberg report. This is best done through a strategic analysis of the labour sector.
The Nordic Region’s co-operation on energy policy is of a dynamic and long-term nature. In 2015, the 100th anniversary of the first electricity cable between Denmark and Sweden was celebrated. 2015 also marked the 20th anniversary of the “Louisiana Declaration”, in which the Nordic ministers for energy drew up the vision of a free and open electricity market with effective trade between the countries.
Over the years energy co-operation has added considerable value to the member countries and autonomous regions. It is a collaboration that ministers for energy want to develop further. At a meeting in Copenhagen on 10 November 2015, the ministers for energy concluded that Nordic co-operation on energy should continue to be based on trust, solidarity, and investments in climate-friendly green growth. The ministers expressed their support for continuing to harmonise and strengthen the Nordic electricity market, but also stressed that they want to develop co-operation with the EU’s energy union.
