Political Priorities

The Nordic countries generally have a stable and secure supply of energy and they are well on their way towards a sustainable transition of the energy sector. Close Nordic energy co-operation has contributed to this strong position; however, this does not mean that we can rest on our laurels. The Nordic countries still face challenges when it comes to energy, and further transformation will be necessary if we are to meet the ambitious climate goals and ensure high security of supply. At the same time, focus is also placed on the opportunities of Nordic companies to develop Nordic positions of strength at a time in which all of the world’s nations must undergo an energy transition.

The Nordic Region is stronger when we stand together. This is especially true from an outward-looking perspective, given that the current geopolitical situation has once more underscored the value to the Nordic countries of strong regional cohesion, and it is no less true in relation to Nordic energy systems, which are closely linked in the majority of the Nordic countries. This means that energy policy measures in one country also have an impact in the other countries. Hence co-operation around common initiatives will lead to an energy transition that is more financially and socially sustainable than what the countries could achieve on their own.

Nordic energy policy co-operation seeks to balance the so-called trilemma of energy policy. The aim is to ensure a transformation of our energy system that considers the environment and climate while also safeguarding the high security of supply that the Nordic countries enjoy and keeping energy affordable both for citizens and for businesses.

All of the Nordic countries are in the process of further electrifying their societies as a part of the sustainable transition. Work is being undertaken to plan, finance and implement a significant expansion of the national energy systems’ production capacity within fossil-free energy, including renewables, and of the electricity transmission grid, in order to enable greater electrification while also ensuring that the Nordic Region in 2030 will have the most competitive, innovative and consumer-oriented energy market.

Sustainable energy and its civil works and infrastructure – such as wind turbines, for example – can be further harmonised with nature and biodiversity to a greater extent. At the same time, the energy transition must also be implemented in such a way that ensures public acceptance of and good will towards the large infrastructure expansions that will be needed, including the deployment of turbines and transmission lines. Increased efforts to promote energy savings and efficiency improvements, as well as flexibility in consumption, will also contribute towards better security of supply.

The Nordic countries and their companies have unique competencies when it comes to energy technology, and they have significant energy technology exports. Nordic co-operation supports the work of the individual countries to build up new energy value chains in the region. The Nordic Region thus has good potential to become a sustainable energy hub that can attract companies, and from which fossil-free energy, including renewables and sustainable technologies, can be exported. This can be achieved via a common and strategic approach to business development whereby the Nordic countries work together to build the energy solutions of tomorrow. This will help to make the region, our companies, educational institutions and research environments so attractive that the Nordic countries will not only be able to train specialists and general employees, but they will also have sufficient draw to attract talent from all across the globe.

EU/EEA issues and other international energy concerns have been on the agenda ever since Nordic energy co-operation officially began, and they continue to be issues of high priority. In many of the energy arenas, Nordic co-operation and co-ordination can improve the feasibility of processes within the EU and the EEA. The Nordic countries all have different relationships with wider European collaborations, but they can all derive considerable benefit from co-operating on common matters in relation to the EU and EEA agenda. Over the past 8–10 years, the EU has scaled up its discussions within the area of energy. This has created new challenges but also new opportunities for Nordic energy co-operation.

Where relevant, work must be undertaken across sectors. Within the energy sector, for example, it is relevant to collaborate with the environment and climate sector, which also pursues work relating to fossil-free energy, renewables, CCUS, hydrogen, etc. It is also relevant to collaborate with the business sector, given that it is concerned with competition, and with any other sector that is contending with energy-related problems.

Nordic added value is a key criterion for evaluating the relevance and effectiveness of Nordic co-operation. Nordic added value is the value that results from common efforts, beyond the value that could otherwise be attained on a national level. Among other things, Nordic added value can be comprised of measures that create cohesion, reduce barriers and fragmentation, amass resources and expertise, realise untapped potential and create synergies.

Although there are differences between the countries, and even though each country may focus on different parts of our energy co-operation, energy policy co-operation in the Nordic Region as a whole generates clear added value for all of the Nordic countries and complements the work being undertaken at the national and EU levels. In order to boost further the added value of Nordic co-operation, it is necessary for the Nordic countries to focus on raising understanding of and co-operation around how the positions of strength of the individual countries can better complement one another in value chains and ecosystems across borders and sectors.

The Nordic countries share a set of common values and complementary energy services which provide good conditions to establish strong clusters and sustainable and secure value chains that can facilitate the generation of Nordic added value. Nordic co-operation can enable a faster and more effective transition whereby common efforts support the solving of common challenges.

The Nordic Council of Ministers for Energy has adopted the following goals and sub-goals for the work to be undertaken in the 2025–2030 period. The political priorities guide all activities in the policy area of Nordic co-operation.

The four goals and associated sub-goals of the energy sector all fall under the green strategic priority in that they will contribute towards making the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated in the world. However, the goals also pertain equally to the strategic priority of competition in that they reduce commercial energy costs and boost opportunities to develop new positions of strength. Finally, it should also be noted that sub-goal 1.3 contributes towards the strategic priority of social sustainability.