Iceland exploits leadership on sustainability and diversity

Iceland is “on the cusp” of the rest of the world catching on to its values – sustainability, innovation and progress – states the country’s First Lady, Eliza Reid.

She was head of a delegation that recently attended the MIPIM real estate event in France in order to promote a number of foreign direct investment projects ranging from major plans to develop at the capital Reykjavík’s airport, a range of tourism initiatives and a major development in the capital itself.

As Reid explained to Real FDI Editor Courtney Fingar, among the principal attractions for businesses are the highly educated English-speaking workforce and the fact that nearly all of Iceland’s energy sources are already renewable and sustainable.

“The government has a policy to be carbon neutral by 2040 but to me the word ‘sustainability’ doesn’t just apply to environmental sustainability,” she said. “It’s also a question of values. We are the country that’s closest to closing the gender gap, for example, so you have a really active and engaged workforce that is maybe more diverse in some senses than you would see in other areas.”

“That’s all part of the country’s goal for progress: to really make sure that everybody has an opportunity to contribute in the best possible way.”