Lárus Ólafsson to leave role as minister’s aide

Lárus M.K. Ólafsson is stepping down as an aide to Iceland’s Environment, Energy and Climate Minister Jóhann Pál Jóhannsson, mbl.is reported Monday.

Ólafsson was appointed in June last year. Jóhann paid tribute to him on Facebook, saying it had been a privilege to work with him. “He has played an indispensable role over the past two years in shaking up energy affairs, driving forward system changes and getting things done,” Jóhann wrote.

Ólafsson told the business newspaper Viðskiptablaðið that there was no particular reason for his decision. He had simply decided it was time to call it a day and move to a different field, he said. His next step is not yet clear, and he will remain in the role for the next few months.

Ólafsson trained as a lawyer at the University of Iceland and specialises in environmental and natural resource matters. He was chief legal officer at the National Energy Authority from 2008 to 2011 and also served as deputy energy director.

From 2019, he worked as a specialist in energy and environmental affairs for the Federation of Icelandic Industries. Earlier, he was a lawyer for the Federation of Trade and Services and the Icelandic Travel Industry Association. From 2005 to 2008, he worked as a lawyer in the energy affairs offices of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Social Affairs.