He is a former Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources, a role which he held jointly with Fisheries and Agriculture until Sigrún Magnúsdóttir was appointed Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources at the end of 2014.
前環境・天然資源大臣（英語版）であり、Sigrún Magnúsdóttirが2014年末に環境・天然資源大臣に就任するまでの間、漁業・農業と連携する役割を果たした。