On Monday 24th April, a new expert committee launched the report "If not Norway, then who?". The report looks at new sources of climate finance and how both public and private capital can ensure increased international funding for climate action.
Photo: Håvard Bjelland/Norwegian Church Aid.
- The climate crisis is crying out for leadership. Much of the work can be done by private investment and innovation. But to trigger these on a large enough scale, political innovation is also needed. We demonstrate that Norway can get much more out of its financial strength. No country is better placed to create a global coalition to trigger the massive climate investments that are needed, says chair of the committee and former Minister of Climate and Environment Vidar Helgesen.
The report has been written by a committee of experts in economics, green transition, development aid and politics, and has been appointed by the organizations Red Cross, Norwegian Church Aid, Save the Children, Norwegian People's Aid, Caritas and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The report points at the situation Norway now find itself in, as we involuntarily earn large sums due to a war in Europe. This means that many people are now looking to Norway for leadership when it comes to mobilizing enough funds – private and public – to finance what we know is needed to solve the climate crisis.
Vidar Helgesen, chair of the committee, hands the report to Dagfinn Høybråten, secretary general of the Norwegian Church's Aid. He receives the report on behalf of the 6 humanitarian organizations that have appointed the committee. Photo: Lucian Muntean / Norwegian Church Aid.
- The committee has delivered solid work in which they point to several opportunities for Norway to show international leadership in mobilizing the climate finance needed for the world to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. We hope the government will be inspired by this important work in a year where the global arenas for discussing climate will be held throughout the year, and where the world will look to the rich countries for leadership, says Dagfinn Høybråten, secretary general of Norwegian Church's Aid.
The committee makes four main recommendations for how Norway can take international leadership:
Committee members:
Vidar Helgesen, chairman of the committee, former Minister of Climate and Environment.
Thina Saltvedt, chief analyst, Nordea
Roger Schjerva, social economist, former state secretary in the Ministry of Finance
Snorre Kverndokk, senior research economist, Frisch Centre, UiO
Steffen Kallbekken, research director, Cicero
Ottar Mæstad, director, CMI
Naja Møretrø, president, Changemaker
Karoline Andaur, Secretary General, WWF
Sigrun Aasland, CEO, ZERO
Julie Rødje, director, Debt Justice Network Norway
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