NTNU: Rector calls on politicians to fund technologies to cut greenhouse gases

On the eve of this week’s Norwegian general election, climate researchers at NTNU and the Norwegian research organisation SINTEF have issued a challenge to politicians to support the essential investments required to enable the country to meet its goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and put Norway at the forefront of climate change research and technology development.

Rector Torbjørn Digernes of NTNU said that just for 1.4 per cent of the national budget, or NOK 2,000 (€230) per citizen per year, Norway could build on its expertise in renewable energy technology and carbon capture and storage, to help lead the global effort to combat climate change. Along with SINTEF executive director Unni Steinsmo, he issued this budget challenge to all politicians seeking election to the Norwegian Storting, or parliament, on September 14, saying:

“We believe that knowledge and technology together are the keys to solving the climate problem, both in terms of how we as a society adapt to a changing climate and how we reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Our proposal will place Norway in an international leadership role in controlling climate change and will showcase the nation’s technological expertise and industries that are critical to addressing this global problem.”

As Norway’s leading university for science and engineering, NTNU is already home to a wide range of climate-related research, much of which is conducted in conjunction with SINTEF, Scandinavia’s largest independent research institute.

But with NOK 3 billion (€350 million) per year, Norway could expand its R&D efforts in everything from offshore wind power, to solar cell technology and bioenergy from sustainable sources.

Another NOK 7 billion (€810 million) per year would enable the country to phase out the use of oil for heating purposes, transform 20 per cent of the country’s vehicle fleet and 25 per cent of offshore facilities to electric power, capture carbon dioxide from six of the country's largest manufacturing facilities, and implement wide scale comprehensive energy efficiency measures in buildings and industry.

Norway as a catalyst to international action

Digernes and Steinsmo say this kind of financial backing will do more than bring Norway into compliance with its ambitious climate goals of being climate neutral by. The size of the commitment will enable Norway to act as a catalyst, to spur other countries to take on the climate challenge.

With a commitment such as this, they say that “Norway’s role in controlling global emissions will be far larger than the direct reductions we will achieve nationally.”