Correcting course for sustainabilityToday is the 20th anniversary of the Brundtland Commission's report, "Our Common Future". It is also 20 years since the Ideas Bank's predecessors started disseminating good examples of projects that represent stepping-stones towards sustainability. After reflecting on the challenges posed by the Brundtland Commission as well as our own experiences through these two decades, Kai Arne Armann suggests 10 steps that need to be taken in order to finally make Norwegian development sustainable.
Read more (27.04.2007)
Lier becomes Norway's second Fairtrade communityThe municipality of Lier west of Oslo became Norway's second official Fairtrade Community at a ceremony yesterday. The Fairtrade Communities scheme in Norway was launched in 2006 following an initiative by the Ideas Bank.
The ceremony in Lier was attended by the Speaker of the Norwegian Parliament, Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland, who stressed the importance of ethically conscious consumers as a political force. Ms. Lone Pålshaugen of the Ideas Bank also
spoke at the ceremony, describing Lier's efforts as a real step in the direction of sustainable development.
(27.03.2007)
Persson receives well-deserved prizeFormer Prime Minister Göran Persson of Sweden has been awarded the 2007 Sophie Prize ”for his political leadership in climate policy.” The Ideas Bank send its congratulations!
The jury cites achievements such as a 40 % reduction in carbon emissions from Swedish buidings since 1990, due to strong promotion of biofuels and increased taxes on fossil fuels.
Commenting on the award, Mr. Kai A. Armann, Manager of the Ideas Bank, points out that an important aspect of Mr. Persson's leadership was inspirational, through the emphasis he put on the
need for greater environmental consciousness and global solidarity as well as technological change.
Les mer (16.02.2007)
Nordic gateway to sustainable developmentThe Ideas Bank has entered into an agreement with ProSus, a research programme at the University of Oslo's Centre for Development and the Environment, under which we will share responsibility for updating and developing "The SusNordic Gateway". SusNordic will offer news on sustainable development in the Nordic countries, with special emphasis on climate and energy issues, along with background information on national strategies and on efforts by national and local governments, business and civil society.
(16.02.2007)
Municipalities can slash electricity consumptionOn 11 January, the Ideas Bank arranged a Dialogue Workshop on energy savings in commercial and public buildings. Present were representatives of leading Norwegian energy consultants and research institutions, private property developers and municipalities
The theme of the workshop was how a greater focus on energy use can lead to major savings without necessitating major investments in equipment or retrofitting.
Participants heard how the Nøstehagen nursing home, which belongs to Lier municipality, had cut energy consumption by 32 % from one year to the next merely by raising awareness among staff, and about an ongoing programme at the Steen & Strøm chain of shopping centres, which aims to save 20 million kWh of electricity annually through better monitoring. They also learned about an annual competition among Danish municipalities, where prizes are awarded to the municipality that uses the least energy per sqaure metre of building space as well as the one that reduces consumption by the largest percentage year-on-year. The Danish results also showed that even average municipalities in Denmark use less than half as munch electricity for purposes other than heating as do Norwegian municipalities. This suggests that Norwegian municipalities could save electricity worth half a billion kroner per year by raising awareness to Danish levels.
(Picture: Peter Torp, co-ordinator of the Danish competition, shows the big spread in energy intensity among municipalities in that country.
(14.01.2007)
Nordics at a crossroadsOn October 26 and 27, over 500 representatives of municipalities, NGOs, national government bodies and others from all of the Nordic countries met in Oslo to discuss how to achieve sustainable development at the local level. They concluded that radical changes are needed, and that they can only be achieved through a broad mibilization from the bottom up.
Photo: "Mulle" - the children's friend from the forest - greets Norwegian Minister for the Environment, Helen Bjørnøy.
Read more about the broad mobilization that Mulle, alias Gunnel Lundmark, has helped to arouse in the Swedish community of
Grästorp.
(02.11.2006)
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"Put lifestyles on the agenda!"The leader of the Commission on a Low-Emission Society,Professor Jørgen Randers (photo), yesterday presented its recommendations to the Minister for the Environment. The Commission proposes 15 measures to reduce Norway's greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds within 2050. The first of these is a "climate sense campaign" targeting the general public, while the remainder largely consist og technical fixes.
"It's great that the Commission wants a campaign to raise awareness among citizens, but a paradox that they still don't
seem to regard changes in behaviour as an important part of the solution", comments Kai Arne Armann, Manager of the Ideas
Bank.
(05.10.2006)
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On August 23 Sauda will officially become the first Fairtrade community in Norway. Local businesses and NGOs have joined forces with the local council to make sure poor farmers get a fair price for products that are sold in Sauda. The first Fairtrade town in the world was Garstang in the UK - a small community like Sauda. The concept was brought to Norway through an intiative of the Ideas Bank and the Fairtrade-Max Havelaar Foundation, and has caught the imagination of enthusiastic people in several Norwegian communities.
(21.08.2006) More...
Balancing Act kicks off Scandinavian campaignDancers from the Follo Folk High School entertained as three 12-metre-high sculptures were erected in front of the Oslo Central Station today. These symbols of education for sustainable development will be seen by tens of thousands of people during the coming month!
(15.03.2006) More...
Energy conservation by pullover:PM setting international trend?
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg today received an "Energy Pullover" as a Christmas present from the Ideas Bank. This follows on the initiative by his Japanese counterpart, Junichiro Koizumi, who is also promoting energy conservation. This spring Koizumi doffed his coat and tie and encouraged government staff to do the same, in order to save energy for air conditioning. In Norway much more energy is used for heating - which is where the pullover comes in. (Photo: State Secretary Bård Vegar Sohjell accepting the pullover on behalf of the Prime Minister.)
(21.12.2005) More...