Terravera can be a part of the solution for Norway

Martin Sckanke - Leader of the Norwegian Climate Comittee 2050

To achieve the 2050 climate goals, Norway must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 percent. This means that over the next 27 years, Norway must eliminate nearly all greenhouse gas emissions permanently, said Martin Skancke, Chair of the Climate Committee 2050, to NRK recently. The committee recommends, among other things, a halt to oil exploration until a concrete phase-out plan is in place.

“Terravera can help strengthen our knowledge base during this transition,” Skancke told Terravera. He also serves on Terravera’s Advisory Board.

The Climate Committee emphasized that scarce resources related to energy, land, and biomass will set boundaries for what can be achieved in terms of emission reductions in Norway, and that this perspective is not sufficiently reflected in current policies. The committee recommends that decision-making systems be restructured to adopt a broader approach to the transition. “Terravera can help strengthen the knowledge base and enhance understanding of how different sectors and industries influence each other’s transition through their use of shared, scarce resources,” says Skancke.

Common Standards

When asked whether we need frontrunners to lead the way or more collaboration, Skancke responds:

“We need both. There is great value in some taking the lead and providing practical examples of how to achieve the transition, but in many cases, rolling out new technology and scaling its use depends on adopting common standards and solutions.”

And when political will and the need for emission reductions appear to clash, solutions are necessary.

“Politicians cannot, over time, go further than voters are willing to let them. It is up to all of us — both businesses and individuals — to create the conditions for this transition. However, the committee also points to the need for political leadership through what will be a challenging process,” says Skancke.

Speaking to NRK, Skancke noted that the focus is less on reducing emissions and more on deciding which emissions can remain. “Everything else must go,” he said.

The committee emphasized the need to create conditions for the transition by better managing scarce resources required for the process. “Terravera can help build knowledge on how the transition for companies and industries is interconnected with access to limited resources like energy, biomass, and land,” Skancke concludes.

Climate Transition

“The Climate Committee highlights several important perspectives and choices that must be made in the climate transition. Overall, it is positive that they are shifting the perspective so clearly toward ‘what level of residual emissions we can allow.’ In the bigger picture, that is what it’s all about,” says Elisabet Kjerstad Bøe, CEO of the foundation.

“When we get into the details, we need in-depth knowledge of how everything is interconnected and what effect the measures actually have. Here, Terravera can play a role. We develop digital decision-making tools for businesses, where we compile all existing knowledge and data on their sustainability challenges, allowing them to simulate various scenarios and make informed decisions. The digital models we develop can also be shared, reused, and expanded, so we can work more effectively in value networks and across sectors,” she says.

Companies like Jotun, Norwegian, Laerdal Medical, and DOF Shipping already use Terravera for everything from documenting product properties and optimizing operations to making strategic decisions, Kjerstad Bøe concludes.