The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) and the business sector’s climate change initiative signs new collaboration agreement to develop solutions with nature and sustainability at the core.
Photo credit: Juliet Landrø, NINA
Knowledge on nature and its biodiversity is essential to achieve a successful green transition. Land use change and resulting ecosystem degradation are receiving more attention, and it is acknowledged that climate change and the nature crisis are closely connected. That is why Skift, the business sector’s own climate change initiative, are now entering into a strategic collaboration with NINA, with a specific emphasis on nature and sustainability.
- The business sector needs NINA, and NINA needs to understand the needs of the business sector. This collaboration therefore opens up to new opportunities for developing sustainable environmental solutions for the future, says Managing Director Norunn S. Myklebust of NINA.
Climate initiative from the business sector
Skift - the business sector’s climate change leaders, is a climate change initiative driven by the business sector in Norway. The overall goal is to increase the pace of the green shift. Skift brings together the most climate-ambitious companies in Norway to focus on the opportunities of a zero-emission society, and the means needed to get there. Skift collaborates across sectors and industries, and the organization has close dialogue with both academia, political leadership and other partners in society and business.
- NINA has specialist expertise highly relevant and important for us in Skift. Over many years we have had the pleasure of involving NINA in our projects with nature elements. When we now formalize the collaboration, it is a further step towards working more closely together and drawing on each other's strengths going forward, says Bjørn K. Haugland, Managing Director of Skift.
Strengthens cooperation between research and business
Working together contributes to connect the business sector more closely to the latest knowledge and research developments on nature and climate change, as well as to involve NINA in relevant business arenas.
- By facilitating increased dialogue and cooperation between research and business, we can contribute to important expertise and network building, and work together towards developing better solutions in our nature and climate change efforts, Haugland elaborates.
This spring, NINA, Skift and Abelia wrote the article "Nature policy needs a holistic plan", as input to the process of developing Norway’s new national biodiversity strategy and action plan. The message in the article, with NINA at the forefront, is to create Nature21 as a national strategy for biodiversity and land use. Based on the debate following publication, the columnists were invited to a meeting with Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen.
- This is a good example of how we can influence decisions to a greater extent when several actors come together for a common cause, says Myklebust.
Contact: Norunn S. Myklebust