In this episode we explore an awkward marriage between a sustainability paradise and a petrostate: Norway.
If we were to conjure images of a modern green utopia – innovative cities coexisting with natural landscapes, visionary architecture topped with green rooftops and solar panels, ecological sustainability fused with techno futurism – we’d most likely be imagining a place that already exists: Norway.
A country known for its breathtaking fjords, generous social services, and recent world cup fame, Norway is also internationally renowned for its ambitious climate adaptation and mitigation policies. More than 90% of the electricity in the country is generated by renewable sources, and Norway is a global leader in zero-emission vehicles. What remain aspirational carbon-neutral targets in most countries, Norway has already achieved.
But here is the glaring contradiction: Norway’s green transition is substantially funded by oil and gas.
Norway is the largest oil exporter in western Europe and a global super power in natural gas production. The fossil fuel industry accounts for roughly a fifth of the country’s GDP and its proceeds cover roughly a quarter of government expenditures. And while the rest of the world faces oil supply crises following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Trump’s war in Iran, Norway profits from increasing international demand for fossil fuels.
In today’s episode, we are joined by climate journalist Ingerid Salvesen to break down this Norwegian Paradox. In addition to highlighting Norway’s environmental virtues and contradictions, we discussed the challenges facing climate journalists everywhere. How does one communicate the seriousness of the climate crisis without creating cynicism and overshadowing small victories? And how can journalists remain impartial while still advocating for scientific solutions?
Join us to discuss this highly particular and paradoxical climate case study with Dr. Ingerid Salvesen in her hometown of Oslo, Norway.
Ingerid Salvesen is a journalist and researcher based in Oslo, with a long career in writing and environmental policy. She earned her Master’s from the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Oslo, and has studied at Oslo University College, the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. She is currently a scholar in climate journalism at Oslo Met University and a journalist at the Sunstone Institute.
Robert Perkinson (moderator) is an associate professor of American Studies at UH Manoa and director of the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.
Production assistance: Oslo Metropolitan University, University of Hawai'i Center for Language & Technology.