Arendal Week 2022: The sea – must we choose between protection or exploitation?

Today we’re facing two crises that must be solved at the same time – an energy and climate crisis, and a biodiversity crisis. But how do we best go about solving them both at the same time, and is this even possible? 

Fossil fuel is a thing of the past, and efforts to put in place solutions for extracting energy from sustainable energy sources is more important than ever. Not only that, Norway has experienced the highest electricity prices in the whole of Europe in 2022, this despite it being almost free to produce hydropower in Norway. With our access to the North Sea and its enormous resources, there is scope for a major expansion of offshore wind farms and other large construction projects. 

But this puts pressure on nature, which is already have a tough time of it. We’re therefore asking how do we put in place a comprehensive plan for our seas, which takes into account the climate, nature, diverse business interests, and our neighbours? Can we choose whether to prioritise the climate crisis or the biodiversity crisis? Can we be too pragmatic when making plans for aquaculture? 

• Espen Barth Eide, Minister for Climate and Environment, Norwegian Labour Party 
• Marton Leander Vølstad, consultant, Nordic Energy Research 
• Benedicte Solaas, Director Climate and Environment, Norwegian Oil and Gas 
• Even Aas, Executive Vice President Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Kongsberg 
• Asbjørn Torvanger, Senior Research Fellow, CICERO - Center for International Climate and Environmental Research Oslo 
• Rasmus Hansson, Business Committee, Norwegian Green Party 
• Gine Wang-Reese, Executive Vice President Public Affairs and Sustainability, DNB 

Moderator: André H. Jamholt, Nordic Council of Ministers 

Organiser: Nordic Council of Ministers