What if they also told you that the solution to the world’s climate crisis is not just possible, but is also profitable? And that the solution was not only logical, but effective and cheap?  

“It is actually as simple as that,” says Lotte Løland Nordal. She is Senior Advisor Corporate Strategy at Statkraft, Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy.

With power from the sun, wind, water and other renewable sources, the world can be supplied with electricity at the same time as the challenges relating to climate change can be resolved.

“In other words, we have a lot to do,”
says Lotte with a smile.

Two parallel crises
Before we can talk about the solution, we must look at the problem. Climate change: to date, the largest global challenge we have ever faced. Climate change is the global and local consequence of the fact that the Earth’s average temperature is rising.

This rise in temperature results in more extreme weather events, less stable access to water, forest fires and melting glaciers, to mention just a few of its consequences. Changes in the climate also result in a loss of biodiversity. The experts call it a parallel natural disaster, in which animal and plant species disappear.

“Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy is the only way to avoid harmful global warming.And if we don’t solve the climate crisis, the crisis in the natural world will simply intensify.”

So says Jon Evang, Head of Energy at the environmental foundation Zero. He continues:

“Renewable energy is the engine that drives the ‘green shift’.  We must build enough renewable energy infrastructure in a sensible way that takes account of the environment and biodiversity, and replaces fossil fuels with energy from renewable sources.”

Norway out in front
“What is exciting about Norway is that we are far ahead of many other countries with regard to renewable energy. That is largely thanks to our hydropower. As much as 98 per cent of the electricity generated in Norway comes from renewable sources. This gives us more room to focus on electrification, thereby reducing emissions in other sectors,” says Statkraft’s Lotte Løland Nordal.

Norway’s push to encourage the widespread use of electric cars is a good example of one such sector. The same can be said of the investments currently being made to introduce electric ferries and develop better batteries – also a Norwegian industry. And underpinning it all is a century and a quarter of renewable energy production, which makes such investments entirely logical. However, the majority of countries do not have access to as much renewable energy as Norway.

“If the world is to be emission-free by 2050, someone has to take the lead, and it should be us.”  Jon Evang Head of Energy at Zero.

“Norway leads the way as a producer of renewable energy, with almost 100 per cent of its electricity coming from renewable sources. This means that we can also lead the way when it comes to making the production of goods and services emission- free. If the whole world is to be emission-free by 2050, someone has to take the lead in 2030,” says Zero’s Jon Evang.

As a result, renewable energy is now a real alternative for countries that had previously been planning additional coal-fired power plants.
“They choose the cheapest option. So growth in the renewables sector offers hope that we can reach our climate goals,” says Jon.

The fact that solar and wind power have become more efficient, cheaper and more widely available means that growth countries like China and India are actually shutting coal mines in favour of renewable alternatives.
“We don’t have to producer more fossil-fuelled energy to meet
the world’s energy needs. We can do so with various types of renewable energy, both on a large scale and on a small scale,” says Jon.

TODAY YOU CAN GET FIVE SOLAR POWER PLANTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE TEN YEARS AGO..

.. AND TWO WIND POWER PLANTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE AS MANY YEARS AGO JUST A DECADE AGO

Renewable is cheaper
The good news is that advances are being made at breakneck speed. Which causes prices to fall. Cheap and fully comparable alternatives can replace fossil fuels. In some places, this is happening already.
“In many countries, solar and wind power is already competitive with existing coal-fired electricity generation. This is a crucial milestone in the green shift, and providesgives grounds for optimism in the fight against climate change,” says Jon.

No longer idealism
Both Jon and Lotte are optimists when it comes to the future. “Renewable energy is the way to go, and we see that more and more people are realising that fact. Renewable power production is expanding year by year, and its cost-effectiveness is rising,” says Lotte. And that is an important point: Choosing renewable is certainly not a matter of idealism. It is good business. It is profitable.
“And it’s renewable – again and again and again,” she adds.

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