Illustration: Kultur -og idrettsbygg Oslo KF

Oslo leads the way

All the world’s economies are under increasing pressure to transform and decarbonize. Taking the climate challenge seriously will not be free of cost. However, we acknowledge that not taking immediate action will be even more costly in the long run.

Our capital, Oslo, aims to become a city with net zero emissions already by 2030. The city and the surrounding region is a living lab for testing new approaches for zero emissions housing, mobility and energy production. A learning arena for how the living environment of the future will look like.

Green transport

Oslo region has the highest per capita sales and stock of electric cars in the world, with a well developed charging infrastructure.

The public transport system will become fossil-free by 2020 and already today many of our busses are electric, or use biogas or hydrogen as fuel.

A range of commercial transport operators also aim for zero emissions by 2050, with the first electric truck coming into operation in 2016.

Circular Economy

Resource management is replacing waste management. Stakeholders in the Oslo region are working together to close the resource loops and re-integrate waste streams back into the production system. Innovative technology is a key enabler.

Oslo region has a range of innovative waste sorting plants, one of which is world`s first fully automated plant. Municipal food waste and wastewater sludge is being transformed into biogas and soil fertilizer.

Furthermore, new innovative business models create value from materials that have previously been regarded as waste.

Green buildings

The construction and real estate sector also contributes to the circular economy. New forms of cooperation have resulted in innovative concepts for construction and renovation of carbon neutral plus-energy buildings.

Oslo already has several buildings which will generate more renewable energy during their life time than the energy used in materials production, construction, operation and
demolition. Fifty such pilot individual buildings and city areas will be completed by 2020.

Renewable Energy

Norway is well-known for its competence within hydropower as more than 95% of our electricity is produced by the many rivers and lakes. However, to become 100% fossil-free in the future, we work with other forms of renewable energy as well.

Solar energy is increasingly important for us. The Norwegian Solar Energy cluster comprises companies with a long tradition in silicon production and energy system engineering.

Solar panels are becoming part of both existing buildings in the region or even integral parts of new buildings.

Photo: OBR/Monocle Thomas Ekström