Norwegian Value Creation Beyond Oil and Gas

Humans are very short sighted, and prioritise economic growth and increased welfare at the expense of the environment. The total energy use is strongly coupled to the size of the economy, and the type of energy use is coupled to the type of capital goods that we have invested in. This takes time and resources to change. A strong disruptive change might be needed to shift the energy system into a different and sustainable path. This change could be a “peak oil” situation, accelerating climate costs, political and economical instability or even war. We have to change the energy system. We will remain short sighted, continue to optimise welfare and hope for the best for the future generations. Change towards sustainability has to be done within this context. Can “peak oil”, climate policies and technological learning create business opportunities for sustainable energy production, or is there a need for a stronger force to move down the learning curve?