Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Management (CEEN) in Development Policy: Addressing Knowledge Needs and Gaps in Norwegian ODA-Funded Research Support

Climate change, environment, energy and natural resource management (CEEN) are salient issues in global development policy. They are also particularly prominent in Norway, receiving close to 25% of the aid budget in 2013. This is partly due to the legacy of the Brundtland report from 1987 and subsequent ambitions of consecutive governments to further develop Norway’s role as a driving force for sustainable development. But it is also due to Norway’s comparative edge as a resource nation : Energy and natural resource management, including conspicuous strengths in the maritime domain – where as much as 90% of Norwegian export revenues are generated, represent key sectors of the economy. In the process of managing these resources to the benefit of the broader public, Norway has generated considerable expertise and know-how relevant to solving challenges facing developing countries in their attempt to govern the environment and natural resources sustainably.
With a view to identify and support research that can help meet future sustainable development challenges, sustain and extend the Norwegian comparative edge, and help inform global and local development policies and actions, NORAD and the Research Council of Norway (RCN) have commissioned an expert group to discuss Norwegian ODA-funded research support on climate, environment, energy and natural resources management (CEEN) in developing countries. The report will explore and analyze knowledge and research needs and gaps in the areas of CEEN, and ultimately play in to NORAD’s strategic review of its ODA-funded research.