Reception at the Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco

Dear Consul General,

Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear everyone,

I am very happy to be here in California!

This visit is a follow up to the virtual visit to California by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon last year.

For me, this is an excellent opportunity to concretise joint action by Norway and California.

My primary goal for this visit is to explore how we can work together in the green transition, and create business opportunities and jobs at the same time.

California and Norway have both set out ambitious climate goals, and we have started the transition towards a greener future.

*

Norway already enjoys an excellent bilateral relationship with the US and with the state of California.

Our strong ties are rooted in our common history and shared values.

Both Norway and California are “west coast states”.

Our populations share a dynamic, entrepreneurial spirit.

Like California, the Norwegian west coast has fostered a wide range of innovations, although – we must admit – on a somewhat smaller scale.

California is widely known as a forward-thinking and technology-driven “test bed”.

The innovations that have emerged from California have indeed had a resounding impact on our world.

Norway, too, is a test bed for innovation.

Based on knowledge and expertise from our oil and gas production in the North Sea, new, green technology and sustainable energy solutions are being developed.

Showing us that both technologies and expertise from the oil and gas industry can be applied in the renewables sectors, and other green sectors, with great success.

This has been possible because through decades, Norway and the Norwegian workforce have shown a strong ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

We believe our experience in this field could be of interest to California.

California, on the other hand, can teach us about connecting talent and innovation to capital, and about  raising capital to support the green transition.

*

Our collaboration is further strengthened by the agreement between Norway and California on Climate Action, as well as an MOU between Innovation Norway and Go-Biz on commercial cooperation to support climate action.

To summarise, I believe that we can benefit greatly from sharing experiences, technology and policy ideas to achieve our common ambitious climate goals.

And I look forward to a continued close cooperation with the State of California on the road to a sustainable future. 

Thank you!

****