In the Follo Region, students from NMBU can now do research addressing challenges identified by municipalities and feed their findings directly back to the local communities.
CRED – Center for Climate Resilient Development – has developed a collaboration model to better link academia and local government. Through this initiative, students write semester research assignments, bachelor’s theses, or master’s theses from different faculties in partnership with the six municipalities in the region. Topics are defined by local municipal staff and politicians and address concrete challenges related to climate mitigation, adaptation to climate risks, land-use planning, mobility, biodiversity, energy, social sustainability and more.
The model creates a genuine exchange of knowledge. Municipalities gain research-based insight into complex dilemmas, while students gain hands-on experience working with municipal plans, emissions data, regulatory frameworks, and real decision-making processes. Findings are presented back to the municipalities in dialogue meetings, ensuring that the research can inform local governance and ongoing planning. The result is knowledge that actively supports regional climate-robust development.
Research assignments presented in the fall of 2025 illustrate the model.
Climate Action in Follo: Between Growth and Sustainability
One master’s thesis examined how municipalities in Follo navigate the tension between economic growth and climate responsibility. Using emission data from 2009 onward, the study compared climate targets and actual reductions across the six municipalities. Although several municipalities have set ambitious goals — some aiming for 55–70% reductions by 2030 — progress remains partial. The research questioned whether current strategies are truly transformative or primarily reflect a “green growth” approach that combines expansion with lower growth in emission.
The analysis shows a mixed trajectory. Emissions have declined in sectors such as transport and heating, but much of this progress stems from national developments, including vehicle electrification, rather than structural local change. Transport remains the largest emission source, and differences between municipalities are significant. The study concludes that municipalities face strong growth pressures while trying to reduce emissions. Without deeper integration of climate considerations into development strategies, climate action risks remaining incremental. The research provides a comparative evidence base to guide stronger local measures.
Climate Resilient Development in Local Land-Use Planning
A Student in Research assignment focused on how residential development location influences accessibility, transport behavior, and emissions in Ås municipality. Since road transport accounts for 72% of local emissions, spatial planning plays a central role in climate policy. The study compared three housing areas — one central and two more peripheral — assessing infrastructure quality and estimating CO₂ emissions from daily travel. The key question was whether development patterns align with long-term climate goals.
The results show that centrally located, well-connected housing produces significantly lower transport emissions. While improved infrastructure supports low-emission travel, it cannot fully compensate for long distances created by dispersed development. The study also highlights equity concerns: vulnerable groups are most affected by poor accessibility. The central conclusion is clear: housing location is climate policy. Compact, connected development reduces emissions and promotes fair access to services.
Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Development
Another assignment explored the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in climate resilient development in Ski, Nordre Follo. Urban areas face increased climate risks due to dense infrastructure and impermeable surfaces. Although municipal plans promote blue-green infrastructure and ecological compensation, implementation often lags ambition. The study examined barriers to integrating NbS systematically into development projects.
Key barriers include high upfront costs, limited institutional capacity, fragmented coordination, and lack of shared understanding. However, the research also identifies strong opportunities. Clear regulations, cross-sector collaboration, and better communication of economic co-benefits can accelerate implementation. When framed as cost-effective adaptation tools rather than aesthetic add-ons, nature-based solutions can become mainstream planning practice.
The Hidden Climate Cost of Forest Loss
A semester assignment investigated the climate and biodiversity impacts of converting 55.9 hectares of old-growth forest at Vinterbro in Ås into industrial land. Municipal climate inventories track emissions from sectors such as transport and heating but exclude emissions from land-use change (LULUCF). The study asked what the real carbon and biodiversity costs of deforestation are — and how they affect municipal climate goals.
Using IPCC-based accounting methods, the research estimates that clearing the site results in approximately 33,000 tons of CO₂-equivalent emissions, including immediate release and lost future sequestration. The area also hosts red-listed species and sensitive bird populations. Because these emissions are excluded from standard reporting, the study identifies a significant accounting gap that may undermine reported climate progress. It proposes integrating land-use emissions into municipal plans, establishing a regional carbon budget, and strengthening inter-municipal ecological coordination.
A Model for Climate Resilient Learning
Together, these projects indicate the potential of the CRED model, engaging students in real-life research on local community challenges. They quantify emission trends, assess the climate effects of land-use decisions, identify barriers to adaptation, and reveal hidden carbon costs. Each project transforms academic work into practical knowledge for the Follo- municipalities.
For a growing region with ambitious climate goals, this collaboration offers independent, research-based insight directly linked to planning processes. For students, it provides a rare opportunity to connect academic inquiry with real-world governance.
In the Follo region, climate-resilient development is not just a policy objective — it is becoming a shared learning process shaped by collaboration between researchers, students, and municipalities.