Center for Climate Resilient Development – CRED

The Center for Climate Resilient Developement (CRED) is a collaboration between NMBU, the Follo region, politicians, businesses, and civil society in the Oslofjord area, with the goal of creating local solutions to climate challenges.

Climate change today poses significant risks to natural environments, people, and infrastructure on a global scale, and even small increases in temperature amplify these risks. Efforts to mitigate these dangers are further complicated by other global trends such as biodiversity loss, overconsumption, rapid urbanization, land degradation, poverty, and inequality.

Climate-resilient development is a holistic approach to transforming and adapting while simultaneously limiting the extent of climate change. This involves initiating climate action, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing risk reduction and adaptation measures, to promote sustainable development for all.

CRED is an initiative under the Tax Research Centre.

News

An insightful Discussion of Nexus Assessment Report in the Follo Context

CRED had the pleasure of hosting Debora Ley, a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Nexus Assessment, for a presentation and panel discussion on the urgent interlinkages between biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.

Read the article here (English)

Municipalities in the Follo region want to test local water cycles

Mayors, municipal experts, and researchers met at Norwegian University of Life Sciences on April 16 to explore how source-separated wastewater solutions can reduce emissions, lower costs, and strengthen preparedness.

Read the article here (English)

Nature’s crises are interconnected – and so are the solutions

The IPBES “Nexus Report” shows that biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate must be addressed together. Norwegian municipalities can play a key role.

Read the article here (English)

Kick-off for Climate-Resilient Development

A new research project at NMBU will turn Follo into a laboratory for climate-resilient development.

A wide range of stakeholders from academia, elected officials, and public administration gathered as the research project “Balancing Growth and Sustainability: Co-creating Local Climate-Resilient Practices in the Oslofjord Region” was launched at the BIT Center in Ås on Tuesday, March 24.

Read the article here (English)

Open Seminar on Vulnerability and Climate Action Denial

CRED recently received funding from the SKAPE program to develop new tools for climate-resilient local development. The grant supports the project “New Tools for Co-Creation of Transformative Measures for Climate-Resilient Local Development.”

Read the article here (English)

Adaptation Future25:From Follo to the World - and back

When the researchers CRED travelled to Adaptation Futures 2025, they brought more than academic insights. They brought practical experience from the Follo region, where researchers work alongside municipalities, communities, planners, students, and practitioners to advance climate resilient development in practice.

Read the article here (English)

Local water and wastewater cycles: a smarter path for Norwegian municipalities

“Why haven’t we heard about these solutions before?” — that was the question many people asked when KRED hosted a meeting in November between Professor Arve Heistad and politicians from the Follo region at his lab at RealTek (NMBU). The topic: how local circular systems can solve municipalities’ water and wastewater challenges.

Read the article here (English)

Social Sustainability in Housing Development in Follo

Can the pursuit of high land-use efficiency in the Follo municipalities come at the expense of quality of life? This was a central question when Folloregionen and NMBU brought together elected officials, developers, and professionals for a workshop on social sustainability.

Read the article here (English)

When the Rain Comes, is Follo Ready?

Extreme rainfall, ageing pipe networks, and densification pressure are pushing stormwater management to a breaking point across the Follo region. But solutions exist 

Read the article here (English)

Climate Action in Follo: Between Growth and Sustainability

The findings suggest that the municipalities of the Follo Region are navigating a complex intersection between economic development and climate responsibility. 

Read the article here (English)

Student Research supports climate resilience in Follo

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.

Read the article here (English)

NMBU/CRED and the Follo Region have received 12.5 million kroner in funding from the Research Council

The project “Navigating Growth and Sustainability: Co-creating Local Climate-Resilient Development Practice in the Oslofjord Region” has received 12.5 million NOK in funding from the Research Council.

Read the article here (English)

Follo and NMBU join forces for a climate-resilient future

The new collaboration between the Follo municipalities and the Centre for Climate-Resilient Transformation (KRED) at NMBU will connect research and local practice to develop sustainable solutions for the region’s future.

Read the article here (English)

Are area neutrality and ecological compensation the path toward sustainable land management?

Land neutrality has in recent years become an increasingly important topic in Norwegian urban and regional planning. Given the growing pressure on natural resources, it is crucial to find a balance between development and the protection of natural areas.

Read the article here (English)

CRED was awarded funding from the SKAPE Program

CRED recently received funding from the SKAPE program to develop new tools for climate-resilient local development. The grant supports the project “New Tools for Co-Creation of Transformative Measures for Climate-Resilient Local Development.”

Read the article here (English)

• What is CRED

  The Center for Climate-Resilient Develompent provides expertise on anticipated climate changes and how these can be managed holistically, in accordance with government regulations. It serves as a platform for collaboration between universities, public administration, and local communities to develop solutions for future challenges.

  The center aims to make expert knowledge more accessible to local communities, ensuring a faster, more cost-effective, and better transition. By supporting the implementation of strategies that strengthen social, economic, and ecological resilience, the center can help address climate challenges. This requires the integration of sustainability goals, policies, and practices, facilitating community decisions that enhance these strategies.

  CRED works in alignment with the UN's recommendations for achieving climate-resilient development:

  • All relevant parties, including governments, the public sector, businesses, and civil society, must be involved to ensure that solutions are well-grounded and robust.
  • Climate actions are scientifically based and should be combined with nature-based solutions and circular economy practices, such as waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

  

• Activities in CRED

  1. Policy labs: Creating dialogue platforms where politicians, officials, businesses, and civil society can meet for expert lectures and develop solutions through workshops across municipal borders and sectors.
  2. Climate sparring: Expert dialogue or professional presentations at conferences, public meetings, seminars, or during the preparation of municipal zoning plans.
  3. Development of tailored continuing and further education programs (with credits) for municipal politicians, employees, businesses, and civil society.
  4. Student research: Connecting master's and doctoral students to local challenges they can address in their theses.
  5. Internships: For students (10-30 ECTS) at NMBU's sustainability hub, gaining practical experience with community actors to support relevant cases and initiatives.
  6. Studies: NMBU conducts studies on relevant issues defined by the needs of collaboration partners.

• Events in CRED

  • 2026
  • January 29- 11:00-12:00 at the Sustainability Hub at NMBU: An open seminar on vulnerability and climate adaptation denial with presence of Tom Tanner from SOAS University of London. The discussion was about how vulnerability can be used to deny and delay climate adaptation in different contexts.

  March 24 – 3:00–4:30 PM at the BiT Center in Ås Town Center: A Climate-Resilient Follo: Kick-off of the Research Project Balancing Growth and Sustainability: Co-creating Local Climate-Resilient Practices in the Oslofjord Region. The project is funded by the Research Council and focuses in particular on the challenges of balancing development and housing construction in the Follo region with climate and nature protection goals.

  • April 16 – 3:00–4:30 PM (Sustainability Hub at NMBU): A discussion on local circular systems for water and wastewater, exploring how such systems can, in practice, contribute to economic and environmental sustainability in the Follo region.
  • May 7 – 13:00–15:00 at Rådsalen, Economics Building: Nexus Assessment Report Presentation & Panel Discussion.
    The event features a presentation of the IPBES Nexus Assessment, which examines the interconnections between biodiversity, climate change, water, food, and health systems, followed by a panel discussion with leading experts.

  • 2025
  • March 13 - Applied for funding from the NFR - Samarbeidsprosjekt for å møte utfordringer i samfunn og næringsliv - arealer under press
  • May 20 - TOWARDS last seminar: TOWARDS a sustainability journey (read the story in Norwegian).

  September 25 – Co-creation Meeting: Flooding and Stormwater in Follo – Let’s Solve It Together. Increasing extreme rainfall, expanding impermeable surfaces, and pressure on wastewater systems are leading to more flooding, damage, and costs in the Follo region. Politicians, public administration, and businesses in Follo will come together for a practical, solution-oriented dialogue with leading experts from NMBU. The discussion will focus directly on what works and which measures each municipality should begin implementing.

  • 2024
  • February 14 - Climate-Resilient Plans - Collaboration between NMBU and the Follo Region. About 30 case officers from Follo participated, where four experts shared insights on climate adaptation locally in Norway, the USA, developing countries, and internationally, followed by a workshop where the case officers shared and discussed specific challenges and solutions from their municipalities.
  • April 18 - Meeting at the Sustainability Hub: Harnessing Science to Achieve SDG2 Zero Hunger. A meeting between Caren Smaller from the Shamba Center and five experts from TOWARDS/Sustainability Hub for knowledge exchange on the use of big data to, among other things, counteract climate change locally.
  • May 23 - Coordinated Effort for the Oslofjord. TOWARDS gathered 30 experts at NMBU for presentations on each other's fields and activities related to the Oslofjord, followed by a discussion to improve collaboration across disciplines and with other community actors in the region.
  • May 27 - Dialogue Meeting of the Sustainability Arenas with Prorectors and Municipal Politicians. Follo's municipal politicians were invited by NMBU to a dialogue meeting to present the breadth of NMBU's expertise relevant to municipal policy. Approximately 30 politicians participated.
  • September 6 - Preparation for Fall Student Projects under TOWARDS/Sustainability Arena
  • September 13 - Policy Lab on area neutrality.
    Read about the meeting here.
  • October 10 - Field Visit to ColliCare in Vestby with the students from Climate-change and Society.
  • November 5 - The Sustainability Festival.
    Read about the festival here.

NMBU Sustainability Series

NMBU Sustainability Series 13: Policynotat: Klimamitigasjon i Folloregion

NMBU Sustainability Series 12: Tverrfaglig masterprosjekt 2025 : Oslofjorden 3.0 : populærvitenskapelige sammendrag av masteroppgaver

NMBU Sustainability Series 11: Tverrfaglig masterprosjekt 2025 : Hovinbyen : populærvitenskapelige sammendrag av masteroppgaver

NMBU Sustainability Series 10: Policydialog: Arealnøytralitet

NMBU Sustainability Series 9: Climate change, participation and planning for people with disabilities in Kiboga, Uganda

NMBU Sustainability Series 8: Policy dialogue on climate resilient development in Laikipia County

NMBU Sustainability Series 7: Tverrfaglig masterprosjekt 2024 : Oslofjorden 2.0 rapport 2024 : populærvitenskapelige sammendrag av masteroppgaver

NMBU Sustainability Series 6: Policy brief: Personal transformation in a world of crises - Insights from the experiences of protester

NMBU Sustainability Series 5: Rapport fra verksted: Klimarobuste planer - Samarbeid mellom NMBU og Folloregionen

NMBU Sustainability Series 4: Understanding Urban Vulnerability: Exploring the Interplay of Social and Biological Factors in Heat-Related Human Rights Violations

NMBU Sustainability Series 1: Putting ‘vulnerable groups’ at the centre of adaptation interventions by promoting transformative adaptation as a learning process

CRED - Contact

Visiting Address: Universitetstunet 3, Økonomibygget,

Ås, Akershus 1433, Norway

Kontakt-kred@nmbu.no

LinkedIn (External Link)

CRED People

Jan Thomas Odegard

Project leader

Tel. 41494044

Send e-mail

Siri Eriksen

Head of CRED

Tel. +4767231373

Send e-mail

Ali Mozaffari

Research Associate

Tel. 40966518

Send e-mail

Simon Oxholm Roy

External advisor

Send e-mail

Co-Creating CRD