Empowering Our Future with Clean Freedom Energy

With brutal war in Europe and enormous loss of human life, a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and a tense security situation on many fronts, it is easy to not give the climate crisis as much attention as before the invasion of Ukraine. But the fight against climate change is also a fight for security.? ?

Defense and climate focus?

I have just finished the Norwegian Armed Forces College Chief's course. The aim of the course is to give leaders increased insight into defense, foreign and security policy factors of global and national importance. Eirik Kristoffersen, Norway's Chief of Defense, initiated the first day of the course by reminding us of two existential threats – nuclear war and the climate crisis.?

The Norwegian Armed Forces has set their goals to become more sustainable and to reduce their own emissions. By putting new technology into use, it is possible to achieve emission reductions and enhance The Norwegian Armed Forces operational capability. For example, silent autonomous vehicles will both reduce emissions as well as telltale sounds. By using renewable off-grid energy systems in the field, it can also reduce dependency on fuel supplies.?

The Norwegian Armed Forces has already increased the use of electric reconnaissance drones and the use of simulators. ? ?

Climate conflicts?

Climate is a threat multiplier. It is a threat that in itself leads to more extreme weather and natural disasters, driving people to flee because their livelihoods are destroyed. And it is a threat that amplifies other conflicts.?

Both the new Norwegian Defense Commission and the Total Defense Commission have dedicated chapters on climate and the nature crisis, which are hereby recommended.?

2023 has entered the history books as the warmest year since we started systematic measurements, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. The consequences of climate change will increase and hit harder in the years to come.?

? From energy dependency to Freedom Energy??

Kate Hansen Bundt from the Norwegian Atlantic Committee gave us an informative lecture on German security policy and history. She discussed how Germany had to become independent from Russian fossil energy after the invasion of Ukraine and talked about the political ambitions to push for freedom energy.?

Freedom Energy! This is the first time I heard this term, and I like the sound of it.??

Pushing for Freedom Energy in Germany means importing energy from several sources and building up their own energy production. Norway is now the largest gas exporter to Germany. The Germans have restarted old coal power plants and have plans to expand their renewable energy production.?

Even though the situation became particularly precarious for Germany after the invasion of Ukraine, and the sabotage of gas pipelines, the ambition to promote Freedom Energy is something several countries in Europe share.?

The EU calls this, in a more diplomatic language, a goal of strategic energy autonomy.? ?

A new dependency?

At the same time, most countries share the ambition to meet the Paris goals and limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To achieve this, Freedom Energy must be based on renewable energy sources.?

That will make China's totally dominant role in almost all green value chains become a big problem. As we become independent from fossil energy, we are now creating another dependency – on China and their technology.?

This applies to batteries and elements for wind turbines, for instance. 95 percent of all ingots and wafers needed in solar panels are produced in China. An electric motor requires rare earth elements, and according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China today controls about 90 percent of the market for the separation and further processing of these. During the course, I also heard the following expression: "If China is like climate change, then Russia is the ongoing storm, and you cannot ignore it." Stated by a military strategist from the USA, this will allude to the future security policy threat that China poses.?

China is clear on their country's ambitions in the South China Sea, and the USA has promised to defend Taiwan. China's ambitions are comprehensive and long-term, while Russia generates an immediate crisis environment. The offensive war in Ukraine and hybrid warfare (a term that has become a repeat offender in the three-month-long course) such as sabotage, cyber-attacks, and disturbing drone flights have created an ongoing storm.?

These are means of action, from hostile states, that are below the threshold for conventional war. In the newly released? national threat assessment from the Norwegian Police Security Service, the hybrid threats are described, which have increased in scope.? ?

Protectionism vs. free trade?

The comparison between China and climate change also has another dimension. Beyond the fact that China's long-term ambitions seem threatening to the rule-governed Western world order, China also holds a key position in almost all green value chains today.?

To achieve the climate goals, we have become completely dependent on trade with China. This represent a new vulnerability.. The USA imposes trade restrictions with China and launched the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which is a new support and tax regime to promote new green industry locally in the USA. This new policy is not in line with international free trade principles.?

Europe uses a different strategy. The EU aims to derisk instead of total decoupling from China.Critical industries and technologies are now being mapped, and where it makes the most sense, EU countries will cooperate to build new industry, and an investment control (screening) is being introduced.?

Energy technology and climate technology constitute a large part of the mapping, together with artificial intelligence and quantum technology. Norway has recently entered a green alliance with the EU, an agreement to cooperate on building strategically important industry in Europe.?

Regardless, this means that we need to stimulate more green industry in the EU and Norway. This requires risk-willing capital and advantageous framework conditions for new industry. Here, Norway is in a special position.?

We have created a fortune based on fossil energy. We have built a capital muscle that surpasses most others. Therefore, little Norway can make a big difference and contribute to clean Freedom Energy.?

We should invest more both in Norway and in Europe to promote the green transition. It will not only make us more able to reduce global warming. It will also contribute to increased security and, at its core, be a contribution to future free democracies.?