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Norsk kloakkrensing til to nye amerikanske byer

November 27, 2020Business NewsGIEKadmin

Cambi er kanskje Norges beste eksempel på sirkulærøkonomi i praksis. Det har de drevet med i årtier før begrepet ble tatt i bruk

Det er over 30 år siden det norske teknologiselskapet Cambi ble etablert for å behandle kloakk med termisk hydrolyse. Først het de Glommen Skog og så endret de navn, først til Kambi i 1992 og så til Cambi i 1994. I dag er de verdens ledende på området og har levert 70 anlegg i 22 land fordelt på fem kontinenter.

Fra før har de anlegg som renser kloakken fra den amerikanske hovedstaden. Nå har de fått to ordre på to nye anlegg. Et i Maryland, sør for Washington DC, og et til byen Raleigh i North Carolina.

Når systemene er på plass, vil de to kommunene samlet redusere klimagassutslippene med om lag 21.000 tonn CO₂-ekvivalenter i året. Det tilsvarer bilparken til en by på størrelse med Lillehammer – eller 15 000 bensinbiler.

Norsk finansiering

Den norske teknologien til Cambi har fått norsk finansiering til de to nye amerikanske anleggene. DNB har stilt opp med lån og GIEK – Garantiinstituttet for eksportkreditt, statens finansinstitusjon for å fremme norsk eksport, stiller to produksjonslånsgarantier på til sammen 65 millioner kroner.

Produksjonslånsgarantiene sikrer Cambi nødvendig arbeidskapital for produksjon og levering av anleggene som skal tilpasses de eksisterende renseanleggene.

– Lånet fra DNB, med garantier fra GIEK, er en viktig ny utvikling som gir oss den støtten vi trenger for å nå våre eksportmål internasjonalt, sier Eirik Fadnes, daglig leder i Cambi Group. Han ser frem til mange flere slik norsk finansiering av prosjekter i fremtiden.

Utnytter kloakken

Prosessen til Cambi får de biologiske cellene som omfatter bakterier og virus i kloakken til formelig å eksplodere ved hjelp av oppvarming og trykkfall. Varmen og den plutselige nedbrytingen steriliserer avfallet, men gjør også celleinnholdet tilgjengelig for videre biologisk behandling.

Les mer

Reuters: Norway to keep virus restrictions until mid-December

November 25, 2020Business News, GovernmentCOVID-19admin

OSLO (Reuters) – Norway must maintain its most recent coronavirus restrictions for now and needs at least another three weeks to assess whether they can be lifted, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Wednesday.

European governments are grappling with the spread of the disease while people want to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel. We must hold on,” Solberg told a news conference, adding that authorities could offer vaccines to vulnerable groups early next year, if European health authorities approve vaccines by the end of this year.

Non-EU Norway will get access to vaccines obtained by the EU, thanks to Sweden, an EU member that will buy more than it needs and sell them to Norway.

Norway’s 14-day cumulative number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was 150.9 as of Tuesday, the fourth-lowest in Europe behind Iceland, Finland and Ireland, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

But there are regional disparities and authorities are concerned about Oslo and other major cities.

On Nov. 6, Oslo shut theatres, cinemas, training centres and swimming pools, with bars and restaurants no longer able to serve alcohol, causing many to close altogether.

Over the past two weeks, the number of new infections has been stable in the capital.

Nationwide, the reproduction rate has fallen to 1.0 since Nov. 5 from 1.4 between Oct. 26 and Nov. 5, meaning that one infected person infects only one other person on average, down from 1.4 persons previously.

Solberg said that while there were some positive signs, this was not the time to lift nationwide restrictions, which include masks, limiting public gatherings to 20 people and quarantining people arriving from abroad.

Thanksgiving Charity Dinner 2020

November 25, 2020AmCham News2020, 2020 Thanksgiving, Thanksgivingadmin

2020 AmCham Thanksgiving Charity Dinner: Upholding Traditions while Keeping Saftey on the Table

AmCham Norway is delighted to announce that we were once again able to make a Thanksgiving Charity donation on behalf of our members – this time to US-based StandUp for Kids, an organization working to end youth homelessness across the US.

Together with sponsors 3M Norge and Merck, supportive to-go guests and Hotel Bristol, we were able to raise NOK 54 300 for StandUp for Kids. StandUp for Kids’ National Executive Director, Greg Smith, sent us the following acknowledgment, along with the video that can be viewed below:

Thank you so much for your gift! Our kids tell us that when someone believes in them, they believe more in themselves. That they get a sense of belonging. Because of you, we will be able to continue to offer homeless and at-risk youth an array of services on the streets, in outreach centers, schools, and other community sites across our 18 program cities in the US.

Your generous gift allows us to continue to serve the youth who rely on us to show up for them every day, helping them develop plans to get out of their unjust situations and move toward greater stability. We have been working to end youth homelessness for three decades, and we are not finished. Thank you for entering our story.

Thanks to our sponsors, who stayed with us through the tumult of planning a Thanksgiving event in COVID times, and our prize sponsors’ thoughtful donations, we were able to offer 50 Thanksgiving meals and many lottery prizes. At assigned times, guests picked up their meals and winnings, stopping by Hotel Bristol to say hello, and Happy Thanksgiving, to the AmCham team.

Trade Minister Iselin Nybø, who was disappointed not to be able to join us as planned, sent her greetings in a video (see below) recorded for friends of AmCham.

We are grateful for the continued support of this wonderful tradition and look forward to celebrating with you in person at Hotel Bristol in November 2021!

About Our Charitable Partner

StandUp for Kids is a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of youth homelessness in local communities. Since 1990, the organization has cared for homeless and at-risk youth by transitioning them from crisis to connection. StandUp for Kids gives its youth a sense of safety, hope, and belonging through housing support, mentoring, drop-in centers, and street outreach.

Each meal included a hearty serving of turkey, stuffing, gravy, cornbread, vegetables, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and a slice of both pecan and pumpkin pie.

2020 Prize Sponsors

About the AmCham Thanksgiving Tradition

AmCham’s annual Thanksgiving charity dinner brings member and partners together over great food, good times, and the spirit of good will to kick off the holiday season. Read more about our Thanksgiving tradtion here, and please contact us for interest in donating at amcham@amcham.no.

Rising Leaders Program: Culture of Innovation at Amazon with Sven Sunde, AWS

November 25, 2020AmCham News, AmCham Norway, Rising LeadersAmazon, AWS, Rising Leadersadmin

Rising Leaders: Culture of Innovation at Amazon with Sven Sunde

Gathering virtually to learn about the unique culture of innovation at Amazon, Rising Leaders participants and AmCham members engaged Sven Sunde – Territory Team Manager Norway, Denmark, & Iceland – on Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) work in supporting pre-funded start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.

Sunde detailed how the company’s “customer-obsessed” focus and 14 Amazon leadership principles are ingrained in every aspect of the global organization, and within every team. Often closest to the customer, all “Amazonians” are considered leaders, and are thus encouraged to make key decisions.

Speaker

Sven Sunde

Nordic Territory Team Manager

All Can Make Good Decisions with Good Data

With elaborate and continuously improved mechanisms in place, Amazon has scaled at a breathtaking pace. Sunde explained how empowering small “two pizza” teams and a “working backward” document review process has helped keep the large company agile and primed for the rapid implementation of new ideas.

Document writing plays an important role in the Amazon culture, as meeting agendas follow authored narratives. “I never thought I would have to write so many papers after college, but I have found that it always has value and is a good investment of time,” confided Sunde.

AWS – from 2002 to 12%

Amazon subsidiary Amazon Web Services was launched in 2002 as a collection of technology microservices tailor built to address internal challenges. With the cloud computing platform now representing 12% of Amazon’s annual worldwide revenue, Sven emphasized that the formula is not a secret sauce. “Anyone can develop their own unit or personal projects. Failure is encouraged and accepted if it ultimately creates key learnings and value.”

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About the Rising Leaders Program

Rising Leaders, a joint AmCham-US Embassy initiative, brings together entrepreneurs, young professionals, and student leaders in an innovative program to promote diversity and connect promising talent. Through the program, participants engage international business leaders, learn about AmCham member companies, explore careers, and gain business and leadership skills.

The 2020-21 Rising Leaders class – comprised of 17 women and 10 men between the ages of 23 and 35 – bring with them experience from healthcare, classical music, urban planning, organizational psychology, immigration, engineering, communications, technology, teaching, economics, finance, and marketing. All 27 program participants have demonstrated leadership, entrepreneurial, and/or business excellence in their educational pursuits and careers thus far.

For more information about the program, or to learn how your organization can get involved, please contact madeleine.brekke@amcham.no.

FAA lifts ban on Boeing 737 Max after crashes in 2018 and 2019 grounded the jet

November 19, 2020Airline / Travel, Business NewsAviation, Boeingadmin

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban on the Boeing 737 Max on Wednesday, 20 months after the aircraft was grounded following two crashes within five months that killed 346 people. The action means the FAA is satisfied that software and other fixes, and new pilot training, make the plane safe to fly again.

The FAA said it brought unparalleled scrutiny to the Max this time. Boeing and federal regulators were faulted in several investigations of the crashes for missing fatal flaws in the aircraft. Investigators pointed to lax government oversight and problems during the certification process.

The Max was grounded worldwide on March 13, 2019, after the FAA said satellite data showed “the possibility of a shared cause” for two crashes, one on Oct. 29, 2018, in Indonesia and the other on March 10, 2019, in Ethiopia. Investigators later found that problems with an automated flight control feature led to both crashes.

Administrator Steve Dickson of the FAA signed Wednesday’s order ending the ban, and the agency said it can “assure the global community that the 737 MAX is safe to operate.”

“We have not left anything to chance here,” Dickson added. “I would put my own family on it, and we will fly on it.”

Boeing said the company had undertaken a “thorough assessment to ensure that our systems meet all regulatory standards, reflect industry best practices and also incorporate learnings from independent reviews.”

Navy personnel move portions of the Lion Air Boeing 737 Max that crashed into the Java Sea in 2018. (Tatan Syuflana/Associated Press)

The ban is being lifted in a significantly changed environment, with the airline industry decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. Passenger numbers remain far below normal levels, tens of thousand of airline workers have been laid off, and carriers are losing billions of dollars.

Even with the FAA action, it will still be several weeks before the first Max jets return to the skies. Hundreds of the aircraft were grounded worldwide, including more than 70 in the United States, and others were built by Boeing and have yet to be delivered to customers. The planes, which have been parked for extended periods, must be inspected and updated, and more than 14,000 pilots need to be retrained at U.S. carriers alone.

Although some airlines are ready to fly the Max again — the more fuel-efficient planes will save them money — it is unclear whether the public will be eager to return, once travel rebounds from the pandemic, perhaps after widespread immunization with promising vaccines next year.

Read entire article here

WSJ: Finland and Norway Avoid Covid-19 Lockdowns but Keep the Virus At Bay

November 19, 2020Business News, Government, HealthCOVID-19, Norway, Travel Restrictionsadmin

Tight controls on travel and borders—and political consensus—helped the Nordic nations fight the pandemic

While the U.S. and Europe struggle to contain an autumn surge in coronavirus infections, two small nations are bucking the trend, keeping cases under control without stringent restrictions.

In the north of Europe, Finland and Norway boast the West’s lowest rates of mortality linked to Covid-19 and a low incidence of coronavirus infections even though they have kept their economies and societies largely open while lockdowns returned to the continent.

Read the full story

Norwegian Air may not survive the pandemic

November 17, 2020Airline / Travel, Business NewsCoronavirus, COVID-19, Travel Industryadmin

London (CNN Business)Norwegian Air wanted to bring a low-cost business model to transatlantic flights. It’s quickly running out of runway.

The coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions have forced Norwegian Air to ground the vast majority of its fleet, and furlough almost all of its workers. The heavily indebted carrier’s stock has collapsed, and its cash reserves are nearly exhausted.

“Norwegian is dependent on additional working capital in order to continue operating through the first quarter of 2021 and beyond,” the airline said Tuesday as it reported its latest financial results.

One potential rescuer has already turned its back on the airline that once had ambitions to repeat Ryanair’s (RYAAY) short-haul success on longer routes. Norwegian Air said on Monday that the Norwegian government has ruled out providing it with more financial assistance, leaving the carrier in what it described as a “challenging situation.”

Read the full article here.

Only 4% of Norway uses cash as country evaluates CBDC, Norges Bank exec says

November 17, 2020Accounting / Financial, Business NewsCentral Bank, currencyadmin

Cash usage has declined in Norway since COVID-19, but physical currency also carries strengths that CBDCs may lack.

Speaking at an event on Thursday, Ida Wolden Bache, deputy governor at Norway’s central bank, described a decline in cash payments while elaborating on Central Bank Digital Currencies, or CBDCs.

“Only 4% of payments are now made using cash,” Bache said in her speech during Finance Norway’s Payments conference. “This share is approximately the same as in spring, and considerably lower than before the pandemic,” she added. “To our knowledge, the share of cash payments is lower in Norway than in any other country.”

Norway uses the kroner, the currency issued by Norges Bank, the country’s central bank. After COVID-19 concerns arose in March, common points of personal contact logically became worrisome for countries. Those included physical currencies, which change hands constantly.

CBDCs have also arisen as a hot topic in 2020. A large number of the world’s nations to put out such a digital asset, with China boasting of testing its asset.

“A trend specific to Norway and some of our neighboring countries is the low and falling level of cash use,” Bache said after detailing various aspects of the global CBDC scene.

The central bank monetary policy director mentioned salient qualities available in cash. Cash remains available if digital payment systems go down for example. “Cash is legal tender that is widely accessible,” she said. The country might lose some of these aspects if it goes fully digital with a CBDC.

Bache pondered:

“The question is whether something important will be lost if cash dies out and we do not introduce CBDC? Is central bank money crucial to confidence in the monetary system? Could CBDC provide more than cash can offer, in the form of a greater range of uses and more innovation?”

Bache also touched on an array of other points of consideration when it comes to Norway launching a CBDC. “The prospective introduction of a CBDC is still some way off,” she said, adding:

“The lack of urgency reflects our view so far that there is no acute need to introduce a CBDC. The introduction of a CBDC could have considerable consequences in a number of areas. Our decision must be well-informed.”

As far as progress goes, Norway’s central bank continues studying CBDCs. Brazil’s economy minister confirmed the country’s pursuit of a CBDC yesterday.

Reuters: Norway’s third-quarter GDP rebounds from recession

November 17, 2020Accounting / Financial, Business Newsadmin

OSLO, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Norway’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew strongly in the third quarter, rebounding from a deep recession caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, data from the national statistics office (SSB) showed on Tuesday.

The mainland economy, which excludes oil and gas production, expanded by 5.2% in the July-September period from the preceding three months, matching a forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.

The government in March closed a wide range of public and private institutions, imposing the Nordic nation’s strongest-ever peacetime restrictions, followed by a gradual easing during late spring and early summer.

“The level of activity in September was still 2.7% lower than in February,” SSB said in a statement.

The government in late October again began to restrict movements, although less than in many other European countries.

“Growth will slow down in the time ahead due to restrictions and unemployment will rise somewhat, but recent good news on vaccines still gives hope that a normalisation of the economy will be faster than previously thought,” Nordea Markets said in a note to clients.

The Norwegian crown weakened slightly against the euro to trade at 10.75 by 0729 GMT.

The second quarter mainland GDP reading was revised to minus 6.0% from minus 6.3% seen initially and remains the weakest on record.

Quarterly national accounts data is available from 1978 onwards. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik Editing by Andrew Heavens, Robert Birsel)

Coca-Cola velger 100% resirkulert plast

November 12, 2020Business News, Food & BeverageCoca-Cola, resirkulert plastadmin

Vi har besluttet at alle flaskene vi produserer i Norge skal lages av 100 % resirkulert plast*. Dette reduserer vårt plastforbruk og våre klimautslipp, og er et bidrag på veien mot en sirkulær økonomi for plast i Norge.

Fra første halvår i 2021 vil alle flaskene vi produserer i Norge lages utelukkende av resirkulert plast. Dette betyr en årlig reduksjon i bruken av ny plast med 4 300 tonn (75 %), og i klimautslippene fra flaskeproduksjonen med 28 %.

Flasker med Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite og Urge i norske butikkhyller vil dermed være laget av 100 % resirkulert plast utpå nyåret. De nye flaskene skal pantes som før.*

Plast er en klimaeffektiv form for emballasje når den samles inn og brukes på nytt. Vi håper vår overgang til 100 % resirkulert plast kan bidra til målet om en norsk sirkulær økonomi for plast. Det vil si et lukket kretsløp der all norsk plast til drikkevareemballasje samles inn og gjenvinnes.

En verden uten avfall

Overgangen til 100 % resirkulert plast* er en del av vår internasjonale strategi, World Without Waste, der målet er en verden uten emballasjeavfall.

I Norge har vi forutsetningene for å lede an på dette området. Vi har verdens kanskje beste system for panting, som driftes av Infinitum. Dette gode pantesystemet og nordmenns sterke ønske om å bruke det, sammen med endringer som den vi nå gjennomfører, betyr at målet om en sirkulær økonomi for plast er mer oppnåelig her enn kanskje noe annet sted i verden.

Et steg videre

For oss er overgangen til 100 % resirkulert plast på flaskene det eneste riktige å gjøre. Vi har jobbet lenge med bærekraftig emballasje, blant annet da vi tok i bruk PlantBottle – laget av 22,5 % plantemateriale og 25 % resirkulert plast – på våre norske flasker i 2013.

Og overgangen til 100 % resirkulert plast er et viktig steg videre på denne veien.

* 100 % resirkulert plast i hele plastporteføljen (bortsett fra etikett og kork)

Faktaboks

Endringene i Norge er del av Coca-Colas internasjonale bærekraftstrategi. Målet er at selskapet globalt skal samle inn igjen hver eneste flaske som selges innen 2030, ha 100 % gjenvinnbar emballasje innen 2025, og et nivå på 50 % resirkulert materiale i plastflaskene innen 2030. Mange land ligger foran disse målene, deriblant Norge..