All posts by Margrethe Harboe

America’s Image Abroad Rebounds With Transition from Trump to Biden

Business News, Politics

The election of Joe Biden as president has led to a dramatic shift in America’s international image. Throughout Donald Trump’s presidency, publics around the world held the United States in low regard, with most opposed to his foreign policies. This was especially true among key American allies and partners. Now, a new Pew Research Center survey of 16 publics finds a significant uptick in ratings for the U.S., with strong support for Biden and several of his major policy initiatives.

In each of the 16 publics surveyed, more than six-in-ten say they have confidence in Biden to do the right thing in world affairs. Looking at 12 nations surveyed both this year and in 2020, a median of 75% express confidence in Biden, compared with 17% for Trump last year.

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Government Publishes White Paper on Long Term Value Creation from Norway’s Energy Resources

Business News, Energy, Government

Today, the government published its Report to the Storting (White Paper) Putting Energy to Work, exploring the long-term value creation from Norwegian energy resources. The White Paper sets out how Norway can use its energy resources to create continued economic growth and new jobs.

Norway’s position as an energy nation will be further developed through new initiatives encompassing hydrogen, offshore wind, strengthening of the power grid and a low emissions oil and gas sector. The White Paper further expands on the government’s comprehensive climate action plan, and demonstrates how renewable energy and the power grid are laying the foundations for electrification and the phasing out of fossil-fuel based energy.

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EU-U.S. Summit: Joint Statement from the AmCham Business Community

AmCham News

The upcoming June 15 EU-US Summit represents an opportunity for these strategic partners to map out a positive, proactive agenda that builds upon encouraging new momentum in the transatlantic relationship. The AmCham business community calls for focus on reducing trade barriers; ensuring that both sides exit the pandemic with stronger, more resilient economies; and active leadership in the transition toward a greener, digitalized international economy.

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ConocoPhillips Norge has Commemorated 50 Years of Production from the Ekofisk Field in the Southern Norwegian North Sea.

Business News, Energy

TANANGER, Norway – ConocoPhillips Norge has commemorated 50 years of production from the Ekofisk field in the southern Norwegian North Sea.

At the same time, the company has started production from the re-developed Tor field satellite, 13 km (8 mi) northeast of the Ekofisk Complex. Tor began producing in 1978 and was shut in 2015: the new development is based on eight wells divided between two subsea templates.

Originally, ConocoPhillips expected Ekofisk to cease operations in 1997. However, the introduction of water injection in the late 1980s improved recovery, helping to prolong production.

Ekofisk produces from a reservoir 3,000 m (9,842 ft) subsurface. To date more than 3 Bbbl have been produced from the 300-m (984-ft) oil column.

Currently, the company is assessing new development projects in the Greater Ekofisk Area (GEA), along with recent discoveries elsewhere in the North Sea and in the Norwegian Sea.

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Optimized Digital Impact: Win Elections, Shape Policy & Raise Awareness

AmCham News

Optimized Digital Impact: Win Elections, Shape Policy & Raise Awareness

AmCham Norway, in partnership with our fellow Nordic AmChams and Rud Pedersen, hosted a virtual session with Jim Arkedis, the co-founder of digital political and advocacy company Electica.

Presenting from Washington DC, Arkedis drew upon his years of expertise in supporting political campaigns, companies and organizations throughout the US and Europe – sharing best digital budget practices to drive target audience impact.

With advocacy, public affairs and political budgets increasingly allocated to digital stakeholder engagement, spending must effectively account for various platforms’ best use-cases and how they align with the company, organization, or party’s goals – whether building contact lists, raising issue awareness, engaging in fundraising or mobilizing core supporters.

Jim Arkedis – Co-Founder, Electica

Experiment & Scale, Build In-house Expertise

Having spent the past five years focusing on digital campaigns, Arkedis shared his top six rules on digital budget spending and how to leverage each platform’s audience and forms of engagement, drawing upon examples from the 2020 Biden campaign.

Arekedis’ presentation was followed by an interactive Q&A with the Nordic AmCham Directors, focusing on the increasing importance of short video and completion rates, authenticity, regulatory impacts, and regional US-Europe-Nordic digital campaign variances.

Arkedis_Teams 2

U.S. to Buy Hundreds of Millions of Doses of Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine to Donate to the World

Business News, Government, Health

The Biden administration is buying 500 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to donate to the world as the United States dramatically increases its efforts to help vaccinate more of the global population, three people familiar with the plans said Wednesday.

The first 200 million doses will be distributed this year, with the subsequent 300 million shared in the first half of next year. The doses will be distributed by Covax, the World Health Organization-backed initiative to share doses around the globe, and they will be targeted at low- and middle-income countries. Pfizer is selling the doses to the United States at a “not-for-profit” price, according to the people familiar with the deal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details that were not yet public.

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Norway Rates Seen Rising in September, GDP to Accelerate in 2022, Agency Says

Business News, Financial / Investment

OSLO, June 4 (Reuters) – The Norwegian economy will grow less than expected this year but at a faster pace in 2022 than previously anticipated, Statistics Norway (SSB) said in updated projections on Friday.

“The vaccination of the population is progressing well, and the reopening of society will give a significant boost to economic activity in Norway. The first interest rate hike will most likely be in September,” SSB said.

Non-oil gross domestic product (GDP) will rise by 3.1% in 2021, the agency predicted, less than the 3.3% growth predicted in March.

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Norway to Identify More Offshore Areas for Wind Power Parks

Business News, Energy

OSLO (Reuters) -Norway will identify additional offshore areas to build wind parks amid strong interest from energy firms, the government said on Tuesday, as the oil-producing country seeks to build a domestic offshore wind industry.

Norway is now opening two offshore areas to build wind farms, called Utsira Nord and Soerlige Nordsjoe II, expected to produce up to 4.5 gigawatt of power.[L5N2NQ251]

Offshore wind is booming worldwide and Norway, western Europe’s largest oil and gas producer, is examining how it can adapt its energy industry to changing demand.

The additional acreage could be identified within two years, energy minister Tina Bru said.

“We have listened to the industry, and we know making more acreage available is important,” Bru said in a speech.

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How Together, Norway And California Are Modeling The World’s Sustainable Future

Automobile / Transport, Business News, Energy

Director, Invest in Norway, North America at Innovation Norway, bridging the gap for large tech companies expanding into the Nordic Region.

The viral Super Bowl ad featuring Will Ferrell was more than a light-hearted promotion of GM’s electric vehicles (EVs). Rather, it foretold America’s imminent recommitment to sustainability.

It’s in the interest of all nations to pursue a more sustainable future. That’s why the Biden Administration is planning over $2 trillion in clean energy investment as it seeks to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2035.

Spending is not the primary metric by which sustainability is measured, though. The current administration has set a clear goal — reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 — as its barometer for success.

In order to achieve such a sustainable future in less than a decade, American leaders are looking to nations such as Norway for guidance. As one of the world’s most sustainable countries, Norway’s implemented renewable energy in a truly sustainable way, going green without compromising good business.

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Survey Suggests US Higher Education Will Bounce Back in 2022

Business News, Education / Research

Funding is top of mind for prospective international students when selecting higher education courses in the US while access to admissions departments at institutions is “pivotal”, research carried out by marketing specialist Keystone Academic Solutions has found.

“The results were overwhelming that students view study United States more favourably since Biden was elected, 83% of our students said they were more likely to study in the US since president Biden was elected,” Keystone chief executive officer Erik Harrell said.

Of the 5,851 visitors to Keystone websites surveyed, 48% were interested in masters programs, 21% bachelors, 13% doctoral and 12% certificate or diploma programs.

Similarly, an IDP survey of 800 prospective students earlier this year, suggested that 76% of prospective students said the election of Biden improved perception of the US as a study destination.

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