Strong support for sustainability network: Members take the helm
- Siri Pedersen
- May 29
- 3 min read
The Network for Business and Sustainability is gearing up for greater impact in the region. Following its launch by Stavanger Municipality and the University of Stavanger (UiS), ownership and governance are now being handed over to the members themselves to create a fully member-driven network.
The Network for Business and Sustainability originated from the Mission Cities project. It was launched in 2024 by Stavanger Municipality in collaboration with the University of Stavanger, with a clear goal of creating a network for people who work with complex sustainability challenges on a daily basis. The network includes several companies that have signed letters of support for Stavanger’s Climate City Contract.
As public and non-commercial entities, the municipality and the university serve as neutral facilitators for exchanging experiences.
"Cross-industry collaboration is essential if the region is to reach the goal of Stavanger Municipality becoming climate-neutral by 2030. Since sustainability work is constantly evolving due to new legal requirements, the network serves as an arena for ongoing discussions about immediate challenges and practical tools," explains Even Eide, network coordinator and advisor at Stavanger Municipality's Business region.
Seabrokers hosts network meeting
A total of 55 participants recently gathered when the network organized a meeting at Seabrokers Group at Forus. Frida Layti first started as a coordinator for the network during her time as a PhD candidate at UiS:
"The level of engagement shows that there is a great need for a shared meeting place," says Layti, now a business developer at Validé. She continues:
"Sustainability managers in companies often work alone, and the field changes rapidly. We have grown from around 20 interested participants at our first meeting in 2024, to now over 200 members and between 50 and 70 participants per network event."
During the meeting, the host, Seabrokers, led the first professional session. Rolf Aarthun (Seabrokers Eiendom), Trude Langholm and Amalie Eie (Entro), and Jeanette B. Lokna (Seabrokers Services) shared their experiences with environmental certification of existing buildings through BREEAM In-Use.
They also spoke about circular solutions and reuse, as well as how they work to motivate and engage employees in their daily routines.
Next, Susanne Tollefsen Log and Tove Linn Bjørnå from Dualis, together with Daniel Dammann from Sustainability, provided the audience with a necessary update on the latest developments within the complex field of sustainability reporting.
Hunting for board members
Ever since its launch in 2024, the network was always intended to be member-driven, where the members themselves act as co-organizers and set the agenda. This is now taking a major step forward in practice.
At the network meeting, plans to establish a formal, two-year board were presented and subsequently discussed.
"The response was excellent: a total of 15 strong candidates have stepped forward, and the plan is to assemble a board of around 10 members, which will primarily consist of the companies' own sustainability managers" says Even Eide.
He strongly believes this change will amplify the network's impact moving forward:
"By opening our doors and inviting others to contribute, we can achieve an incredible amount."
The first board meeting is scheduled for June 1st. With strong support and great enthusiasm from its members, the network will continue to contribute actively to the region's green transition moving forward.
