Save the Children: Increased oil revenues should finance Norway’s refugee response
Due to western countries’ sanctions against Russia, which is a major exporter of gas to Europe, oil prices have risen sharply. It has had a major impact on the Norwegian economy, which is lubricated by the oil and gas industry, and it is estimated that revenues from the industry may increase by about NOK 500 billion in 2022.
Dissociates himself from oil and gas companies
At the same time as Save the Children calls for increased use of oil money in Norway’s development assistance work, they distance themselves from the companies that produce oil and gas. In March, the organization declined a donation of 750,000 pounds, equivalent to 8.6 million kroner, from the oil and gas company Neptune Energy.
The reason was that Save the Children has decided to stop accepting donations from companies that run activities related to fossil energy, a spokesman from the organization told British The Telegraph.
– We use the funds needed to implement our response in Ukraine and neighboring countries, regardless of funds from oil and gas companies. The climate crisis is the biggest threat to the world’s children in the years to come, so it is important that we think long-term and equip our organization for the future as well, says communications director Gunvor Knag Fylkesnes in Save the Children to NTB.
Difference between oil state and oil company
The organization points to differences between using the state’s “oil money” to finance the refugee response in Norway and donations from oil companies that go directly to their own work.
– This is not about whether Save the Children will receive money from the increased oil revenues, but how Norway will finance the refugee response in Norway, says Fylkesnes.
NTB has been in contact with Neptune Energy, which provides the money to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) instead.
Tvinnerheim: A lot of uncertainty
– Any additional appropriations or reallocations in the development assistance budget will be considered by the Storting, says Minister of Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim (Sp) to NTB.
She says that it is still unclear how many Ukrainians will come to Norway and how long they will stay, and how great the humanitarian needs in Ukraine will be.
– We are confident that we will be able to find a solution for the efforts we believe are important and right to meet other crises in developing countries, says Tvinnereim.
(NTB)