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| Nature and Youth (Natur og Ungdom) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nature and Youth (Natur og Ungdom) |
| Native name | Natur og Ungdom |
| Type | Youth environmental organization |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
| Key people | Audun Lysbakken, Rasmus Hansson, Une Bastholm |
| Area served | Norway |
| Focus | Environmentalism, climate action, conservation |
Nature and Youth (Natur og Ungdom) is a Norwegian youth environmental organization founded in 1967 that has been active in advocacy, direct action, and political engagement. It operates nationally from Oslo while maintaining local chapters across Norway and engages with Norwegian political institutions, media outlets, and international networks to influence environmental policy and public opinion.
Nature and Youth traces origins to environmental movements that included activists associated with Arne Næss, Harald Sverdrup, Oslo student groups, and early chapters linked to organizations like Friends of the Earth International and World Wildlife Fund. During the 1970s the group intervened in debates around the Alta controversy, aligned with actors involved in the Sámi protests and engaged alongside movements connected to Ola Thommessen-era press and cultural figures such as Knut Hamsun critics and environmental journalists at Aftenposten and Dagbladet. In the 1980s and 1990s, members collaborated with activists from Greenpeace, campaigned against projects tied to Statkraft and the hydropower debates linked to the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management, and intersected with political figures in Arbeiderpartiet and Sosialistisk Venstreparti. The 2000s saw expanded climate campaigning concurrent with actions in the context of the Kyoto Protocol implementation and protests connected to petroleum policy debates involving Equinor and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Nature and Youth is organized into local chapters coordinated by a national board elected at an annual congress, with internal roles comparable to those in youth organizations such as Young Liberals of Norway and Workers' Youth League. Its national office in Oslo liaises with parliamentary committees in the Stortinget and with ministries like the Ministry of Climate and Environment (Norway), while regional coordinators interact with county administrations such as those in Hordaland, Troms, and Nordland. The organization maintains thematic working groups on issues overlapping with institutions like NINA (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research), NVE (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate), and non-governmental partners such as Bellona and Miljødirektoratet stakeholders. Governance emphasizes democratic procedures reminiscent of structures in Sveriges Natur and transnational networks including European Youth Forum affiliates.
Campaigns have targeted fossil fuel exploration on the Norwegian continental shelf, challenging licensing rounds administered by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (Norway), and opposing infrastructure projects linked to corporations such as Statoil/Equinor and Shell. Conservation actions have included direct interventions at sites under protection by agencies like Riksantikvaren and advocacy for species listed by Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre. Educational programs run in partnership with schools and institutions like Universitetet i Oslo and Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet, while public demonstrations coordinate with broader movements such as Fridays for Future and protests inspired by actions from Extinction Rebellion. The organization has used legal avenues involving courts associated with the Supreme Court of Norway and administrative appeals tied to the Environmental Ombudsman and regulatory decisions by Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Nature and Youth advocates phasing out oil and gas extraction on the Norwegian continental shelf and supports rapid decarbonization aligned with international frameworks like the Paris Agreement and mechanisms discussed at UNFCCC conferences. It promotes preservation of habitats impacted by projects under review by bodies such as NVE and Miljødirektoratet, endorses renewable energy transitions referencing entities like Statkraft and supports measures consistent with recommendations from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments. On biodiversity, the organization backs protections for species referenced by Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre and policy instruments related to the Bern Convention. It also campaigns for climate justice in ways parallel to positions advanced in reports by Amnesty International and Greenpeace International.
Notable direct actions include high-profile campaigns against oil drilling activities involving blockades and occupations near facilities associated with Equinor and sites in the vicinity of the Barents Sea, drawing attention from national press such as NRK and TV 2. The group has been criticized by industry stakeholders including representatives from Norsk olje og gass and political actors in Høyre and Fremskrittspartiet for its tactics and policy proposals, leading to legal confrontations involving police authorities in municipalities like Hammerfest and Stavanger. Internal controversies have occasionally emerged over alignment with political parties such as Sosialistisk Venstreparti and debates over collaboration with international groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth International.
Nature and Youth participates in international youth environmental networks including Friends of the Earth International, European Youth Forum, and cooperates with organizations like Greenpeace International, WWF International, and regional groups such as Young Friends of the Earth Europe. It sends delegates to multilateral meetings under UNFCCC and engages with global campaigns paralleled by actors from 350.org and Extinction Rebellion. Bilateral exchanges have occurred with counterparts in countries represented by institutions like Fridays for Future chapters, Sierra Club youth initiatives, and national societies tied to IUCN membership.
Membership spans thousands of young people organized in local chapters across Norwegian counties and cities including Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Tromsø, and Kristiansand, with recruitment through university campuses such as Universitetet i Bergen and secondary schools linked to regional education offices. Outreach employs media engagement via outlets like NRK, partnerships with research bodies like CICERO and NINA, and digital campaigns leveraging global networks including Facebook groups and collaborations with youth wings of parties like Venstre and Sosialistisk Venstreparti. The organization emphasizes volunteer-led activism, leadership training, and coalition-building with civil society actors such as Bellona and Naturvernforbundet.
Category:Environmental organizations in Norway Category:Youth organizations in Norway