Members

Martin Skancke (born 1966) is a self-employed consultant at Skancke Consulting. He is an adviser in asset management and management of natural resources, including for state investment funds and authorities in several countries. Skancke has broad socio-economic experience and has previously served as Director General at the Office of the Norwegian Prime Minister and at the the Ministry of Finance’s Asset Management Department. Skancke led the expert group for the assessment of climate risk in the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) in 2021 and Norway’s Climate Risk Commission which delivered its report in 2018. Skancke is Chairman of PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) and board member of Storebrand ASA, Storebrand Livsforsikring AS, Norwegian Climate Foundation and Norfund.

Erik Trømborg (born 1966) is professor of forest economics at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Trømborg holds a PhD in forest economics and a Master’s degree in forestry from NMBU and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research activity is within markets and value chains for forest products and bioenergy, forest and energy sector analysis and climate-smart management of forest resources. Trømborg participates in the Energy 21 and Process 21 forums.

Astrid Lilliestråle (born 1981) is Director of Market Development at Enova. Lilliestråle holds a degree in civil engineering from Uppsala University in Sweden and has previous experience from research and consultancy, including from SINTEF, McKinsey & Company and PwC. Lilliestråle was a member of the government’s expert committee for future revenue in the toll rings, which submitted its report in autumn 2020.

Gro Sandkjær Hanssen (born 1973) is a social researcher at the Urban and Regional Research Institute NIBR at OsloMet. Hanssen is also Professor II in urban and regional planning at the Norwegian University of Environmental and Life Sciences (NMBU). She holds a PhD in political science from the University of Oslo on governance and participation in urban planning, and her research interests include governance and planning and administration – particularly at regional and local level. Among other things, she has worked on topics such as urban planning, regional planning, climate change and climate adaptation, as well as water management. Hanssen has led several large Research Council-funded collaborative projects, including on compact urban development, local climate adaptation and democratic urban spaces. Hanssen led the four-year research-based evaluation of the Norwegian Planning- and Building Act (EVPLAN), where two summarizing books were published. Now she leads a project on how the municipalities can work for more inclusive local housing markets. Hanssen has also submitted reports investigating how the regional reform may act as community developer and has been a member of the expert committee which in 2017-2018 assessed potential new tasks for the County Councils.

Klaus Mohn (born 1964) is professor of economics and vice-chancellor at the University of Stavanger. Mohn has a degree in social economics from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and a PhD in industrial economics from the University of Stavanger. Mohn has previously held the position as Chief Economist at Statoil (now Equinor), and has also worked with research at Statistics Norway and macroeconomic analysis at DNB Markets. Mohn’s research areas and interests mainly focus on the interaction between economics, energy and the management of natural resources. In particular, he is concerned with the tension between energy, petroleum and climate change, including economic fluctuations and political implications in resource-rich economies such as Norway

Lars Petter Maltby (born 1961) is Director of Prosess21 in the Research Council. Maltby has 25 years of industrial experience, including 12 years as General Manager for Saint-Gobain’s silicon carbide activity in Europe. He previously held the position as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in the Eyde Cluster and Head of Battery Norway. He holds various board positions, including for Å Energi, Returkraft, the University of Agder and Seram Coatings. Maltby holds a degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in process technology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). 

Marianne Hansen (born 1972) is a senior adviser in Steigen municipality. She has a degree in civil economics from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). Hansen has previously been bank director at SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge and Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Finance. She was a board member of Folketrygdfondet from 2010 to 2021 and served as a member of the Green Tax Commission. She has also previously worked with development aid at the UN and Norad.

Eirik Newth (born 1964) holds a Master’s degree in theoretical astrophysics. Since 1990, he has worked full-time as a freelance writer and communicator of natural science, technology and futurist research for a wide audience. Newth has written a number of popular science books, especially for children.

Camilla Skjelsbæk Gramstad (born 1981) is Head of Sustainability at Elkjøp Nordic and is particularly involved in the transition to a circular economy. Gramstad has previously been responsible for sustainability at The Federation of Norwegian Enterprise (Virke), where she worked to engage the trade and service industries in the green transition. She has also worked with sustainability and supplier development through public procurement in the Directorate for Administration and ICT. Gramstad has been deputy chairman of the board of the Environmental Lighthouse, Ethical Trade Norway, and has been a board member of the Divisional Board for Innovation in the Research Council and of the Norwegian Retailer’s Environment Fund. She participated in the Norwegian Ethics Information Committee that proposed the Openness Act in 2019. Gramstad has an interdisciplinary master’s in Culture, Environment and Sustainability from the University of Oslo.

Kristin Halvorsen (born 1960) is director at CICERO Center for Climate Research. Halvorsen is a former politician and was a member of the Stoltenberg II government from 2005 to 2013. She was Norway’s first female Finance Minister from 2005 to 2009 and Minister of Knowledge from 2009 to 2013. Halvorsen was leader of the Socialist Left Party from 1997 to 2012 and an elected parliamentary representative from 1989 to 2013. She is a former Chair of the Biotechnology Council (2014 – 2019) and was a member of the Committee to assess the equity portion of the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) in 2016 as well as a the Expert group for the assessment of climate risk in the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) in 2021. Halvorsen is currently Chairman of the Natural History Museum and Vice Chair of CCICED (China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development).

Audun Korsæth (born 1967) is director for the Division of Food Production and Society at NIBIO. Korsæth has worked for many years as a researcher in agriculture and food production, with a focus on technology and environmental effects, and has held various management positions in NIBIO. Korsæth gained professorship in 2012 and he has established the NIBIO Center for precision agriculture. He sits on the National Council for Nutrition, and has participated in a number of councils and committees, both nationally and internationally.

Signe Nybø (born 1963) is head of research for terrestrial biodiversity at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. Nybø has led the development of large national projects that include assessment of natural diversity in Norway (nature index) and system for assessing the state of ecosystems. Furthermore, she was a member of the committee that in 2013 delivered the NOU called Nature’s benefits – on the values of ecosystem services. This work was a national follow-up to the global projects Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and TEEB (The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity). Nybø has also been a member of the portfolio board for environmentally friendly energy (ENERGI-X) in the Research Council for 6 years.