Sist redigert: 16.03.22
NMH as a driving force for environmental and climate measures
In connection with NMH's Eco-Lighthouse certification, this overall policy will highlight goals and measures for the period 2025 to 2028. Considering national emissions targets and requirements for the sector, the environmental issue must also become a guiding factor for NMH.
Music and music experiences are inherently sustainable and contribute to an increased quality of life for individuals. Through research and education, NMH delivers cultural actors who make socially beneficial contributions to the green shift and put the environmental issue on the agenda through musical and political actions. NMH contributes to local concerts and a vibrant music life throughout Norway, thus increasing cultural diversity close to a broad audience. NMH recognizes that several aspects of its core activity have a climate footprint and through small and large initiatives it wants to improve environmental performance. Certification as an Eco-Lighthouse is a concrete contribution to this ongoing work.
NMH is in a unique position to lead the way and show that environmental work must also take place in the cultural sector and in music education. NMH educates future role models in several fields and through a visible and targeted environmental and climate focus, it signals that the environmental aspect should follow students into working life. The student body at NMH is an important internal motivation and a premise for the ongoing environmental work. It is also through the students that NMH has the opportunity to influence the cultural sector through conscious actors and musicians. Through student participation in the Grønt NMH reference group, there is a channel for this student voice.
Anchoring and process
The climate and sustainability policy addresses selected goals and measures for the years 2025-2028. The measures in the environmental work have been prepared by Grønt NMH and are anchored in the college's management. Through systematic environmental work and a formal environmental management system, NMH works to achieve the goals below. In addition to an overall policy for climate and sustainability, management documents such as travel policy, catering policy, purchasing guides and various action plans will also be central. The climate and sustainability policy is evaluated annually with the college's management to inform about the status of goals and measures, as well as to obtain corrective management signals.
This is the second time that NMH has prepared a governance document within the field of climate and sustainability. This is done considering the college's recertification as an Eco-Lighthouse in March 2025. After the first three-year period, a clear positive trend is seen in many of the areas that have been systematically worked on since 2022. Society and the world are characterized by different challenges now than when NMH began its climate and environmental work. Economic uncertainty, global security challenges and climate change are the framework conditions and backdrop for the policy's next term.
Sustainability is a theme in the new business strategy of the Norwegian Academy of Music. Strategy 2025–2035. The strategy emphasizes sustainability as a central premise for the strategy period:
The climate and nature crisis challenges us to reflect sustainability and environmental considerations into all decisions. In the future, we must have a high awareness of resource use, and meet global and local challenges with creativity, knowledge and a willingness to change. Measures for the environment and climate, social conditions, governance and management shall ensure NMH as a responsible actor.
National goals and expectations for the sector
Norway has a statutory target of a reduction in greenhouse gases by at least 55 percent in 2030 compared to the reference year 1990. For NMH, there are also clear requirements from the Ministry of Education and Research through the award letter, which points to the goals in the Long-term Plan for Research and Higher Education 2023-2032. The Universities and Colleges Act of 2024 also provides a clear mandate through the purpose clause, where one of the purposes of the institutions shall be to "contribute to environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development."