Objectives

WP 2.2 undertakes a study on relevant legal and socio-cultural aspects for the design of a locally successful crowdfunded climate program in Norway – collaborating closely with WP2.1. First, any viable climate crowdfunding program must operate within a formal legal framework. The legal analysis includes questions related to, among others: the applicable legislation, the legal status of the different actors under the program, the legal status of the platform including its obligations, due diligence processes for farmers’ projects, the traceability of the money flow. A separate legal issue to be addressed by the WP is how to account for the emission reductions achieved through the measures. This is important for integrating crowdfunding as a financial mechanism into Norwegian climate legislation, both current and forthcoming. The legal assessment primarily consists of an analysis of the Norwegian legislation. It is supported by a review of experiences from the regulatory regime in other countries, such as France and The Netherlands, which have established crowdfunding programs in the agriculture sector. The research applies the general legal doctrine methodology based on domestic legal sources, EEA/EU law when applicable, and comparative law to reflect experiences from foreign legislations.

Second, when it comes to socio-cultural conditions, there are certain aspects of Norwegian culture relevant to developing a successful crowdfunded climate program. The socio-cultural assessment wexplores how Norwegian social and cultural norms may affect the success of the crowdfunding models explored in WP2.1. There are two components to the WP. First, a desk study exploring Norwegian socio-cultural norms. Second, two focus group interviews will be undertaken – one with a group of farmers and the second with potential end-users (contributors).

 

Publications

Renate Marit Butli Hårstad (Ruralis) (June, 2018). WP 2.2: Socio-cultural factors: Opportunities and challenges for crowdfunding of climate measures in Norwegian agriculture. An executive summary of the report can be found here Executive summary-WP2-2-english

Organizations: University of Oslo, Ruralis

Leaders: Ass. Prof. Catherine Banet and Dr Maja Farstad