Knut H. Alfsen

Knut H. Alfsen is Accrona's go-to expert for climate change, environmental economics, and sustainable finance. He is also an accomplished researcher, having published over 150 papers, articles, and books on climate change, environmental economics, and natural resource management. With over 15 years of experience in sustainable finance and a career focused on sitting with, studying, and finding solutions to sustainability challenges, he is a true resource for the Accrona team and its clients.

 

A pioneer in sustainable finance, Knut wrote the first-ever Second Party Opinion (SPO) for the World Bank's groundbreaking green bond in 2008, helping set the foundation and structure for the current green finance market, a global USD 4 trillion dollar market and rising. His deep expertise in climate science, environmental economics, and sustainable finance has shaped policy and practice in the field.

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Previous professional experience

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— Special Advisor to the China Council on International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED)

— Senior Advisor to CICERO Shades of Green and S&P Global

— Director, Strategy Director, and Senior Research Fellow at CICERO Climate Research Centre

— Research Director at Statistics Norway 

— Head of Division of Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Statistics Norway 

— Research Director at the Institute for Energy (IFE)

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Education and certificates

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— Dr. Scient. (PhD) in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oslo 

— Candidate Realium in Theoretical Physics from the University of Oslo 

— Certificate in Sustainable Finance Taxonomies from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

 

Beyond work

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When not working, Knut enjoys spending time with his four children and a growing number of grandchildren!