NORGES NATURVERNFORBUND

Their core work

Norges Naturvernforbund (Friends of the Earth Norway) is a national environmental NGO that champions consumer-side energy efficiency across Europe. They work on empowering households and buyers to choose energy-efficient products — from heating systems and boilers to appliances — by combining market intelligence, behavioural science, and consumer advocacy. Their practical contribution to EU projects lies in running national campaigns, testing consumer engagement strategies, and bridging the gap between energy-efficient product availability and actual purchase decisions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (TOPTEN ACT, 2015-2018) centred on informing consumers about the best energy-efficient products available — essentially a product-ranking and awareness approach. From 2019 onward, they shifted toward understanding WHY consumers do or don't act, applying behavioural science (ENCHANT) and market transformation strategies (HACKS) to heating and cooling specifically. The trajectory moves from information provision to active behaviour change intervention.

They are moving from passive consumer information toward evidence-based behavioural interventions, making them increasingly relevant for projects that need to prove real-world adoption impact.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they contribute national reach and consumer engagement expertise rather than project management. With 37 unique partners across 17 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large multi-country consortia (averaging 12+ partners per project). This makes them experienced at working within big European teams and delivering national-level campaign activities as part of coordinated EU-wide efforts.

Broad European network spanning 37 partners across 17 countries, built through large Coordination and Support Actions. Their connections likely include other national environmental NGOs, consumer associations, and energy agencies across the EU.

What sets them apart

As Norway's largest environmental NGO, they bring genuine consumer trust and national campaign infrastructure that research institutes and consultancies cannot replicate. Their value is access to real Norwegian households and buyers — they can run actual interventions, not just model them. For consortium builders, they fill the critical "national implementation partner" slot in consumer-facing energy projects across Scandinavia.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENCHANT
  Applied randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to energy behaviour change at large scale — a rigorous scientific method unusual for an NGO participant.
• HACKS
  Largest funding (EUR 164K) and most specific scope — targeting the heating/cooling market with a supply-and-demand bridging approach.