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Environmental Foundation Bellona Fights for Survival, Needs $3 Million Today
🇳🇴 Norway /Environment & Climate

Environmental Foundation Bellona Fights for Survival, Needs $3 Million Today

From Aftenposten · () Norwegian

Translated from Norwegian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Environmental foundation Bellona is facing potential bankruptcy and needs to raise 3 million kroner by the end of the day to avoid closure.
  • Approximately 40 employees in Norway would lose their jobs if the organization cannot secure the necessary funds.
  • Bellona has already raised 3 million kroner through individual donations and an additional 2 million from businesses, but still requires a total of 8 million kroner to continue operations.

The environmental organization Bellona is in a critical financial situation, urgently seeking 3 million kroner by the end of the day to prevent bankruptcy and the loss of jobs for around 40 employees in Norway.

Today is decisive.

— Sveinung RotevatnGeneral Manager of Bellona, describing the critical situation the organization faces.

Sveinung Rotevatn, Bellona's general manager, described the current day as "decisive" for the organization's survival. For nearly 40 years, Bellona has been a prominent voice in environmental advocacy. A crowdfunding campaign launched a week ago has already garnered 3 million kroner from over 4,300 individual donors. Additionally, the organization has received 2 million kroner from businesses outside of the campaign, but this still falls short of the 8 million kroner total needed for continued operation.

You cannot fight for climate without being an optimist. I am an optimist, but we are not there yet.

— Sveinung RotevatnRotevatn expressing cautious hope amidst Bellona's financial crisis.

The board of trustees is scheduled to make a decision on the foundation's future at a meeting Monday evening. If they determine that there is no basis for continued operations, Bellona will declare bankruptcy, leading to the termination of all its Norwegian staff. Rotevatn expressed optimism about the fight for climate action but acknowledged they are not yet out of the woods.

It is up to the people to decide if Bellona has the right to exist; we are 90 percent privately funded.

— Sveinung RotevatnRotevatn highlighting the reliance on public support for Bellona's operations.

Bellona's financial struggles have been mounting over time due to paused or lost expected revenues. Rotevatn takes responsibility for the situation, emphasizing that it is Bellona's duty to operate soundly and secure its own funding. He admitted that, in hindsight, the foundation should have allocated more resources to financial management. The potential closure of Bellona in Norway would also impact its international offices, particularly in Vilnius, Lithuania, where several exiled Russians are employed.

It is Bellona's responsibility to operate soundly and it is we who must secure our own income.

— Sveinung RotevatnRotevatn accepting accountability for Bellona's financial predicament.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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