About us
The Minor Foundation for Major Challenges is a Norwegian trust that funds communication projects which mitigate anthropogenic climate change.
The foundation welcomes applications from all over the world. The board grants support to the projects they believe have the greatest impact on influencing opinion and increasing political support for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Our board
Bård Lahn
Chairman
Bård Lahn has a long history of climate policy work for Norwegian NGOs and international NGO networks, in particular in the field of UN climate negotiations. He has written extensively on international climate policy, fossil fuels, climate science and equity. Lahn has previously served on the boards of the Norwegian Development Fund, the Sophie Prize, and Friends of the Earth Norway, among others. He holds a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Oslo and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the University's Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture.
Tor Opsvik
Board member
Mr. Tor Opsvik has a PhD degree, with a thesis in History at the University of Santiago de Chile. He holds a Masters degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. He has been an advisor at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigrationworks. Currently, he works as a teacher in Latin American history and culture at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Rikke Dahl Monsen
Board member
Rikke Dahl Monsen is Program Coordinator at Oslo Green Capital 2019 in the Office of the Governing Mayor in the City of Oslo. She is on leave from her position as Communication Advisor in the Climate Agency in the City of Oslo. She has worked in different positions in the City since 2007, and has worked with the development of Oslo circular based waste management system, on making Oslos Climate and Energy Strategy and on Oslos strategy for climate communication. Now she is working on employing Oslo’s program for it’s year as the European Green Capital. She is educated as a Human Geographer from the University of Oslo and was active in Young Friends of the Earth in her youth.
Trude Rauken
Board member
Ingrid Lomelde
Board member
Ingrid Lomelde has 15 years experience with sustainable development, climate and energy across the public, private and civil society sectors. Throughout her career as business developer for offshore wind in Equinor, as Conservation Director in WWF Norway, as Head for the Climate Team in the Norwegian Research Council and as Vice President for Sustainability in Aker Offshore Wind, Ingrid has dedicated her efforts to developing climate solutions that protect and respect nature and people. Ingrid holds a masters degree in political science from the University of Oslo.
Our history
Peter Opsvik’s family-owned company donated one third of its shares to The Minor Foundation for Major Challenges. The foundation supports communication projects that contribute to mitigating human-made global warming.
The foundation's first grant is awarded. The project seeks to raise awareness of climate change in Russia.
Awarded grants surpass 10 million NOK in total. The project portfolio includes start funding to a new NGO called 350.org, work to include migrant communities in climate action, and ground-breaking analysis of equity in climate policy.
The Foundation sells its shares in Peter Opsvik AS and decides to make its entire asset base available for grantmaking during the decisive decade for climate action towards 2030.