Near 8 million for environmental protection measures in Svalbard

The Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund has today allocated just under NOK 8 million to environmental protection projects in the spring application round.

The Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund will be used for the benefit of the environment in Svalbard by contributing to the implementation of measures to protect the natural environment and cultural heritage on the archipelago. The fund will work to initiate and stimulate good projects and measures that aim to safeguard the high environmental goals set for Svalbard and to help ensure that Svalbard’s distinctive wilderness nature is preserved as a basis for experience, knowledge, and value.

All visitors to Svalbard pay an environmental fee that goes to the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund. The fund also receives income from fees for hunting and fishing licenses, fees, and enforcement fines under the Svalbard Environmental Act.

In the spring 2025 application round, 40 applications were received with a total application amount of approximately NOK 18.8 million for projects within cultural heritage, research, energy efficiency, recycling, tourism, and information, training, and facilitation. Of these, 22 applications with a total commitment amount of NOK 7,973,930 have been granted support.

This award round

New this year is that the award letter no longer gives specific priorities from the Ministry of Climate and Environment for which application areas will be allocated funds. Applications that are allocated funds must be within the framework of the Svalbard Environment Act Section 98’s purpose of protecting the environment through the protection and safeguarding of the natural environment, cultural heritage and cultural environment and educational and information purposes. The prioritization shall emphasize measures that have the most relevant environmental impact.

There is great variation among the incoming applications. The cable car trestles are among Longyearbyen’s most iconic cultural heritage, many of which are in great need of maintenance. The fund has supported such projects on several occasions and in this application round, funds have again been allocated for the repair and safeguarding of two cable car trestles.

Svalbard Folkehøyskole has received funds to a condition assessment of the first cabin. Parts of the cabin are an automatically protected cultural heritage and the registration will be used as the basis for a project to renovate and preserve the cabin.

There has been a preponderance of research applications in this application round and it is therefore natural that this category has been granted the most support with a total sum of NOK 4,684,930.

The Norwegian Polar Institute is responsible for aerial photography of Svalbard, in 2023 they received funding for a project where, in addition to regular aerial photos, they will take images with better resolution that can be used by the environmental and cultural heritage management. The second part of this project is now underway and the Polar Institute will receive additional funding through this award to complete the project.

The fund has received several exciting applications that deal with fish and fish management. Several of these have been granted funding. It has long been the case that those who fish for char in Svalbard must report and deliver fish heads to the Governor, this material is now being used by Akvaplan NIVA to prepare a knowledge base for the management of char in Svalbard

Next round of awards – new opportunities!

The next round of awards will be in the fall of 2025. The board estimates that a larger sum will be available for this fall’s application round and that an award of around NOK 11 million will be announced in August.

The Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund reminds that all applicants must meet the requirements set for content in the application and at the same time justify specifically and practically how the measure falls within the purpose.

Necessary permits must, as a general rule, be in place before applying for support. It is also important that the application explains how the project contributes to increased environmental benefits, in line with the guidelines for the fund.

The board would like to invite active dialogue with potential applicants. We are open to input and reflections that can specify in what ways the fund can help realize measures that in the short and long term can be used to supplement ongoing projects and create synergies that contribute to maintaining the high environmental goals set for Svalbard.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the secretariat for discussions about project ideas and possible guidance in the application process before the next application deadline of September 15, 2025.

Letter of commitment

All applicants will receive a letter with the decision and any conditions. For a complete overview of this autumn’s allocation, please refer to the attached list. We reserve the right of errors in the summary at this time.

More information

Hanne Eriksen (senior advisor, secretariat) tel. 79 02 43 51

Pål Prestrud (chairman) tel. 970 71 50