Sustainability as a competitive advantage in securing financing

How can sustainability strengthen your chances of securing financing for green technology? That was the question explored at Energy Transition Norway’s recent breakfast meeting, hosted at Måltidets Hus in Stavanger in collaboration with Greenstep on October 8th.

Over coffee and conversation, participants gained a practical overview of how integrating sustainability into technology development and business models can unlock funding opportunities both from private investors and public support schemes.

Why sustainability matters for access to capital

Sustainability has become a defining factor for access to capital. Both investors and funding agencies now expect companies to document how their technologies contribute to environmental and social value — and how that value can be measured.

— Even early-stage companies are asked to show credible impact numbers and basic governance – not just a good story, said Silke Wenzel, Manager & Team Lead Sustainability Services at Greenstep.

Major investors therefore expect companies to embed sustainability into corporate strategy and governance. These expectations illustrate why investors increasingly ask for credible impact metrics (such as avoided CO₂ or energy savings), transparent governance policies, and net‑zero roadmaps rather than generic sustainability statements.

Building a credible sustainability case

Speakers at the ETN breakfast meeting highlighted that a credible sustainability case starts with clear baseline emissions (scope 1, 2, and key scope 3), measurable impact metrics, strong governance policies, and alignment with recognised frameworks like the UN SDGs and EU Taxonomy.

They also stressed the importance of transparent reporting plans that show how disclosures will evolve as the company grows.

Public funding prioritizes sustainability

Public funding programmes increasingly make sustainability a deciding factor, noted Margie Maria Gonzalez from ETN.

Projects that document measurable climate, environmental, or social impacts stand out — for example through life-cycle assessments, avoided-emission estimates, and alignment with the EU Taxonomy and SDGs.

The Research Council of Norway may even fund sustainability documentation, helping SMEs build the data and competence investors seek.

What the EU Taxonomy means in practice

The EU Taxonomy is a classification system that guides investment toward activities supporting climate and environmental goals. To qualify, a project must make a substantial contribution to one of six objectives, avoid harming others, follow social safeguards, and meet sector-specific criteria.

By aligning with the taxonomy, companies improve transparency, use a common sustainability language, and increase access to green investments - an influence that now extends to Norway through European investors and customers.

Conclusion: Sustainability as a competitive advantage

Investors increasingly demand transparent metrics, robust governance, and credible evidence of environmental and social impact.

Norwegian public funding bodies likewise prioritise projects with clear sustainability benefits, often giving them preference when proposals are otherwise equally strong.