One thing in particular makes Stine Vintervoll very happy: NHH students with a passion for the environment.
Stine Vintervoll of Miljøfyrtårn (Eco-Lighthouse certification scheme) often receives enquiries from current and former NHH students who want to work on sustainability and the green shift.
‘I think that's a promising sign for the future. We need bright minds from NHH to create a greener and more sustainable world,’ says Vintervoll.
Video: Stine Vintervoll's best tips on sustainable Christmas gifts
She has achieved many things since completing her master’s in Marketing and Brand Management at NHH in 2017. Among other things, she spent a hectic summer at the EAT Foundation.
‘When I attended NHH, I thought a lot about what I wanted to do after graduating. I asked myself one fundamental question: What interests me the most? I read up on many companies that I found interesting. In 2016, I found an article about Gunhild Stordalen and her foundation, EAT.’
Vintervoll obtained an internship at EAT in the summer of 2017, which really increased her engagement in environmental issues.
‘EAT links food to the health of the planet and people. Food is directly or indirectly linked to all of the UN's 17 sustainable development goals. After spending time at EAT, there was no doubt in my mind. This was what I wanted to work on. I have chosen to dedicate my career to reaching the UN’s sustainable development goals.’
Vintervoll is currently working as a project coordinator at the Eco-Lighthouse foundation, which certifies companies that take sustainability and the environment seriously. It was founded in 2003 and has developed requirements for 82 different trades in the public and private sector. In order to become an Eco-Lighthouse-certified entity, the companies must implement measures to ensure more environmentally friendly operation of the company and a good working environment.
‘The companies must document that they meet the statutory requirements and our requirements. We make requirements of energy consumption, waste, plastic and food waste, transport, procurements and working environment.’
She adds:
‘I firmly believe that companies that do not have a sustainable business model are not equipped to meet obvious market needs.’
In order to help companies become greener, a dedicated ideas bank was launched in September 2019. The ideas bank is free and available to the public at miljofyrtarn.no
‘The challenge is always to find proposals for environmental measures that are achievable in the day-to-day running of small and medium sized companies. The ideas bank contains a lot of good advice and measures that are easy to implement.’
She is also behind the Instagram account ‘Bærekraftsreisen’, which provides advice on how to contribute to reaching the 169 targets in the UN’s sustainable development goals. The account was nominated for the City of Oslo’s environmental prize in 2019.
Vintervoll is in no doubt that NHH has given her many opportunities in the labour market.
‘You get a good academic foundation no matter what sector you want to work in. If you want to work in the building and construction industry, shipping, a start-up or on the green shift, you can make a useful contribution,’ she says and points out:
‘NHH provides the key to working in far more exciting professions than you may initially think.’
‘Do you want more NHH students to join the "green shift"?’
‘Absolutely, it’s the only shift that matters for the future. NHH students are too competent not to be involved in developing the sustainable business opportunities the world really needs.’