Borge Brende

Member of the Norwegian Storting,
First Deputy Chairman, Standing Committee on Energy a
nd the Environment, Oslo, Norway,
Chairman of CSD-12

H.E. Børge Brende was elected by the Commission on Sustainable Development as the Chairman of CSD-12 on 9 May 2003. He has been Norwegian Minister of the Environment since 2001 and a Member of Parliament since 1997.

He was a member of The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs from 1997-2001 and first deputy leader of The Conservative Party from 1994-1998. He has also held numerous other political positions such as: Leader of Norwegian Young Conservatives 1988-1990, preceded by two years as First Deputy leader; Political adviser, Conservative Party Parliamentary Group 1986-1987; and Political secretary, Norwegian Young Conservatives 1985. He was also Leader, Conservative Party Parliamentary Election Program Committee for four years from 1997 and deputy leader of the European Movement in Norway 1991.

Prior to his Parliamentary career, Minister Brende was a Municipal Counsellor in the Municipality of Trondheim and leader of the Conservative Party Group from 1992-1997. He was Finance Director of Brende Entreprenør AS for two years from 1990, a member of the Board, Aid to Afghanistan in 1987 and alternate member of the Board of Directors for the Norwegian State Housing Bank from 1990-1994.

He holds a B.A. from the Norwegian University for Technology and Science (1997) and is married with 2 children.