Statoil will be the main sponsor for the Tunza International Children's Conference being held in Stavanger next year.
The organiser is Young Agenda 21, established as an independent environmental foundation in Stavanger in 2000. It is working together with the United Nations (UN) environmental program, Unep, regarding the event.
Statoil is one of the foundation's founders, whose goal it is to increase children's and youngster's environmental involvement.
"We're pleased to be able to take part in this collaboration to increase the environmental involvement of children and young people," says Tor Fjæran, senior vice president for the environment.
"Young people's knowledge about the environment is important for developing forward-looking and sustainable solutions."
Energy and the link between the environment and development, as well as the UN's millennium plan for reducing poverty, will be key topics at the 2008 Tunza conference. The aim is that 1,000 delegates from 100 countries will attend. Of these, around 300 will be delegates from developing countries.
"It's great that Statoil contributes to children from across the globe being able to meet at an international conference such as this," says Gabriele Brennhaugen, general manager of Young Agenda 21.
"Sponsorship funds from Statoil show that the company thinks big and globally."
Previously, similar environmental conferences for children and young people have been held in the UK, Kenya, Canada, the USA, Malaysia and Japan.
Next year's Stavanger conference will run from 17 to 21 June.