Kyrre has an interdisciplinary education, with a PhD in Geography from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), a Master’s degree in Environmental history from the University of Bergen (1998), as well as science and planning subjects at undergraduate level. The title of his PhD thesis is "The municipalities and the climate change challenge: A study of local climate governance in Norway" (written in Norwegian).
Research interests are local climate and environmental policy, climate change adaptation, urban planning, biodiversity preservation, stormwater management, natural hazards and societal security. Kyrre is currently leading the project Sustainable urbanisation requirement of small and medium sized urban settlements and their surroundings (Surround), funded by the Research Council of Norway - MILJØFORSK.
Kyrre is also staff member of Norwegian Research Centre on Sustainable Climate Change Adaptation (NORADAPT), where he carries out research on co-benefits and conflicts between climate policy and biodiversity preservation.