Norway -- surely at least as dependent as Alberta on oil & gas?!

Ambitious Norwegian white paper on climate efforts
There are two main goals of the white paper on climate efforts.

Firstly; Norway shall become carbon neutral within 2050. Norway shall advance its goal of carbon neutrality to 2030 if a global ambitious climate agreement is in place, where other industrialized countries commit to undertake large reductions of greenhouse gasses.

Secondly; Norway shall within 2020 reduce its emissions of greenhouse gasses equivalent to 30 percent of the emissions in 1990. These reductions may either be effected in Norway, or by purchasing emission allowances (quotas) from other countries so they will make the reductions for us. This specific measure has been debated widely in Norway – whether Norway shall reduce more or less than two thirds of its emissions at home – the white paper commits (politically) Norway to a domestic goal of two thirds.

To quantify the reduction target, Norway shall on a national level reduce its emissions from 50 million CO2 equivalents in 1990 to 42 and 44 million equivalents in 2020.

The Government will establish a climate and energy fund to promote technological advances in industry. Enova, the state-owned enterprise is given the task to administrate the fund. The aim is to develop technology that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. From 2013, the total capital of the fund will be of NOK 30 billion (and gradually increase up to NOK 50 billion in 2020. The administrative task of Enova is to work closely with the industry, research communities, the Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency and other public agencies that are engaged in climate related topics.

Activities comprised by the white paper:
-Mainland industry and petroleum activities
-transport,
-building sector and
-agricultural sector an carbon uptake by forests.

In order to increase the incentives for the petroleum sector in conjunction to reduce their emissions, the Government has decided to increase the CO2-tax for this sector by NOK 200 (EUR 28) per tonne CO2 emitted – almost twice the present level. The CO2 tax on mineral matters/ products was introduced in 1991. In 1999 it was divided into a separate tax decision.

-Eivind Aarnes Nilsen
1 day ago
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