Climate change in Norway

Climate change in Norway discuss the climate change issues in Norway.

Carbon emissions

Despite producing the majority of its electricity from hydroelectric plants, Norway is ranked 30th in the 2008 list of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita and 37th in the 2004 list of countries by ratio of GDP to carbon dioxide emissions. Norway is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, under which it agreed to reduce its carbon emissions to no more than 1% above 1990 levels by 2012. On April 19, 2007, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced to the Labour Party annual congress that Norway's greenhouse gas emissions would be cut by 10 percent more than its Kyoto commitment by 2012, and that the government had agreed to achieve emission cuts of 30% by 2020. He also proposed that Norway should become carbon neutral by 2050, and called upon other rich countries to do likewise.^[1] This carbon neutrality would be achieved partly by carbon offsetting, a proposal criticised by Greenpeace, who also called on Norway to take responsibility for the 500m tonnes of emissions caused by its exports of oil and gas.^[2] World Wildlife Fund Norway also believes that the purchase of carbon offsets is unacceptable, saying "it is a political stillbirth to believe that China will quietly accept that Norway will buy climate quotas abroad".^[3] The Norwegian environmental activist Bellona Foundation believes that the prime minister was forced to act due to pressure from anti-European Union members of the coalition government, and called the announcement "visions without content".^[3]

Energy use

The European primary energy use per capita was highest in 2008 in (TWh/per million): 1) Iceland 191 2) Luxembourg 98 3) Finland 77 4) Norway 72 5) Belgium 64 6) Sweden 62 7) Netherlands 56 8) Russia 56 9) Kazakhstan 53 10) Czech Republic 50 11) France 48, 12) Germany 47 13) Estonia 47 and 14) Austria 46.^[4]

Extreme weather

Agreements and law

Norway is not a member of the EU.

References