While Norway spends millions of dollars on rainforest protection and renewable energy in developing countries, new data shows that Norway is falling short of reaching its domestic targets. The country has been applauded for using its oil tax income to fund REDD+ and CDM projects as well as ODA. However, this is in stark contrast with new numbers from the International Energy Agency (IEA) showing that at home carbon emissions have increased dramatically.
Bård Vegar Solhjell, Norwegian minister of the environment, will arrive in Doha next week to present ambitious targets in the battle against climate change: a 20 percent reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2020; a pledge for 500 million dollars annually towards rainforest protection; as well as funds for promoting renewable energy in developing countries; as well as several million for adaptation.
However, the IEA data changes the Norwegian image as an environmental super hero. Norwegian CO2 emissions from fuel combustion have increased by 38 per cent since 1990, more than all other OECD countries except Australia. More worryingly, emission projections toward 2020 show the numbers will only continue to rise. The reason for this increase is that emissions from oil and gas extraction and consumption have risen dramatically. In the same period, though, onshore industry has reduced its emissions of other climate gases.
This development will strike a blow to Norway’s good environmental reputation. If Norway does not want to be seen as merely making ambitious statements at international conferences about their global engagement while the situation at home shows a different reality, they need to take bold steps soon on domestic CO2 emissions reductions.