Erna Solberg’s latest budget raises the CO₂ price more than Støre is ready to handle. This will be the new Prime Minister’s first major test.
BIG CHALLENGE: Støre must find a solution to climate cuts in its new budget. The outgoing government’s budget has given him a major challenge. Photo: NTB view more
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Manager: This is an editorial from Dagbladet, and expresses the newspaper’s views. Dagbladet’s political editor is responsible for the editorial.
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In his proposal to the state budget, the Solberg government increases the CO₂ tax by 28 per cent. The price per tonne of emissions thus goes from NOK 591 to NOK 766. This formidable increase stands out as one of the most notable aspects of the budget, and will create a lot of headaches for the Støre government.
DEPARTURE: Erna Solberg will soon finish her term as Prime Minister, she will end with a stab at the new government and the Prime Minister. Video: NTB. view more
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CO₂ tax is perhaps the most effective way to cut emissions. The increase follows the plan for what is a necessary annual to reach a fairly high price with a good effect in 2030 – 2000 kroner per tonne. Therefore, it is almost as remarkable that the solid tax increase will not be enough.
The reason is technically, but the impact is highly felt in budgets and in society. This is due to a registration error at Statistics Norway that was discovered this winter, and which was expected to have consequences for the so-called projections – ie calculations of how much emissions Norway must cut in the future to achieve the goals we have set ourselves. In the budget documents, the government puts it bluntly: That the instruments they have planned to achieve their goals, such as the increase in the CO₂ tax, will still not be enough.
It shows the seriousness. Especially considering that the Labor / Social Democrat government will find it difficult to take control of the state budget in the coming weeks, which will cut emissions further. With the promises the two parties have made in the election campaign, there will actually be a danger that the cuts will be smaller, not bigger. The Labor Party will have a lower CO price for petrol and diesel, and geographical exceptions from the price increase. The Center Party has an even more critical approach to the CO₂ tax.
When this is That said, it is important to add that the Solberg government would probably have had to agree to similar compensation or erosion of the CO₂ price increase if it were to land a budget with the FRP again this year.
Now it is anyway Støre’s predicament, not Erna Solberg’s. How will he put together an adjusted budget proposal that both takes care of what they themselves have promised, while at the same time cutting just as much emissions? It is not easy to see, but Støre will have to find a credible answer to be able to be confident in SV’s support for the state budget. This will be Prime Minister Støre’s first, big test.
