Norway’s Climate Figures Show Disappointing Progress in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cuts

– This is not good enough.

Venstre’s Ola Elvestuen is clear in his judgment of Statistics Norway’s new climate figures. The figures show a slight decrease in emissions from last year, but the climate parties in the Storting believe the decrease is too small.

Red is also dissatisfied:

– This is a fad. We have not received any change of pace in climate policy, as we were promised. The government knows about a number of climate solutions in transport and industry, which are not implemented, says Rødt’s Sofie Marhaug.

Preliminary figures show that emissions of greenhouse gases in Norway in 2022 were 48.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. This corresponds to a decrease of 0.5 per cent from the previous year. In order to reach the Paris targets, Norway must increase emission cuts at a much higher pace than this.

– The government continues to allow the same amount of pollution from air and car traffic, and continues the degradation of nature, which releases CO₂Marhaug continues.

Electricity prices

Most of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions had a slight decrease in 2022. One of the exceptions is the source of heating in other industries and households, which increased by 12 per cent compared to 2021.

– It appears that the increased prices for electricity, fuel and natural gas affected energy use and thus emissions in 2022, says senior adviser Trude Melby Bothner in a press release from Statistics Norway.

Compared to 1990, the preliminary figures for 2022 show a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 4.7 per cent.

Read commentator Sondre Hansmark’s assessment of the climate figures and the way forward here!

– Watch your children!

Called onto the carpet

Through the Paris Agreement, Norway has committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, together with the EU.

– The government must stop pretending that the climate cuts will happen by themselves. It is entirely possible to cut emissions, as long as there is political will. The MDG is going to call the government on the carpet in the Storting to ask them to explain what they want to do to get on track with Norway’s climate goals, says MDG leader Arild Hermstad in a comment to Dagbladet on Thursday morning.

Ola Elvestuen and Venstre add that Norway is now seriously behind in its commitments on climate cuts.

– Emissions are barely decreasing, the EU and other comparable countries manage to cut significantly more. With each passing year, we end up further away from our climate goals. The government has ruled the country for two years, but is still unable to show a single new climate measure. Now Barth Eide has to get on the field soon, says Ola Elvestuen in a comment to Dagbladet.

Not even in the more oil-friendly circles on Løvebakken are they satisfied with the government’s pace.

– The most important thing we do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to establish more power. In that area, the government is not delivering and they have no plan to do so either. Then I am not surprised that the emission cuts are not greater, says Terje Halleland (Frp) to Dagbladet.