Before the summer, one was published ranking which shows that Norway is among the countries that are closest to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals, but at the same time one of the countries that has the most negative influence on other countries’ ability to achieve the sustainability goals by 2030.
Kim Gabrielli, CEO of UN Global Compact Norway, believes that the latter ranking clearly shows that Norway has too high consumption and too large imports of goods.
– Our consumption leads to enormous climate emissions and potentially social challenges in other countries. High consumption in Norway is also exacerbated by too little recycling, repair and that we should rather rent than own a number of things, so-called circular economy, says Gabrielli and continues:
– In addition, Norwegian oil and gas production gives indirect emissions in other countries, for example when driving a car on Norwegian-produced oil. This is not included in this report, as the UN’s climate targets only measure the state’s emissions in its own country.
NORWEGIAN DIRECTOR: Kim Gabrielli in the UN Global Compact. Photo: UN Global Compact view more
Selection
In the list of countries that are closest to achieving the sustainability goals, Norway ends up in seventh place, while Finland, Sweden and Denmark capture the top places.
While on the overview of how countries affect other countries’ ability to achieve the sustainability goals, Norway ends up among the eleven countries that have the most negative effect on other countries. At the bottom of the list are countries such as Singapore, Guyana and Luxembourg.
– It is simply not good enough for a country that likes to see itself as a global leader, Gabrielli believes.
– This year, the government has promoted a number of new policies within sustainability, the circular economy, energy, climate and human rights in business and industry. It will be crucial that the implementation of new sustainability requirements for financiers, transparency law for business, CO₂ tax and incentives for the circular economy and more green industry, is now started in full, says Gabrielli and adds that “we have no time to lose”.
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Reputation
Ahead of the climate summit in Glasgow, Dagbladet has asked Steffen Kallbekken and Solveig Aamodt at CICERO about how Norway’s climate reputation is international, and they agree that it is twofold.
– Norway’s international efforts have a very positive reputation for two reasons: We are often assigned the most demanding tasks in international negotiations, such as mediating difficult issues. In addition, we have contributed to international initiatives, such as the rainforest initiative, says Kallbekken, who is research leader for the climate economics group at CICERO.
– Norway’s domestic efforts, or lack of efforts, have, on the other hand, experienced more negative attention in recent years. This is related to our oil business and the fact that we have not succeeded in cutting our greenhouse gas emissions. Before, the international media cared little about Norway’s domestic efforts, but now you can see notices that we succeed with the electric car investment at the same time as we pump up oil, for example.
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Credibility
Senior researcher Solveig Aamodt highlights Norway’s good reputation in international negotiations.
– Norway probably has a good reputation in the negotiations as we are a small country with large resources, which is easier to play the role of bridge builder. At the same time, Norway is a member of the so-called Umbrella group, together with other rich countries outside the EU, such as the USA, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Russia, says Aamodt and continues:
– This is a negotiating group that many will believe consists of countries that are reluctant to take responsibility for climate policy, and environmental organizations have therefore wondered why Norway is in this group. One explanation may be that there are few other alliances where Norway belongs, perhaps.
At the same time, she believes that Norway’s domestic efforts may weaken its credibility.
– When it comes to Norway’s reputation as a climate nation, everyone knows that we make a lot of money on oil. We have gone hard with relatively ambitious goals, but as long as we do not take control of the oil sector, it will reduce our credibility, says Aamodt and continues:
– As a result, it is easier for Norway to negotiate with allies such as the US and the EU, but more difficult to negotiate with countries such as Brazil, for example. Brazil has a president (Jair Bolsonaro journ.anm.) Who is reluctant to do anything to counteract climate change, so when Norway is to invest in the Rainforest Fund, we can be accused of greenwashing.
