The case in summary • The government has proposed new climate targets for the period 2030–2035. The proposal has been sent out for consultation, with plans for a decision in the Storting before Easter. • It is proposed, among other things, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 55 and 80 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. • Both SV, MDG and WWF have expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s proposal. • The proposal for new climate targets is met with criticism, partly because 55 per cent emissions is the target for emissions in 2030, and anchored in the Climate Act. • The government also faces criticism because Norway does not meet the UN’s deadline for registering new climate targets, which is 10 February 2025. • State Secretary Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland explains the delay by saying that they want to ensure public and democratic anchoring of the target and consideration in the Storting, so that they can both legislate and register the new target. • The government has not proposed a specific emissions target, but mentions a range of 55 to 80 per cent. They want input on this proposed range, and on the entire proposal for new climate targets. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Next year, all countries that are part of the Paris Agreement must submit new climate targets for the period 2030–2035 to the UN. The ultimate goal is for Norway to be a low-emission society in 2050. The government wants the new climate target to also be included in the Climate Act. Therefore, the proposal has now been sent out for consultation. After the hearing, the government will submit a final proposal for a new climate target to the Storting with a concrete figure for how much emissions must be reduced. The main points in the government’s proposal for climate targets for 2030-2035 Set a climate target for 2035 within the range 55 – 80%. The goal can be achieved through national emission reductions, participation in the EU’s quota system, and the purchase of emission reductions under the Paris Agreement. Continued climate cooperation with the EU, but this depends on the arrangement of future EU regulations. Absorption and emissions in the forest and land use sector are factored in to reach the target. Arriving at a concrete target figure to be included in the Climate Act. The government aims to draw up a legislative proposal for the Storting before Easter 2025. In the spring of 2025, the government will also submit a report to the Storting on climate for the period up to 2035. The government will facilitate significant emission reductions nationally, up to 2035. The government is asking for input on Norway should have a sub-goal on domestic ambitions, and how this should possibly be formalised. In the proposal for new climate targets, the government writes, among other things, that they aim to cut the emission of greenhouse gases by between 55 and 80 per cent by 2035, compared to the emission level in 1990. – It is important that the climate targets stand up over time and create predictability. The government therefore wants the Storting to process the proposal before we report it to the UN. It would be positive if a broad majority could stand behind Norway’s new climate goals, says Climate and Environment Minister Tore O. Sandvik (Ap). Climate and Environment Minister Tore O. Sandvik says that Norway will be delayed by a few months with its registration under the Paris Agreement. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB There is no specific figure in the proposal from the government about how much they aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions. – We believe it is important to get all advantages and disadvantages on the table when we are going to propose a final target for the Storting, says Sandvik. The deadline for submitting input to the consultation proposal is 1 January 2025. A final proposal must be submitted to the Storting before Easter, together with a notification to the Storting. This means that Norway will be delayed in reporting its goal to the UN, which has set the deadline for reporting to 10 February next year. Back in climate policy Storting representative for SV Lars Haltbrekken writes in an e-mail to news that this is embarrassing. – Once again we see how far behind the government is in climate policy. About the only news that comes from the government in the climate field is that the policy has been postponed. Storting representative for SV, Lars Haltbrekken, believes that emissions must be cut more if we are to reach the low-emission target in 2050. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB – The Storting message on emission cuts after 2030 has been postponed, and now we are postponing the new climate targets. It’s like a home-alone party in the government at the moment, writes Haltbrekken. That Norway must cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 55 percent is also stated in the climate target for cutting emissions up to 2030. – Then it is quite pointless to have it as a possible target for 2035. Haltbrekken believes that if we are to reach the target of 0- emissions in 2050, we must cut far more than what the government writes. – A more sensible proposal would have been to ask for input on cuts between 70 and 80 per cent. – I hardly believe what I read. The leader of MDG, Arild Hermstad, is also clear about what he thinks about the proposal that has been sent out for consultation. Leader of MDG, Arild Hermstad criticizes the proposal from the government which has been sent out for consultation. Photo: PERNILLE SOMMER – Støre is open to sticking with a target of 55 per cent, something they have already committed to. It is so weak and so far from what is needed that I hardly believe what I am reading, says Hemstad to news. – This proposal involves canceling the climate transition in Norway. It clearly shows that we have a government that has no plan whatsoever for climate and nature to be the framework around all policy as they stated in the Hurdal platform, says Hemstad. – One of the laziest things I’ve seen – There is nothing in this proposal that suggests that we will be a low-emission society in 2050. That’s what the secretary general of WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature, Karoline Andaur says. Head of the WWF World Wildlife Fund, Karoline Andaur believes the proposal from the government is weak. Photo: Alf Ivar Martinsen / news She says that Norway has never reached any of the national climate targets. – This is one of the laxest things I have seen in my time as head of WWF, and it comes on top of the extremely disappointing nature report the government presented before the weekend. This government takes neither the climate crisis nor the nature crisis seriously, says Andaur. Democratic anchoring State Secretary Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland in the Ministry of Climate and Environment responds to the criticism: – Firstly, we want to ensure public and democratic anchoring of the target, and consideration in the Storting, so that we can both legislate and register the new target. State Secretary in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Sigrun Gjerløw Aasland Photo: WWF – Secondly, we have not proposed a target of 55 per cent, we hear a range of 55 to 80 per cent. We would like to have input on that. In addition, the government is asking for input on a separate target for national emission reductions, one of the recommendations from the Norwegian Environment Agency, writes Gjerløw Aasland in an e-mail to news. Published 04.10.2024, at 12.53 Updated 04.10.2024, at 15.28
ttn-69
Strong dissatisfaction with the government’s proposal for new climate targets – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
