In order to reach the climate targets in 2050, Norway must therefore cut up to 95 per cent of its greenhouse gas emissions. This means that during the next 27 years, Norway must remove virtually all emissions of greenhouse gases for good. This is revealed in the Climate Committee 2050’s report “Transition to low emissions – path choice for climate policy towards 2050”, which was presented on Friday. The report shows what is needed for Norway to achieve the goal of being a low-emission society in 2050. – The question is not which emissions should be reduced, but which small emissions can remain in 2050. – Everything else must go away, says committee leader Martin Skancke . In order to reach the climate targets in 2050, Norway must therefore cut up to 95 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions, says the committee’s leader Martin Skancke Photo: Rolv Christian Topdahl / news Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen tells E24 that in a world that will phase out fossil energy sources then there is still room for development of the Norwegian continental shelf. – We will sell less and less oil and gas to Europe in the years ahead. It must be phased out. It is absolutely the right thing to do. But it must happen at a sensible and wise rate that must be well connected, says the climate minister. Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen tells E24 that there is no need to create a plan for the phasing out of oil, as the production of it will fall by itself. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich The committee proposes that a strategy be drawn up to phase out Norwegian oil and gas extraction – and that this be presented to the Storting as quickly as possible. Until this strategy is in place, the committee recommends a permanent halt to exploration for oil and gas. Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions and climate targets measured in million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents? Click for explanation of CO₂ equivalents. Norway’s climate target 23.1 million tonnes annually Go to news’s Climate Status What is Norway’s climate target? By 2030, Norway must cut at least 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels. The goal is to be achieved in cooperation with the EU. By 2050, 90-95 per cent of Norwegian emissions must be cut. This means that we must cut emissions at record speed. In the last ten years we have managed to cut around 5 million tonnes, in the next ten we will cut around 25 million tonnes. How will Norway reach the climate target? Norway must cut emissions in two ways, because the sources of emissions can be divided into two: Emissions subject to a quota: This are particularly emissions from industry and the oil/gas platforms. The emissions are covered by the EU’s quota system: In order to emit greenhouse gases, the industry must buy permits (quotas) in the EU at the price determined by the quota market. Steadily higher prices and fewer quotas will force emissions cuts where it is easiest to implement. Non-quota-obligatory emissions: These are greenhouse gas emissions from, among other things, transport, agriculture, waste and heating in buildings. This is called the non-quota-obligatory sector because you do not need quotas to release greenhouse gases. How Norway can cut emissions in this sector is described in the specialist report “Climate cure 2030”. The politicians decide which of the measures from the report are to be implemented. Norway can also cut non-quota-obligatory emissions by paying for emission cuts in other European countries. The government says that it plans to meet the targets without using this option, but it can be used if it becomes “strictly necessary”. For Norway, the emissions in the two sectors are roughly the same: in 2019, they released around 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each .What happens if Norway does not reach the climate target? It could be politically embarrassing. A likely solution is that Norway chooses to pay for emission cuts in other countries. Norway can also be subject to sanctions if we do not reach the targets we have agreed with the EU. Norway must regularly report cuts to the UN, in line with the targets set in the Paris Agreement. Here, no sanctions are stipulated for those who do not fulfill their obligations. Oil and gas emit the most CO₂ Despite the Paris Agreement and promises to cut emissions, the world has never before emitted as much CO₂ from fossil sources as in 2022. In the Norwegian context, emissions from oil and gas extraction account for 25 percent of emissions – and are thus the sector in Norway with the largest emissions of greenhouse gases. From 1990 to 2022, emissions from oil and gas increased by 48 per cent – and in 2022 the emissions were 12.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. If Norway is to achieve the climate targets for 2050 – this means that emissions must be reduced from around 50 million tonnes per year in 1990 to 2.5–5 million tonnes in 2050. The transition to a low-emission society requires that climate policy in Norway be strengthened, according to the Climate Committee’s report. – The question is not which emissions should be reduced, but which small emissions should remain in 2050. Everything else must go away, says committee leader Martin Skancke. The committee also recommends a halt in exploration activities, so that resources such as power and expertise can be used in the transition to a green society. Agriculture Emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land use account for approximately 22 per cent of global emissions of greenhouse gases. In Norway, agriculture accounted for 9.4 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, and is the third largest scrap sector. Agriculture is the biggest source of emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. Many emissions can be reduced if an activity is reduced, according to the committee. For example, emissions from agriculture will decrease if the production of red meat is reduced. All types of food production lead to greenhouse gas emissions, but the highest emissions in Norway come from meat production from cattle and sheep. The Norwegian Environment Agency’s analyzes show that measures to change food consumption by consumers are the measures that provide the greatest reduction in emissions in the agricultural sector. This is because it leads to changes in the production of food. The committee believes that policy for the food system must move in the same direction as climate policy. The committee therefore recommends, among other things: Remove all greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector that are not linked to biological processes Reduce emissions from food production through technology and production improvements and downscaling of consumption and production of meat Do not encourage the consumption of food products with high greenhouse gas emissions Reduce food waste, among other things through follow-up by the Food Waste Committee Enormous exported emissions In order to reach the climate goals, it is not enough to work to reduce emissions only in Norway, according to the committee. Norway’s efforts to reduce emissions elsewhere, including those linked to Norwegian exports and imports, aid and technology development, must be coordinated and intensified, the committee believes. Emissions from the combustion of exported oil and gas come in a special position. With annual emissions of around 500 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, they are around ten times greater than the total annual emissions included in the Norwegian emissions accounts of around 50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
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The Skancke committee wants a halt to all oil and gas exploration in order to reach the climate goals in 2050 – news – Climate
