Scorecard summary:
Fulfillment of Rio Conference Commitment- Red
Current Government Position on Climate Change- Red
Per Capita Emissions - Red (14.03 metric tons per person in 1992)
National CO2 Emissions - Green (60 million metric tons in 1992)
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
Small but active player, early international
leader,
has one of the toughest domestic carbon taxes, but constrained by being
oil exporter, and wants differentiated commitments.
NATIONAL CLIMATE PROTECTION GOAL:
The target is to not exceed
1989
levels of CO2 in 2000. This target was set in 1988: Norway was one of
the first countries to set a national target. This was cast as a
preliminary target to be considered in the light of further technological
advances, international energy market development and international
agreements.
SPECIFIC FEATURES:
Norway is the second largest oil exporter in
the world
and it has become an increasingly large exporter of natural gas to other
countries in Europe. For this reason, per capita CO2 emissions are high
in the petroleum sector alone and accounted for 22 percent of Norway's
CO2 emissions in 1990. Virtually all of its electricity demand is met
from domestic hydropower. These two facts mean that Norway considers
that it could be adversely affected by international agreements on
emission reductions as there is a lack of cost-effective options to
reduce emissions from power stations and in view of the rapid growth of
the oil and gas industry.
NEGATIVE FEATURES:
An increase of 16 percent in CO2 emissions by
2000 is
now expected (rather than stabilisation). Norway forms part of a small
group of countries which is advocating a differentiated approach to
commitments which could take account of
national differences. Transport remains the largest single source of CO2
emissions in Norway
(40 percent) and more than half these emissions come from road traffic.
The Government is
unwilling to carry a heavier burden than other OECD countries. There
are thus CO2 tax exemptions for air transport, shipping, the fishing
fleet, and reduced rates for some industries such as pulp and paper
production. Overall the transport sector has scope for the introduction
of cost-effective actions.
POSITIVE FEATURES:
Norway was one of the first countries to
introduce a
CO2 tax, in 1991, and this is at present applied to 60 percent of all
emissions in the country. The tax is levied on fuels at levels which are
considerably higher than in other countries. There are indications that
in some key sectors such as oil and gas production and transportation,
the tax has reduced emissions. Norway recognizes that there are
difficulties in accurately estimating the substantial enhancement in its
sink capacity and so has decided not to adopt a 'net'
approach at present.
Sources: Report on the in depth review of the national
communication of Norway, July 1996
(FCCC/IDR.1/NOR)Energy Policies of IEA Countries 1996 Review. Independent
NGO
Evaluations of National Plans for Climate Change Mitigation s -Europe
second review, Climate Action Network, Brussels, August 1994.