Norway wants to be among the leaders against climate change struggle
The Norwegian parliament announced that the country aims to achieve carbon neutrality 20 years earlier than expected. MEPs adopted by 54 votes against 47, Tuesday, June 14, a resolution advancing from 2050 to 2030 the objective of reducing to zero the net volume of greenhouse gases emissions.
Norway’s willingness to achieve ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030 dates from 2008. The target was revised down following the failure of the Copenhagen conference next year, extending the deadline to 2050. The success of the Paris Climate accord 21 would have influenced Norwegian deputies to return to the original measure.
Renewable energy accounts for over 60% of the total energy consumption of Norway
With its huge oil resources in the North Sea, fjords, mountains and waterfalls, Norway has vast natural resources. Using the force of falling water goes back to the Middle Ages. About 99% of national electricity production is based on hydropower.
Read more on SamsĂž, sustainable energy island
Renewable energy accounts for over 60% of the total energy consumption of Norway. Also, to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases, the country will buy offset carbon credits abroad. The cost of this measure advancing maturity of carbon neutrality by purchasing offsetting credits abroad can amount to almost 3.2 billion euros per year in 2030, according to an estimate of the international energy Agency (IEA) of the price of emission reductions in emerging economies, Vidar Helgesen informed the Minister for Climate and the Environment.
However the Labour majority in favor of the measure deputies highlighted the fact that the consequences would not be reduced if the measure were pushed back to 2050.
The Norwegian experience of oil and gas began in 1969 with the discovery of large oil field Ekofisk in the North Sea. Today, the oil industry is the first industry of Norway. The extraction of fossil fuels is the backbone of the Norwegian economy. According to the IEA, oil was in 2009, 22% of GDP, 47% of its exports and 27% of government revenues. The proven oil reserves in 2014 ranked Norway 20th in the world with 0.4% of the world total.
