Norway

Rating

Assessment

Norway's target to reduce emissions by -30 to -40% relative to 1990 emission levels is ambitious enough to keep it within the Sufficient category. Only its -40% target is conditional on global action. At the UNFCCC workshop in April 2011, Norway emphasized the importance of clarifying LULUCF rules and revising countries' targets after the rules have been agreed. For its own targets of -30% and -40% it attributed 6 percentage points of the pledged reductions to LULUCF. This implies industrial emissions would need to be reduced by -24% for the unconditional pledge and -34% for the conditional pledge. These reductions for industrial emissions will remain fixed, even if a different set of LULUCF rules is adopted or new inventories change the original 6% estimate. This clarification does not change the overall evaluation of their level of ambition, but it is a positive step forward towards understanding the level of ambition.

Description

Norway has proposed a 2020 commitment of -30 to -40% relative to 1990 emission levels and carbon neutrality by 2030. Norway’s -40% target is conditional on a global and comprehensive agreement after 2012, with major emitting Parties agreeing on reductions in line with achieving the 2 degrees Celsius target (see Source). At the UNFCCC workshop in April 2011, Norway clarified that they aim to achieve their pledge as submitted to the Copenhagen Accord, including their estimate for LULUCF accounting at the time. If LULUCF accounting changes from the value estimated for the Copenhagen Accord, they will aim to offset this change by shifting their pledge, such that their pledge including LULUCF accounting stays the same.

In May 2012, Norway submitted a provisional QELRO level range of 81-84 for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. This means that Norway’s average yearly emissions during the period of 2013-2020 are proposed to be between 81 and 84% of 1990 levels.

Status

Official announcement

Date of pledge
October 2009