Norway's Climate Hypocrisy: Clean at Home, Dirty in the Arctic

Norway trumpets its low carbon footprint, but a new report says plans to ramp up oil and gas production in the Arctic will increase its emissions by half again - making a mockery of its Paris Agreement promises.

At the United Nations annual climate summits, Norway is often the darling in the room.

Although it is an energy-producing country, Norwegians are keen to stress their bold emissions-reduction measures at home.  The country has adopted legislation to become "climate neutral" by 2030 - far earlier than other countries.  It's a front runner in electromobility - and will also ban the use of fossil fuels to heat homes from 2020.

However, a new report from the Washington-based research organization Oil Change International is challenging Norway's reputation as a climate champion.

Though it may be adopting laudable emissions reduction efforts domestically, it is exporting 10 times the amount of its domestic emissions to other countries though the extraction and export of North Sea oil and gas. It is the 6th largest gas producer in the world, and the 15th largest oil producer.

Growing oil exploration
The main thing worrying Friends of the Earth Norway, which sponsored the report, is that these exports are set to grow.

Norway is issuing oil and gas exploration permits within its territories in the North Sea and the Arctic at a rapid pace.  According to the report, these proposed and prospective new oil and gas fields would increase Norway's emissions by 150 percent from what [they are] today.

Read more at Norway's Climate Hypocrisy:   Clean at Home, Dirty in the Arctic