Norway on Thursday, April 10, 2025, unveiled its Climate White Paper alongside a draft of new, yet supposedly insufficient, climate targets. The White Paper outlines key proposals for Norway’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
According to environment watchdog, 350.org, an in-depth analysis exposes “substantial flaws within the country’s climate and energy strategy”. The group has tagged the document “a masked commitment to fossil fuel expansion”.
It lists key elements and shortfalls of Norway’s new climate target to include:
- The headline target of a 70-75% emissions reduction by 2035 falls short of Norway’s fair share (at least 80% by 2035) and hinges on the use of international flexibility mechanisms, rather than a fully domestic approach (pages 9, 25, 26, 135)
- Norway has once again opted not to set a climate neutrality target for 2050, instead aiming for a 90-95% emissions reduction by mid-century (Pages 25, 135)
- Despite advice from the climate committee, Norway is resisting calls for a clear plan to phase out oil and gas production, signaling an intention to extend fossil fuel extraction contrary to scientific recommendations for a hard end date in line with 1.5°C warming (page 115)
- While Norway indicates that renewable energy will expand – albeit with a controversial emphasis on bioenergy – it fails to commit to a specific renewable energy target for 2035.
Andreas Sieber, Associate Director of Policy and Campaigns, said: “As one of the wealthiest nations, Norway should be leading the way in phasing out fossil fuels. Yet, as the global oil market stagnates, it clings to a dying economic model, refusing to diversify and ignoring its moral duty to act.
“This is not just bad economics; it is a betrayal of future generations. Norway presents itself as a climate leader, but this new climate white paper is essentially a masked commitment to fossil fuels. Norway needs to go beyond rhetoric and deliver a truly transformative climate plan – one that phases out fossil fuels, embraces a just energy transition, and meets the urgency of the climate crisis.”