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Norway

Political Groups
OECD
World Bank Income Group
High income
Global Climate Risk Index
138.83

The annually published Global Climate Risk Index analyses to what extent countries have been affected by the impacts of weather-related loss events (storms, floods, heat waves etc.).

Published by German Watch https://www.germanwatch.org/en/cri
Share of Global Emissions
0.05%
Legislation
13
Laws, Acts, Constitutions (legislative branch)
Policies
6
Policies, strategies, decrees, action plans (from executive branch)
Litigation
Coming soon
Court cases and tribunal proceedings
Targets
10
Climate targets in National Law & Policy

Latest Documents

, 2021

This document is the government's white paper laying out how it intends to meet its climate targets by 2030. It sets sectoral strategies of emissions reductions, notably with regard transport and the carbon tax. The government has proposed that it will increase the carbon tax to 2000 kroner per tonne of CO2 by 2030 on emissions not covered by the European ETS. The governme...

, 2020

Through this document, Norway recognises hydrogen as a key technology for its energy future, and sets its strategy to develop the low-carbon production and use of the gas. It seeks to ramp up technological development in order to make hydrogen competitive by 2030 in a number of sectors including transport.

, 2017

This strategy aims at enabling Norway' private sector to be competitive and environmentally friendly, and enable the country to enjoy full employment, high income and low greenhouse gases emissions. The strategy focuses on green markets (including emissions trading and taxation), green and innovative procurement, research, energy infrastructure, climate risk, circular econ...

, 2017

This framework law is intended to promote the implementation of Norway's climate targets as part of the transition to a low carbon society in Norway in 2050. In that regard, it seeks to promote transparency and public debate about the status, direction and progress of this work. The law enshrines the country's 2030 and 2050 emissions reductions targets, and the annual and ...

, 2017

This document sets the government's National Transport Plan for the period 2018-2029. It notably deals with the sectoral emissions reductions targets, discussing higher rates of biofuels, technology improvements, transport-related infrastructure and urbanism, public transport and other active modes.

Legislative Process

Norway is a constitutional monarchy, with legislative power being vested in its unicameral parliament. The Parliament’s 169 members are directly elected by a system of proportional representation for four-year terms. It is led by a presidium consisting of a President and five vice-presidents. This system replaced a bicameral one during the country’s 2009 election. The most recent election was held in 2013, with the next scheduled for 2017.
Draft bills or resolutions, respectively proposing either new laws or revisions to existing legislature, are introduced to Parliament either (most commonly) upon the proposal of the government, or by individual Members of Parliament. Propositions made by the government undergo a lengthy initial process of inter-agency input and debate, being formally prepared by the relevant ministry and presented to the monarch for approval before being sent to Parliament. The Parliament in turn refers bills and resolutions to the relevant standing committee (of which there are 12). These committees consider each bill and resolution in detail and often make changes to them before presenting any recommendations on legislative matters to Parliament for a vote. A bill can be read to Parliament and voted on up to three times before a final decision is reached. In order for an approved bill to be enacted, it must be signed by the monarch, in a process known as ‘Royal Assent’, and counter-signed by the Prime Minister. The constitution technically grants the monarch the right to withhold Royal Assent, though this has never occurred in modern history and the constitution allows for any royal veto to be ultimately overridden by Parliament.

As well as proposing bills and resolutions, the government may also submit White Papers to the Parliament, which either report on an issue within a particular field or outline future government policy. They are drawn up when the government wishes to present matters to the Parliament that do not require a decision. These documents, and the subsequent discussion of them in the Parliament, often form the basis of a draft resolution or bill at a later stage.

Any administration requires the support of the Parliament to have its bills passed by Parliament and minority governments often adjust their proposals in order to remain in office. Having experienced over 30 years of coalition or minority governments, a result of the proportional representation voting system, an emphasis on consensus is well entrenched in the legislative process.