News

Norway’s environmental minister accepts Bellona’s plan to make the country carbon negative by 2050

Publish date: May 6, 2009

Written by: Tone Foss Aspevoll

Norwegian Environmental Minister Erik Solheim on Wednesday accepted “Norway’s all-encompassing climate plan” by Bellona – the foundation’s road map to making the country completely emissions free by 2040, and emissions negative by 2050, far exceeding the United Nations suggestion that countries cut emissions by 80 percent by mid century.

Bellona’s president, Frederic Hauge, says that by making across-the-board cuts in all emissions producing sectors, the comprehensive Bellona plan shows how Norway can become a “modern, future-oriented and emissions free society.”

“We at Bellona have written more than a few hearings to the departments up through the years,” said Hauge. “Now we hope that the cabinet will take the time to write a hearing answer to us,” he said as he handed the plan over to Solheim.

Solheim met with Bellona Wednesday on the government’s behalf as Bellona kicked off its annual conference.

With its plan, Bellona hopes to give all who are interested the opportunity to discuss not just emissions reductions, but also how to make these concrete, and to send the climate plan to a government hearing within a month’s time. Bellona is also throwing down the gauntlet to politicians to take the climate debate with them into this autumn’s elections.

Solheim impressed
“I am incredibly impressed over Bellona’s work,” said Solhiem, and promised to consider scheduling a consultative statement to be held on the climate plan. 

Solhiem was pleased to receive a solution oriented approach, and shares Bellona’s opinion that it is urgent to set efforts in motion to prevent global warming.

“This is only a question of political will,” said Solheim.

What the plan encompasses
Norway’s all-encompassing climate plan contains proposals for a “Superbus,” an environmentally friendly auto tax, organisation of new renewable energy build-outs, environmentally friendly emphasis on industry, electrification and CO2 capture and storage for gasworks and large industrial emissions sources.

Bellona’s plan also contains proposals for bio-gas production and land use, and large-scale cultivation of algae as new biomass.

“This is an impressive document,” Ellen Hambro, chief of Norway’s Pollution Control Authority, in an interview with Bellona Web. “It is all-encompassing, taking into account all sectors, is ambitious and farsighted. Bellona is casting its vision beyond 2020.”

She said the timing of the presentation of the report was exceptional.

“The climate is such an important issue that it must be included in the election campaign, and this document (Bellona’s report) will be along to boost the discussion,” Hambro said. 

What a carbon negative Norway means
In a carbon-negative Norway, not only will emissions have been reduced to zero, but will go into the negatives  – as if Norway were actually eliminating CO2 from the atmosphere. This can occur by capturing carbon with bio-factories, as a result of which the biomass will have taken the CO2 in as a growth agent.

“Climate change is happening at a much faster rate than we have imagined,” Hauge in statements earlier in the day before presenting Bellona’s plan to Solheim.

“To avoid the dangers of climate change, we need stronger emissions reductions than we had earlier thought.”

Bellona’s ‘gift’ to the incoming government
Bellona’s climate plan has been formulated as a parliamentary notification to underscore that this is a gift package to the parliament and the government that can set in motion the work to reduce Norway’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“Bellona’s climate plan is a gift to the parliament and the government, and has set the table for the climate work facing autumn’s government,” said Bellona vice president Marius Holm. “

If you have input to Bellona’s All-Encompassing Climate Plan” (available in Norwegian in the box to the right) write to: info@bellona.no with the subject heading “klimaplan.”

The press can contact Tone Foss Aspevoll for further information at +47 91 72 02 67, tone@bellona.no