Mandatory green certificates were one of the resolutions the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment in the Storting made on the matter of domestic use of natural gas. The resolution was a compromise between the government parties and the Socialist Left Party, and opposes the government’s proposal on awaiting such a launch until an international set of rules for certificates are implemented.

Common view
Bellonas view has for a long time been that Norway should as soon as possible implement a domestic marked for mandatory green certificates. Together with Agder Energi, El & IT- forbundet, Energibedriftenes Landsforening, Enviro Energi, KS Bedrift, Norsk Boienergiforening, Norsk Hydro, Statkraft and Østfold energi, Bellona sent a letter with a joint view regarding the committee’s work on green certificates. The letter emphasised the joint view on a mandatory green certificate marked as the best instrument to reach the Stortings goal on increased development on renewable energy.

– The resolution is a victory for Bellonas way of working shoulder to shoulder with parties in industry and commerce, to a joint initiative towards the politicians, Frederic Hauge comments. He adds that the industry now uses far too much time to write and process applications, and a launch of mandatory green certificates will give a whole new predictability for the investors in green technology.

Stability and predictable conditions
In the resolution the committee says they will ask the government to take an initiative to establish a common Swedish/Norwegian mandatory marked for green certificates, that can be co-ordinated with an international certificate marked. The committee wants the government to come forward with a specific proposal on this matter as soon as possible, and no later than spring 2004.

The committee also thinks a system of mandatory certificates will stimulate to research and development in the field of new energy technology, which again will give effects regionally. The committee argues the resolution with:

A mandatory marked for green certificates will from the committees point of view give stability and predictable conditions for renewable energy, and thereby encourage to profitable investments. The establishment of a green certificate marked will be a marked based tool to stimulate investments in renewable production capacity. A certificate-system will give the actors a possibility to spread- and reduce their risks.”

The committee members from the Labour party motioned for establishing the mandatory green certificate marked from 01.01.05, but did not get approval for this.