the government’s environmental policy and the …norwegian ministry of foreign affairs...

Summary in English: Report No. 21 (2004–2005) to the Storting

The Government’s Environmental Policy and the State of the Environment in Norway

Translation from the Norwegian. For information only.

Table of Contents

1 Environmental status 2005 . . . . . 51.1 A shared global responsibility . . . . . 51.2 The state of the environment in

Norway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.3 The path forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

2 Key priorities of Norwegian environmental policy . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.1 Halting the loss of biodiversity . . . . 122.2 Developing a more ambitious

climate policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132.3 Reducing NOx emissions in

accordance with the Gothenburg Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

2.4 Halting emissions of environmentally hazardous substances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2.5 Improving waste management and increasing waste recovery . . . . 15

2.6 Developing environmental policy at local level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

2.7 Moving to sustainable production and consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

2.8 Focusing on environmental technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2.9 Greening public procurement. . . . . 182.10 Developing a knowledge-based

environmental policy . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

3 Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity . . . . . . 21

3.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213.2 Policy instruments and measures . 21

4 Outdoor recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . 234.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234.2 Policy instruments and measures . 23

5 The cultural heritage . . . . . . . . . . 245.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245.2 Policy instruments and measures . 24

6 Eutrophication and oil pollution 256.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256.2 Policy instruments and measures . 25

7 Hazardous substances. . . . . . . . . 267.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267.2 Policy instruments and measures . 26

8 Waste management and recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

8.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278.2 Policy instruments and measures . 27

9 Climate change, air pollution and noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

9.1 Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289.2 Depletion of the ozone layer . . . . . . 299.3 Long-range air pollution . . . . . . . . . 299.4 Local air quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309.5 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

10 International environmental cooperation, environmental assistance, and environmental protection in the polar regions . 32

10.1 EU/EEA environmental legislation 3210.2 International environmental

bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3210.3 International agreements with

implications for the environment . . 3310.4 Bilateral and regional

environmental cooperation . . . . . . . 3310.5 Environmental protection in

the polar regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

11 Regional planning and land-use policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

11.1 Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3611.2 Land-use management in areas

designated as agricultural areas, areas of natural environment and outdoor recreation areas . . . . . . . . . 36

11.3 A proactive policy for the shoreline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

11.4 A proactive land-use and natural resource policy for river basins . . . 37

11.5 Adapting holiday housing developments to the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

11.6 Land use and the environment in towns and urban settlements . . . . . 37

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Utenriksdepartementet

The Government’s Environmental Policy and the State of the Environment in

NorwaySummary in English: Report No. 21 (2004–2005) to the Storting

Recommendation from the Ministry of Environment of 18 March 2005,approved in the Council of State on the same date.(White paper from the Bondevik II Government)

1 Environmental status 2005

1.1 A shared global responsibility

Norway is a wealthy country, and has the capacityand resources both to safeguard its own environ-ment for future generations and to help other coun-tries. We therefore have a special responsibility toplay an active part in efforts to reduce global envi-ronmental problems and combat poverty. The richpart of the world cannot continue to base its pros-perity on unsustainable resource exploitation. Fur-ther improvements in welfare and the quality of lifemust be based on non-material and human values.We must respect nature’s tolerance limits andapply the precautionary principle in cases wherethere is a risk of serious environmental damage.And we must follow the polluter-pays principle, sothat environmental costs are not transferred toneighbours, the community or future generations.These are global responsibilities that must betranslated into local action.

1.2 The state of the environment in Norway

The previous white paper on the Government’senvironmental policy and the state of the environ-ment in Norway was published in 2003. Since then,there has been relatively little change in the state ofthe environment in Norway. Nature is a large andcomplex system and changes slowly. The impactsof pressure on the environment often only becomeapparent after a considerable delay. We must alsoremember that although nature has a considerablecapacity for repair and to withstand human pres-sure, this capacity is not unlimited. All life on earthis vulnerable to pressures such as pollution of air,soil and water. At present, many environmentaltrends are negative, both in Norway and globally.

New and improved knowledge shows that theenvironmental impacts of some types of pollutionare more serious than previously anticipated. Cli-mate change has proved to be a more acute prob-lem than we had believed, and the first impacts areprobably already becoming apparent. Hazardous

6 Summary in English: Report No. 21 to the Storting 2004– 2005The Government’s Environmental Policy and the State of the Environment in Norway

substances are becoming more widely dispersed inthe environment and are found in more and morespecies, and also pose a greater threat than previ-ously believed. Biodiversity is under pressure inNorway as well as other parts of the world. Wildsalmon stocks in rivers and fjords have been threat-ened for many years. More recently, we have foundthat kelp forests are disappearing from parts ofNorway’s coastline. The area of mountain habitatavailable for wild reindeer is being reduced withincreasing traffic and infrastructure development.

Even though the usual indicators of the state ofthe environment show little change over the pasttwo years, the overall level of threat is rising. Weare facing greater and more complex challenges.Environmental policy targets in several areas arebecoming more difficult to achieve. The formula-tion of environmental policy must reflect thesedevelopments. This means that environmental pol-icy for some of Norway’s priority areas must betightened up. In other areas, it will be sufficient tocontinue to apply the policy instruments in usetoday. As we work towards new policy instrumentsand approaches, we should also maintain the suc-cessful elements of current environmental policy.

The state of the environment and environmen-tal trends vary from one area of environmental pol-icy to another. There are positive trends for wastemanagement, depletion of the ozone layer, radioac-tive pollution and to some extent outdoor recre-ation. In these areas, a number of the national tar-gets are within reach. Consistent application of pol-icy instruments over a period of some years hasproved successful, and current policy will generallybe continued.

There is a more mixed picture for acidification,local air quality and noise, and to some extent forbiodiversity, eutrophication and the cultural heri-tage. Efforts to reduce acidification have yieldedresults, and conditions in lakes and rivers in themost sensitive areas have improved in the last 20–30 years. Nevertheless, emissions of acidifyingsubstances are still too high. Action has also beentaken to reduce inputs of nitrogen and phosphorusto areas where there are signs of eutrophication,but conditions do not appear to have improved suf-ficiently. Air pollution and noise are still seriousproblems, especially in urban areas and along mainroads. The overall level of noise annoyance hasremained more or less unchanged since 1999,despite improvements in vehicle technology andreductions in noise levels from railways and air-craft.

In some areas, including climate change, haz-ardous substances, biodiversity and the cultural

heritage, the overall trend is clearly negative,despite the results that have been achieved. Localeutrophication problems are also becoming moresevere in a number of water bodies. One of themain reasons for these trends is that environmen-tal policy instruments have not been effectiveenough either at national or at international level.Another important factor is that there are still gapsin our knowledge about various environmentalproblems, for example hazardous substances.

At global level, the rate of loss of biodiversity iscomparable to what has previously been observedin connection with global natural disasters andrapid climate change. Biodiversity is under threatin Norway too, and the most serious threats areconsidered to be the conversion of agriculturalland for other purposes and other changes in landuse. A series of apparently insignificant develop-ments may have cumulative effects that make it dif-ficult for species and populations to survive andseriously impair the productivity of ecosystems.Development also results in habitat fragmentation,which makes conditions difficult for species thatare dependent on large continuous areas for theirsurvival.

The negative effects of the spread of invasivealien species to Norway are also becoming clearer.This problem may be intensified by climatechange.

About 12 per cent of mainland Norway is pro-tected under the Nature Conservation Act. Oncethe national park plan and the remaining countyprotection plans have been fully implemented in2010, 13 -14 per cent of the total area of the main-land will be protected. We should maintain a hightempo in these efforts in order to safeguard habi-tats that are endangered and vulnerable or impor-tant for endangered and vulnerable species, and toavoid damage to areas of high conservation value.

Norway’s objective is to halt the loss of biologi-cal diversity by 2010. To achieve such an ambitiousobjective, it will be necessary to make use of effec-tive policy instruments and ensure close coopera-tion between all sectors. Ensuring sustainable useof resources is of critical importance for the main-tenance of biodiversity.

Many Norwegians take part in a variety of out-door activities and consider outdoor recreation tobe an important aspect of their lives. Natural condi-tions mean that Norway offers opportunities formany types of outdoor recreation. In addition,there is a general right of public access to unculti-vated land, irrespective of whether it is privately orpublicly owned. However, building and otherforms of development in the coastal zone pose a

2004– 2005 Summary in English: Report No. 21 to the Storting 7The Government’s Environmental Policy and the State of the Environment in Norway

threat to public access in some areas, despite along-standing prohibition on building less than 100metres from the shoreline. The construction of hol-iday cabins, particularly in the mountains, can alsoreduce public access to the countryside. Theincreasing use of off-road vehicles has adverseeffects on both outdoor recreation and biodiver-sity. In some areas this is reducing opportunities toenjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside. Thepolicy instruments needed to safeguard the basisfor outdoor recreation are largely in place, but theyshould be used more effectively and actively.There should be a stronger focus on implementingmeasures and targets for outdoor recreation in thecoastal zone. Furthermore, the municipalitiesshould become more aware that they need to playan active role in dealing with unauthorised barriersand other obstacles to free access in the coastalzone.

There has been a drop in the level of outdoorphysical activity in recent years. Both children andadults are spending more and more time on physi-cally less demanding indoor tasks and recreationalactivities. This has adverse effects on public health,as shown by the increase in various lifestyle dis-eases. Thus, promoting outdoor recreation is alsoa form of preventive health care.

There is growing awareness of the value of cul-tural monuments and sites and cultural environ-ments. Nevertheless, more and more of the cul-tural heritage is being lost as a result of deliberateremoval and destruction or because of inadequateprotection and maintenance. The cultural heritageshould therefore be more actively used in socialdevelopment. The Government’s cultural heritagepolicy is further described in a recent white paper(Report No. 16 (2004–2005 to the Storting).

In recent years, action has been taken to reduceeutrophication in coastal waters and fresh waterbodies. This problem is most serious along thecoast from the border with Sweden to Lindesnes,the southernmost point of mainland Norway. Pre-liminary monitoring results indicate that there hasbeen no reduction in the quantities of nitrogen andparticulate matter in coastal waters. Further mea-sures will be needed to achieve the target for nitro-gen inputs.

Most of the fresh water bodies that are affectedby eutrophication are near population centres andagricultural areas in Eastern Norway, near Sta-vanger and around Trondheim. There has beensome concern about the ecological status of sev-eral river basins, such as the Vansjø-Hobøl riverbasin in Østfold county, but in general the ecologi-cal status of Norwegian river basins is good.

The largest discharges of oil to marine watersare presumed to be from land-based sources. Theoffshore petroleum industry is the largest ocean-based source of oil discharges.

The concentration of oil in produced water dis-charged by the oil and gas industry is below thelimit value in the current legislation, but total dis-charges of produced water are expected to rise inthe next few years. There is still uncertainty aboutthe possible long-term impacts of the petroleumindustry. The operating companies have drawn upplans for achieving the zero discharge goal by 2005and are now implementing them. Good resultshave been achieved in a relatively short space oftime by cooperation between the authorities andthe industry.

The risk of acute oil pollution is likely to rise inthe future, mainly because rising volumes of oil willbe shipped through Norway’s northern watersfrom Russia. The expansion of petroleum activitiesto new areas may also increase the risk of acute dis-charges.

Emissions and use of hazardous substances areconsidered to represent one of the most seriousenvironmental threats today. The numbers of sub-stances in use is very large, and in many cases weknow little about their environmental impacts. Themost dangerous substances are heavy metals andpersistent organic pollutants. They are only slowlybiodegradable, which is why they persist in theenvironment. They also have a high bioaccumula-tion potential, meaning that their concentrationsincrease along food chains. The long-range trans-port of hazardous substances to Norway and theArctic is a continuing problem. Concerns are regu-larly raised about new types of chemicals, and inaddition there are substances whose hazardousproperties are well known, such as PCBs. Forinstance, brominated flame retardants were intro-duced in various products to reduce fire hazards,but have proved to have very harmful environmen-tal properties.

Emissions of hazardous substances are still ris-ing, and there are also major challenges involved incleaning up areas that have been polluted by ear-lier emissions of such substances.

Effective application of policy instruments andgood management routines have reduced the envi-ronmental pressures from waste generation, eventhough the quantities of waste generated are con-tinuing to rise. However, there are still problemsrelating to greenhouse gas emissions from wastetreatment and the quantity of hazardous waste gen-erated. Efforts to apply policy instruments moreeffectively and increase the quantity of waste deliv-


ered for material and energy recovery are there-fore continuing.

Climate change and the challenges it involvesare more serious than was previously believed.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) estimates that the mean global tempera-ture will rise by 1.4–5.8 °C in the next 100 years.The IPCC has concluded that there is now new andstronger evidence that most of the warmingobserved over the last 50 years is attributable tohuman activities.

Preliminary results from the RegClim researchprogramme indicate that there will be a mean tem-perature rise of between 1 and 2 °C in Norway fromthe period 1980–2000 to 2030–2050. The climatewill become windier and wetter, and weather pat-terns will be generally more unstable. This willmake infrastructure, buildings and economic activ-ity more vulnerable to natural forces.

The degree to which temperature changeresults in changes in biodiversity will depend onthe speed of change and how well species canadapt to a changed climate.

The Kyoto Protocol is the first step on the wayto reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.However, far greater cuts in emissions from indus-trialised countries and restrictions on emissionsfrom developing countries will be needed to pre-vent undesirable climate change.

In 2003, Norway’s greenhouse gas emissionstotalled 54.8 million tonnes CO2 equivalents. Theyare projected to reach 64.5 million tonnes CO2equivalents in 2010 unless new control measuresare introduced. The growth in emissions is mainlyexplained by rising emissions from the oil and gasindustry and the transport sector. According tothese figures, Norway’s emissions in 2010 will be16 per cent higher than the level required to meetits Kyoto commitment. This commitment is to bemet through national measures, supplemented byuse of the Kyoto mechanisms.

There is considerable long-range transport ofpollutants to Norway. More than 90 per cent of aciddeposition in Norway originates abroad. In the past20 years, emissions of acidifying substances inEurope have been substantially reduced as a resultof international agreements. Nevertheless, the pol-lution load will continue to be fairly high in thefuture, mainly in the southern counties of Aust-Agder, Vest-Agder and Rogaland.

Norway has undertaken ambitious commit-ments to reduce emissions under the internationalagreements on long-range transport of pollutants.The greatest challenge in the years to come will beto reduce Norway’s annual NOx emissions by

about 30 per cent by 2010, as required by the 1999Gothenburg Protocol. This commitment meansthat Norway will have to make substantial emissionreductions, particularly from shipping, the fisher-ies industry, land-based industry and electricitygeneration on the continental shelf. Measures toreduce emissions will also be needed in other sec-tors.

Norway has achieved the emission reductionsrequired by the 1988 NOx Protocol and the 1994Sulphur Protocol. An agreement has been reachedwith the process industry on regulation of its emis-sions, and it is expected that this will also enableNorway to meet its commitment for the reductionof SO2 emissions under the Gothenburg Protocol.Norway’s current commitments under the VOCProtocol will be achieved in 2005–2006 as a resultof new requirements for emission reductions dur-ing offloading and storage of crude oil offshore.These requirements should also ensure that Nor-way meets its commitment to reduce VOC emis-sions under the Gothenburg Protocol. Norway isexpected to comply with its commitment to reduceammonia emissions under the Gothenburg Proto-col without introducing any significant new mea-sures.

In towns and urban settlements, noise and localair pollution can cause substantial health and wel-fare problems. Although air quality in the largesttowns in Norway has shown a positive trend inrecent years, a large proportion of the population isat times exposed to high levels of air pollution.

The most important sources of local air pollu-tion are emissions from road traffic and fuelwooduse. More effective policy instruments will beneeded to reduce emissions from these sources.

Noise is one of the major remaining environ-mental problems in Norway, and one of those thataffects the largest number of people. About 1.7 mil-lion Norwegians are exposed to noise levelsexceeding 50 decibels outside their homes. It hasbeen calculated that about half a million people areannoyed or highly annoyed by noise. Noise fromroad, air and rail traffic accounts for almost 90 percent of all noise annoyance, and road traffic alonefor almost 80 per cent.

Because of the constantly rising volume of traf-fic, noise annoyance has remained almost constantover the past 10 years, despite improvements invehicle technology. Projections suggest thatunless further measures are taken to reduce noise,noise annoyance will only drop by about five percent by 2010, mainly as a result of technologicalimprovements of vehicles and aircraft. This means


that the national target for noise will not beachieved by continuing current policy.

Norway is responsible for management of partsof the polar regions, which are still some of thecleanest and best-managed areas of natural habitatin the world. Utilisation of the rich marineresources of the Arctic is also of crucial importancefor employment, economic growth and settlementalong the Norwegian coast. The environment inthese areas is being threatened by more intensiveutilisation of natural resources, the growing vol-ume of transport, and long-range transport of pol-lutants with air and ocean currents from Europe,Asia, North America and North Africa.

It is likely that long-range transport of environ-mentally hazardous substances will continue to putpressure on the Arctic environment. In 2020, thetotal pollution load, including both «new» and«old» pollutants, will probably be about the same astoday. This means that there will also be continuedproblems such as reduced reproductive capacityand poor resistance to disease among Arctic ani-mals.

Oil and gas transport from Russia, and possiblyalso the transport of spent nuclear fuel to Russiaalong the Norwegian coast, will result in a risingrisk of accidents that can cause environmentaldamage. With the growing volume of shipping,there will also be rising discharges of ballast waterand a greater risk that alien species will be intro-duced.

Climate change is a further threat to the Arcticenvironment. Climate change may result inchanges in sea temperature, the distribution of seaice and ocean currents. Temperatures in the Arctichave been rising at nearly twice the average globalrate, and this trend is expected to continue. Theimpacts of climate change in the Arctic will be feltthroughout the world, since changes in the Arcticinfluence the global climate and can result in rapidclimate change.

Svalbard has retained its character as a large,continuous area of wilderness without major devel-opments. However, the growing traffic associatedwith tourism and research activities is causingwear and tear on the environment and culturalremains. Mining is also a threat to untouched areasof natural habitat. On the other hand, a number ofanimal populations that were once threatened byover-exploitation have been restored to theirformer levels or are growing.

The adoption of the Environmental Protocolunder the Antarctic Treaty ensured that Antarcticais protected as a world park for a period of at least50 years. However, growing traffic and tourism

may have a negative impact on the natural environ-ment here too, and increase the risk of pollution.The expansion of research activities also poseschallenges in relation to the Antarctic environ-ment.

There are many environmental policy chal-lenges related to land use. It is particularly impor-tant to ensure that policy instruments and mea-sures related to land use are compatible with otherelements of environmental policy.

The shoreline is under pressure near townsand urban settlements in Norway, where higherpopulation density leads to land use conflicts.There is most pressure for developments that willreduce public access to the shoreline in centralparts of the country, for example around the Oslo-fjord. These may be commercial developments,residential buildings or holiday homes.

Economic activity in uncultivated countrysideand the mountains is also expanding. This includeswidespread building of holiday cabins, sometimescombined with other tourist activities. In addition,there are growing commercial developments asso-ciated with national parks and mountain summerfarms. It is important to ensure that forms of com-mercial development that are based on naturalresources and the environment do not conflict withnature conservation goals.

Every year, considerable areas of cultivatedand cultivable land, probably up to 3 000 hectares ayear, are converted for other purposes. The pres-sure on farmland is greatest around the largesttowns in southern and central Norway. It is impor-tant to reduce losses of productive agriculturalareas substantially.

The cultural landscape means land that hasbeen shaped and cultivated by people. It is intrinsi-cally valuable and also an important habitat forplants and animals. Many species associated withsuch areas are dependent on continued humanactivity for their survival. Large parts of the culturallandscape are changing rapidly, mainly becausechanges in agricultural techniques and the aban-donment of marginal areas mean that they arebecoming overgrown.

The built environment accounts for about 70per cent of Norway’s real wealth, and buildingsalone account for about 40 per cent of the total.This makes the construction industry one of thecountry’s largest and most important industries,and one that may have a major environmentalimpact. According to the Public Procurement Act,life-cycle costs and environmental impacts must betaken into account when planning new invest-ments. The state is an important market actor in


the construction industry, and therefore has a con-siderable responsibility for encouraging privateactors to take environmental considerations intoaccount.

1.3 The path forward

There are still major environmental challenges tobe dealt with, but it is clear that our efforts over thepast 30 years and more have given results. Forexample, we have made a great deal of progress inreducing industrial emissions and discharges ofpolluted waste water from towns and urban settle-ments. Many of the environmental problems thathave been dealt with were easily recognisable andwell-defined, which made it easier to gain publicacceptance for the need to take action. Many prob-lems could be reduced by using end-of-pipe tech-nology or changing production techniques. Othersdisappeared as a result of restructuring of indus-tries and the business sector. Efforts to protectvaluable areas of natural environment have beenhelped by the fact that Norwegians generally iden-tify strongly with their natural surroundings andmake extensive use of them. The challenges wemust deal with in the future are increasingly asso-ciated with the structure and functioning of societyas a whole rather than with specific sectors. Thisalso means that they are more complicated to dealwith. Greenhouse gas emissions and emissions ofhazardous chemicals are good examples.

The development of environmental policy hasinvolved several processes: building up knowledgeof the functioning of the natural world, the develop-ment of broad-based public engagement in envi-ronmental issues, the introduction of extensive leg-islation in the environmental field, and the estab-lishment of institutions to draw up and implementstrategies and action. Environmental protectionhas become an important sector of society, includ-ing administration and research and also variouskinds of economic activity. It is now generallyaccepted that all sectors of society share theresponsibility for avoiding unnecessary pressureon the environment.

In the years ahead, we must consolidate theresults that have been achieved and furtherdevelop the methods and policy instruments usedby the environmental authorities. We must buildon the broad support that has been achieved forenvironmental measures and instruments. Thereis growing competition for attention in the mediaand public opinion, and this adds to the challenges

that the environmental authorities face in their day-to-day work.

Good results have been achieved both by usingenvironmental policy instruments such as the Pol-lution Control Act and the Nature ConservationAct, and by cooperation between the environmen-tal authorities and other sectoral authorities. Forexample, the agricultural sector plays an importantrole in carrying out key environmental tasks and indealing with various environmental problems.

All sectoral authorities are responsible foravoiding unnecessary environmental pressure intheir own sphere of responsibility and for integrat-ing environmental considerations into sectoral pol-icies. Policy instruments available to all sectorscan, if used in the right way, help to prevent orsolve environmental problems. It is an ongoingtask to ensure that these instruments are alwaystargeted to achieve environmental policy targetsand give positive environmental effects. Environ-mental efforts in all sectors must be in line with thestrategic objectives and national targets of Nor-way’s environmental policy.

However, sectoral responsibilities for environ-mental policy need to be further clarified andstrengthened. In particular, better coordination isneeded to deal with diffuse environmental prob-lems and problems that need to be solved bymeans of close cooperation between several sec-tors and the other parties involved.

To ensure coordination between sectors, cross-sectoral measures are required. The Ministry ofthe Environment plays a key role in developingcross-sectoral environmental quality targets and insetting priorities and coordinating efforts withinthe framework of these targets.

The sectoral environmental action plans drawnup by the ministries in the period 1998 – 2002 haveplayed an important role in clarifying sectoralresponsibilities. In these plans, the ministries pre-sented their sectoral environmental targets and theinstruments they planned to use to achieve them.The system of sectoral environmental action planswas evaluated in 2004, and it was decided that sec-toral responsibilities for environmental policy areto be followed up through the ordinary budgetingprocesses and the white papers on the Govern-ment’s environmental policy and the state of theenvironment in Norway.

Cooperation between the police and prosecut-ing authority and other authorities and organisa-tions at local, regional and national level is animportant element of environmental policy. Thepolice and prosecuting authority, together withcentral supervisory authorities, play a key role in


preventing and combating environmental crime.One good example of cooperation is that an envi-ronmental forum has been established in eachcounty under the chief of police. The responsibili-ties of the police and other cooperating authoritieswill be further clarified.

The police forces also have their own environ-mental coordinators and environmental contacts.Each police district has an officer who is responsi-ble for dealing with environmental crime. TheNational Authority for Investigation and Prosecu-tion of Economic and Environmental Crime in Nor-way (ØKOKRIM) is responsible for investigatingand prosecuting serious cases of environmentalcrime and for assisting other parts of the police sys-tem.

Knowledge development, sound managementand democratic participation will continue to bekey elements of Norway’s environmental policy.However, policy development and the implementa-tion of measures and policy instruments alsorequire political will and capacity. The frameworkfor national policy development is changing withpolitical and economic globalisation, which arerestricting the extent to which individual countriescan develop independent environmental policies.Stiffer international competition is making it a chal-lenging task to design policy instruments that alsotake into account the competitive conditions forenterprises. WTO and EU/EEA rules lay downstandards and a framework for action in environ-mental policy. Multilateral environmental agree-ments set out commitments for individual coun-tries and form the basis for priorities and the appli-cation of policy instruments.

Technological developments are an importantdriving force for social development, and especiallyas regards the impact of human activities on theenvironment. Technological revolutions have dras-tically changed material living conditions and ourability to utilise natural resources and change theenvironment. Technological advances provide newsolutions in environmental policy, for example bet-ter equipment for controlling emissions, improvedenergy technology and more effective use ofresources.

Advances in computer technology have madeenvironmental information much more easilyaccessible than before. More people can learnabout environmental problems and exchange infor-

mation about them. Computer technology is mak-ing it possible to develop new methods of environ-mental monitoring and processing environmentaldata. It is important to expand the use of computertechnology to disseminate information, for envi-ronmental monitoring and as a tool for the environ-mental authorities.

Better environmental information enables peo-ple to learn more about environmentally-soundproducts and increases the demand for such prod-ucts. It is still possible to shift a greater proportionof consumer demand and the demand in varioussectors towards products with less environmentalimpact.

Environmental policy should be designed toensure that its positive effects extend beyond theenvironment. This can increase support for envi-ronmental protection in other sectors. For exam-ple, developing and marketing environmental tech-nology, or using elements of the cultural heritageas a resource for society, provides employment andbuilds up expertise that is in demand both in Nor-way and internationally. Denmark’s success indeveloping and exporting wind power technologyis an illustration of the opportunities offered byenvironmental technology.

The public sector can use its market power topromote green procurement and encourage theconstruction industry and building managers toimprove their environmental profile. This is also away of using resources more efficiently, thusreducing costs and greening operations.

Norway’s municipalities have some freedom ofaction as regards how they implement environ-mental policy. If they make full use of this, they canachieve a great deal, while at the same time revital-ising local democracy and further developing localautonomy. This should also increase support forenvironmental policy and increase its legitimacy atboth local and national level.

The environmental NGOs play an importantrole in raising awareness about environmentalissues and stimulating public interest. They alsofunction as a school for democracy and voluntarywork. However, membership of most of Norway’senvironmental NGOs has dropped in recent years.It is important to maintain and encourage theengagement in environmental matters that existswithin these organisations.


2 Key priorities of Norwegian environmental policy

This chapter discusses the key priorities for Nor-wegian environmental policy for the next twoyears. The first five of these – halting the loss ofbiodiversity, climate policy, reducing NOx emis-sions, halting emissions of environmentally haz-ardous substances, and improving waste manage-ment – coincide with or form part of the long-termpriority areas of the country’s environmental pol-icy. Planned policy instruments and measures forthese areas are listed under the appropriate head-ings in other chapters. The other five are cross-cut-ting issues – environmental policy at local level,sustainable production and consumption, environ-mental technologies, greening public procurementand developing a knowledge-based environmentalpolicy. Planned policy instruments and measuresfor these areas are listed in this chapter.

2.1 Halting the loss of biodiversity

The Government’s goal

• To implement measures designed to halt theloss of biodiversity by 2010.

The situation today

Norway is responsible for only a modest propor-tion of the world’s biodiversity. However, climate,topography and land use show remarkable varia-tions within the country’s borders, by both Euro-pean and global standards. Norway stretches intothe Arctic, and must therefore find responses tothe major environmental challenges in the region.Norway also has a special responsibility for certainspecies that are of great biological and/or eco-nomic importance, such as the Atlantic salmon andwild reindeer.

In Norway, just as in the rest of the world, thereare a number of threats to biological diversity.Physical alterations and changes in land use arethe most important causes of the loss of speciesand life forms. A series of apparently insignificantdevelopments may have cumulative effects thatmake it difficult for species and populations to sur-vive and seriously impair the productivity of eco-systems. The risk of undesirable introduction of

alien species and subsequent damage to ecosys-tems is likely to increase in future as a result ofother developments such as climate change andthe growing volume of transport.

At the same time, Norway enjoys a number ofnatural advantages for the production of high-qual-ity food, such as high insolation in summer andreliable supplies of clean water. The world popula-tion is rising and prosperity is increasing, espe-cially in Asia, and it is therefore increasingly impor-tant to consider food supplies and areas suitable forfood production as a global concern. Our ability tofeed ourselves will be rapidly reduced if cultivatedand cultivable land continues to be converted toother uses. Highly productive agricultural areasnear towns and urban settlements are under thegreatest pressure. These are also the areas that willbe most valuable for the production of environmen-tally friendly, locally-grown food in the future. Therapid conversion of farmland for other purposes isalso a threat to the value of these areas as land-scapes and to their value as habitats for plants andanimals.

The Government’s response

To halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 will requirea concerted effort involving the whole of Norwe-gian society, including the public authorities, thebusiness sector, research institutions, and NGOs.Policy instruments must be made more effectiveand must be coordinated better. Research pro-grammes and surveys and monitoring of the stateof the environment are an essential basis for takingeffective action before it is too late.

The policy instruments and measures the Gov-ernment intends to use to halt the loss of biodiver-sity by 2010 are listed in Chapter 3.3.

One of the national targets for land-use policy isalso highly relevant in this connection: to halve theannual conversion of the most valuable soilresources for other purposes than agriculture, andto document particularly valuable areas of culturallandscape and put in place management plans. Toachieve this target, it will be necessary to focusmore closely on the responsibilities of municipali-ties as land-use authorities. Land use planning


should also be based on good scientific documen-tation and a close dialogue between local authori-ties and interested parties. The Governmentwishes to ensure that the municipalities take theirshare of the responsibility for these efforts andencourage them to build up their knowledge ofvaluable areas of agricultural land and culturallandscapes.

The Government will:

• Draw up guidelines for surveys of core agricul-tural areas

• Develop visual aids for use in dialogue andcooperation at regional and local level.

2.2 Developing a more ambitious climate policy

The Government’s goals

• To ensure that Norway meets its commitmentunder the Kyoto Protocol

• To play an active role in developing a moreambitious global climate agreement for theperiod after 2012.

The situation today

The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 Febru-ary this year. In the period 1990–2003, Norway’saggregate greenhouse gas emissions rose byabout 9 per cent, from 50.1 to 54.8 million tonnesCO2 equivalents. According to an estimate in the2004 national budget, emissions will continue torise unless new control measures are introduced,to about 64.5 million tonnes CO2 equivalents in2010. This is about 22 per cent higher than the levelrequired to meet Norway’s Kyoto commitment.

By continuing to levy the CO2 tax and combin-ing this with the national emissions tradingscheme and other measures, Norway will ensurethat environmental policy instruments apply toalmost all national greenhouse gas emissions. Thiswill also mean that there are incentives for mostenterprises to take steps to cut their emissions.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, the industrialisedcountries have for the first time undertaken bind-ing obligations to limit and reduce their green-house gas emissions. The Protocol is primarilyimportant as a building block of an internationalframework of climate cooperation. The ThirdAssessment Report from the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was pub-lished in 2001, makes it even clearer than before

that much larger cuts in emissions will be neces-sary to prevent undesirable climate change. Themost important task now is to start a dialogue andnegotiations on a more ambitious global climateregime for the period after the first commitmentperiod under the Kyoto Protocol.

At national level, it is important to develop inno-vative solutions as a basis for substantial longer-term reductions in Norway’s greenhouse gas emis-sions.


The Government will ensure that Norway meets itscommitment under the Kyoto Protocol. The devel-opment of policy instruments and measures toreduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue.This work is closely related to both energy policyand transport policy.

The Government wishes Norway to play anactive role in efforts to draw up a more ambitiousclimate agreement for the period after 2012. As anon-member of the EU, Norway can play an impor-tant role in this process, and also has a responsibil-ity to do so. The Government believes that Norwaycan play an important part as a bridge-builder vis-à-vis developing countries, and thus be instrumentalin reducing polarisation between industrialisedand developing countries in the global climate dia-logue.

The policy instruments and measures the Gov-ernment intends to use as part of a proactive cli-mate policy are listed in Chapter 9.2.1.

2.3 Reducing NOx emissions in accordance with the Gothenburg Protocol

The Government’s goal:

• To introduce the necessary measures andinstruments needed to ensure that Norwaymeets its commitment to reduce emissions ofnitrogen oxides (NOx) under the GothenburgProtocol by 2010.

The situation today

The 1999 Gothenburg Protocol entered into forceon 17 May 2005. Norway has ratified the protocol,and has among other things undertaken to reduceannual emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) to156 000 tonnes by 2010. New control measures willhave to be introduced in several sectors if Norwayis to meet this commitment. It is important to lay


down a framework for such measures now, so thatthey can be implemented soon enough to be effec-tive from 2010.

In 2003, NOx emissions in Norway totalled220 000 tonnes. According to projections drawn upfor a white paper on economic policy published in2004 (Report No. 8 (2004–2005) to the Storting),annual NOx emissions are likely to be reduced toabout 200 000 tonnes in 2010 and 162 000 tonnes in2020 by the application of current policy instru-ments. To meet Norway’s commitment under theGothenburg Protocol, annual emissions must bereduced by a further 45 000 tonnes.

It is expected that emissions from road traffic inparticular will decrease in the period up to 2010, asa result of stricter emission standards for new vehi-cles. Emissions from the petroleum industry arealso expected to drop in this period. However,emissions from certain other sectors are expectedto rise as a result of a higher level of activity.


Norway has been one of the countries at the fore-front of efforts to develop binding internationalagreements on reductions in long-range air pollu-tion. Norway is a net recipient of transboundary airpollution, and will therefore enjoy substantial envi-ronmental benefits if other countries meet theirinternational commitments in this field. It is there-fore vital for Norway itself to meet its commitmentsunder the Gothenburg Protocol.

The measures and instruments that are chosenmust make it possible to meet Norway’s commit-ments under the protocol as cost-effectively andefficiently as possible.

The Government has commissioned cross-sec-toral analyses of the potential for further measuresto reduce NOx emissions and the costs of thesemeasures. About 40 per cent of Norway’s NOxemissions are generated by national sea traffic andthe fishing industry. The analyses also show thatmeasures targeted towards national sea traffic andthe fishing fleet can be introduced at lowest cost. Asubstantial proportion of the reduction in emis-sions should therefore be in these sectors. In addi-tion, the analyses identify some cost-effective NOxmeasures for manufacturing industries in main-land Norway and for electricity generation on thecontinental shelf. These sources account forapproximately 9 and 17 per cent respectively ofNorway’s NOx emissions. According to the analy-

ses, measures in the offshore petroleum industryare generally more costly than those that wereevaluated for national sea traffic and the fishingfleet. It is also necessary to consider measures inother sectors where there are large NOx emis-sions, such as road traffic.

The policy instruments and measures the Gov-ernment intends to use to reduce NOx emissionsare listed in Chapter 9.4.3.

2.4 Halting emissions of environmentally hazardous substances


• To intensify efforts to reach the targets for sub-stances that are hazardous to health and theenvironment, and to eliminate emissions of themost environmentally hazardous substances by2020.

The situation today

All products contain chemicals, and they are usedin almost all production processes. There are atpresent roughly 50 000 chemicals on the Europeanmarket. In most cases, we know little or nothingabout their effects on health and the environment.

Emissions of pollutants are generated by manyprocesses – mining, industrial production of rawmaterials and finished products, the use of prod-ucts in households, industry and workplaces, andwaste treatment.

In addition, long-range inputs of environmen-tally hazardous substances reach Norway withwinds and ocean currents. There are many placeswhere such pollutants, generated for example byindustrial activities, have been deposited in soils orin marine and fresh water sediments.

The Government’s target of eliminating allemissions of environmentally hazardous sub-stances within one generation, i.e. by 2020, isunlikely to be achieved if such substances continueto be used in ordinary consumer products.


The policy instruments and measures the Govern-ment intends to use to reduce emissions of hazard-ous substances are listed in Chapter 7.3.


2.5 Improving waste management and increasing waste recovery


• Reduce the environmental pressures caused bywaste and ensure that greater use is made ofwaste as a resource.

The situation today

Today, the proportion of waste recovered in Nor-way is higher than ever before. Almost 70 per centof all waste is used either for material recovery(recycling) or for energy recovery. This meansthat we are well on the way to achieving the targetof 75 per cent waste recovery by 2010. This suc-cessful result has been achieved by a combinationof an ambitious waste policy with active and con-structive follow-up of municipalities, the businesssector and other actors.

Nevertheless, waste recovery and disposal stillgenerates substantial releases of pollutants to air,soil and water, and thus causes both local and glo-bal environmental problems. Methane emissionsfrom landfills currently account for about 4 per centof Norway’s aggregate greenhouse gas emissions.

Because more and more of the substances inwaste are recognised as environmentally hazard-ous, the quantity of hazardous waste is also rising.Every year, 800 000 tonnes of hazardous waste isgenerated. A substantial proportion of this, esti-mated at 100 000 tonnes, is not handled in accor-dance with the legislation, and therefore repre-sents a threat to the environment.


In future, Norway’s waste treatment and disposalplants will be required to satisfy strict environmen-tal standards, and waste materials will be requiredto satisfy specific quality standards, so that they arein demand as resources. The Government will seekto change Norway from a waste-generating societyto one based on waste recovery and recycling.

The policy instruments and measures the Gov-ernment intends to use in this field are listed inChapter 8.3.

2.6 Developing environmental policy at local level


• To encourage municipalities to make full use ofthe freedom of action they have in the field ofenvironmental policy, for example by exchang-ing best practices.

The situation today

Challenges in some environmental policy areascan be dealt with most effectively by means ofinternational cooperation combined with nationalpolicy instruments. Climate policy is a good exam-ple. In these fields, the municipalities can make animportant additional contribution if they make fulluse of the opportunities available to them. In otherpolicy areas, such as the management of biodiver-sity, the shoreline and the cultural heritage, thePlanning and Building Act puts the most importantpolicy instruments at the disposal of the municipal-ities.

To achieve Norway’s objective of realising sus-tainable development will require the activeinvolvement of the state authorities, municipalities,NGOs and the business sector. Because the munic-ipal authorities have close links to the local popula-tion, local businesses and local NGOs, they canmore easily gain support for national and local envi-ronmental policy. If all municipalities make full useof their freedom of action in different roles – pro-viding services, exercising authority, and commu-nity development – they can make an importantcontribution to achieving the goals of environmen-tal policy. It will be necessary to develop tools andinstruments that can be used to give environmentalprotection and sustainable development a higherprofile and integrate them better into the ordinarymunicipal planning and management systems. Agreat deal of knowledge and experience has beenacquired through local environmental efforts inrecent years. Considerable environmental benefitscan be gained by spreading this knowledge to asmany municipalities as possible.

Better cooperation between the central sectoralauthorities is needed to encourage good environ-mental practices at local level and the developmentof environmentally sound communities. Centralgovernment incentives and policy instruments invarious fields must be coordinated so that nationalenvironmental targets can be achieved efficientlyat local level.



The Government will:• Establish a five-year programme for further

development of local-level environmental pro-tection and sustainable local communities, incooperation with the municipal sector (the Nor-wegian Association of Local and RegionalAuthorities), as part of the follow-up of NationalAgenda 21 and the Government’s modernisa-tion initiative vis-à-vis the municipalities.

• Encourage municipalities to draw up environ-mental reports as part of municipal planningroutines and develop tools to help them withthis.

• Provide a framework for proactive local effortsin the fields of energy and climate.

• Provide a framework for active municipal par-ticipation in environmental cooperation withlocal communities in developing countries.

• Promote good environmental practices atmunicipal level and encourage municipalities toincorporate environmental considerations intopublic procurement processes.

2.7 Moving to sustainable production and consumption


• To reduce the environmental pressure causedby production and consumption in Norway.

The situation today

Regardless of how we measure it, the consumptionof goods and services has been rising steadily inindustrialised countries for many years. Consump-tion is also rising rapidly in many developing coun-tries. However, figures from the UN Commissionon Sustainable Development (CSD) show that therichest 15 per cent of the world population stillaccount for 56 per cent of total world consumption.The poorest 40 per cent account for only 11 percent of total consumption. Many countries are stilldependent on substantial economic growth to beable to satisfy their people’s basic needs.

At the same time, we know that the global envi-ronment cannot sustain a continuing worldwiderise in consumption at the same rate and followingthe same patterns as we have seen until now in therich part of the world. In a white paper on globali-sation (Report No. 19 (2002–2003) to the Storting),the Norwegian Government quoted Global Envi-ronmental Outlook 2000, according to which «a

tenfold reduction in resource consumption in theindustrialised countries is a necessary long-termtarget if adequate resources are to be released forthe needs of developing countries». The Govern-ment added that people in the industrialised coun-tries will have to realise that any future improve-ment in the quality of their lives both can and mustbe based on considerably lower consumption ofresources.

Far-reaching changes in production and con-sumption patterns will thus be required to ensurethat everyone can enjoy a satisfactory quality of lifeand living conditions without destroying the natu-ral resource base or exceeding the carrying capac-ity of the environment. People in the rich part of theworld, including rich people in developing coun-tries, have a dual responsibility. They must bothreduce the environmental pressure caused by theirown consumption and help to prevent economicgrowth and development in poor countries fromimposing excessive costs on the environment andresource base.

A substantial proportion of consumption in Nor-way is based on raw materials and productsextracted and manufactured in other countries. Toachieve global results, action is required in bothdeveloping and industrialised countries. At theWorld Summit on Sustainable Development inJohannesburg in 2002, world leaders committedthemselves to a 10-year framework of programmesto promote sustainable production and consump-tion patterns.

Achieving results in this field is a complex taskwith a wide scope, and will require changes inbehaviour by all actors, including the business sec-tor, NGOs, international organisations, the publicsector, consumers and the general public.


Continued efforts to bring about a shift to sustain-able production and consumption will involve awide range of measures and sectors. The Govern-ment’s policy will be designed to encourage thebusiness sector, NGOs, the public administrationand individual people to play an active part in theseefforts. Sections 2.5–2.10 of this chapter list a num-ber of cross-cutting measures and initiatives thatare intended to promote more sustainable produc-tion and consumption. In addition, the Governmentconsiders that more knowledge and better analy-ses and tools are needed to follow developments inthis field. The Government will play an active partin efforts to promote sustainable production andconsumption at Nordic, European and global level,


and particularly in following up the commitmentsmade at the Johannesburg Summit.

The Government will:• Actively encourage more Norwegian compa-

nies to focus on corporate social responsibility(CSR) and promote the development of aninternational framework that gives greater sup-port to CSR.

• Play an active role in international cooperationin this field (in the Nordic Council, the EU,UNEP and CSD) in support of the Johannes-burg commitment to the development of a 10-year framework of programmes to promotesustainable consumption and production.

• Within Norway’s development cooperationactivities, encourage cooperation on sustain-able production and consumption with thosedeveloping countries that are interested.

• Give priority to analyses of the environmentalimpacts of production and consumption in Nor-way, and develop suitable indicators for moni-toring the relationship between consumptionand its environmental impacts over time. Thiswork must be coordinated with the proposalsfrom the committee appointed to develop a coreset of indicators for sustainable development.

• Develop a strategy for sustainable managementof state-owned buildings.

• Provide a satisfactory framework and suitableinstruments for sustainable building manage-ment in the municipal sector as part of the fol-low up of the report on municipal property man-agement (Official Norwegian Report 2004: 22)

2.8 Focusing on environmental technologies


• To give Norway a pioneering role in the devel-opment of environmental technologies

The situation today

Future improvements in welfare must be achievedwith less use of resources, energy and harmfulchemicals. One way of doing this is to step up thedevelopment and use of environmental technolo-gies. Their use can bring about considerable envi-ronmental improvements both nationally and inter-nationally.

The Government intends to promote the devel-opment and use of environmental technologies andto make them a key element of efforts to deal with

important environmental challenges. Reducingenergy and resource use often reduce costs aswell, thus improving the competitive position of thetechnology in question. Thus, environmental tech-nologies can contribute to industrial developmentand higher employment in addition to environmen-tal improvements.

Lower costs give developing countries moreopportunity to make use of such technologies, thushelping them to satisfy their urgent need for eco-nomic growth without putting too much pressureon the environment. In this way, environmentaltechnologies can provide a basis for increasingvalue creation while reducing environmental pres-sure and global poverty.

There is growing international interest in envi-ronmental technology solutions. The EU, for exam-ple has adopted the Environmental TechnologiesAction Plan. The Government intends to take partin the follow-up of this plan and ensure that Norwe-gian actors can take part in relevant activities andprocesses. The growing international interest alsomeans that opportunities for the export of Norwe-gian environmental technology are expanding.

A number of Norwegian companies andresearch communities are already world leaders invarious environmental technologies. Norwegiancompanies are at the forefront of developmentsinternationally in the fields of waste management,water, air and energy.

The Government wishes Norway to take a pro-active and ambitious approach to the environmen-tal technology field. The Government’s vision is forNorway to play a leading role internationally in thedevelopment and use of environmental technolo-gies, and for Norwegian environmental technologyto play a part in resolving environmental problemsat both national and international level. In particu-lar, the Government sees it as important that Nor-wegian solutions can help to bring about environ-mental improvements and reduce poverty in devel-oping countries.


To reinforce efforts in the field of environmentaltechnology, the Government will:• Promote the expansion of research on environ-

mental technologies and make fuller use ofresearch results.

• Clarify what contribution the business sector isexpected to make, and evaluate ways of makingbetter use of existing sources of funding, suchas the grant schemes administered by Innova-tion Norway.


• Ensure that Norwegian actors can make use ofthe opportunities offered by the new EEA finan-cial mechanisms. Environmental technologywill be one natural priority area for Norway inits cooperation with the new member states.

• Assess how Norwegian aid funds can be usedto a greater degree to promote the develop-ment and use of environmental technologies.

• Strengthen information activities and the com-petence of the environmental authorities in thisfield.

• Consider the establishment of a national centrefor environmental technology for both childrenand adults.

2.9 Greening public procurement


• To reduce the environmental pressure causedby the consumption of goods and services bygiving greater weight to environmental consid-erations in public procurement processes

The situation today

In 2003, the total value of goods and services pur-chased by the public sector was almost NOK 240billion, of which NOK 96 billion was in the centralgovernment sector and NOK 70 billion in themunicipal sector. Publicly-owned commercialenterprises accounted for the remainder. Thismeans that there is a substantial potential forreducing the environmental impact of the publicsector. By setting higher environmental standards,the public sector can persuade suppliers and man-ufacturers to shift towards greener product devel-opment, and thus encourage the marketing of awider range of products with more positive envi-ronmental attributes. In the Government’s opinion,the public sector has a special responsibility to leadthe way, given its size and the fact that it is respon-sible for managing public funds. Public-sectoragencies should be aware of the environmentalimpacts of their purchases, set environmental stan-dards, and choose the best solutions in environ-mental terms within the constraints of price andquality. The Government wishes the public sectorto be a driving force in efforts to shift the pattern ofconsumption in Norway in a more sustainabledirection.

The importance of including environmentalconsiderations in public procurement policies wasemphasised at the Johannesburg Summit in 2002.

The OECD has also urged member states togreater effort in this field. Moreover, public pro-curement is also a central element of the EU’s Inte-grated Product Policy and its Environmental Tech-nologies Action Plan. The Commission has urgedmember states to draw up their own action plansfor green public procurement from 2005. SeveralEU states are already engaged in this work, and theNordic countries Sweden and Denmark are play-ing a leading role. In the Government’s view, Nor-way should also be at the forefront of develop-ments in this field in Europe.

Norway’s new Public Procurement Act enteredinto force in 2001, and requires public authoritiesto take life-cycle costs and environmental impactsinto account when planning new investments. Therequirements have been further elaborated in reg-ulations and in guidelines published by the Minis-try of Trade and Industry. In addition to environ-mental considerations, the legislation requiresmany other considerations to be taken into accountduring public procurement processes. For exam-ple, steps must be taken to ensure equal conditionsof competition for actors in the business sector.Because several different objectives are involved, itmay be more complicated to incorporate environ-mental considerations into procurement processesin the public sector than in the private sector. Thisapplies, for example, to the development of envi-ronmental criteria in connection with tendering. Inthe Government’s view, further measures areneeded to build up public-sector expertise on envi-ronmental aspects of procurement, and to makethe development of environmental criteria moreefficient. They are needed to ensure that the publicsector can achieve its full potential for influencingthe market for environmentally sound goods andservices and that Norway is at the forefront ofdevelopments in Europe.


To reinforce efforts in the field of public procure-ment, the Government will:• Establish a green public procurement panel as

a national advisory body for the authorities.The panel will include representatives of cen-tral government and municipal agencies, thebusiness sector, the educational sector, etc.The panel’s main functions will be– to identify opportunities for including envi-

ronmental considerations in public procure-ment processes, and barriers to doing so,

– to propose new policy instruments and mea-sures,


– to evaluate the need to develop new indica-tors for this field or further develop existingindicators.

• Establish a programme at the GRIP Centre forSustainable Production and Consumption. Theprogramme will help to ensure that public-sec-tor agencies are familiar with the environmen-tal standards laid down by the rules relating topublic procurement, and that they have suffi-cient expertise to comply with these rules. Theprogramme is also intended to make it easier toset specific environmental standards in prac-tice.

2.10 Developing a knowledge-based environmental policy


• To improve the knowledge base for environ-mental policy and raise the general level ofenvironmental awareness in Norwegian society

The situation today: more knowledge needed

Environmental policy must be based on knowledgeof ecological interactions and interactions betweennature and society, and how activities in varioussectors of society influence the environment andhuman health. Without adequate knowledge, polit-ical goals will be haphazard and the public admin-istration will be left behind and will not be able totake an innovative approach.

Adequate knowledge of environmental devel-opments makes it possible to evaluate the impactsof our actions and to choose short- and long-termpolicy instruments that will put us in a better posi-tion to prevent or counteract environmental dam-age and injury to health.

The knowledge base is built up throughresearch, data collection and reporting. It is equallyimportant to communicate knowledge that hasbeen acquired to the general public and to deci-sion-makers. Knowledge about the environmentand environmental problems must become a keyelement of decision-making processes in both thepublic and the private sector.

Educational institutions are responsible for asignificant proportion of knowledge development.The whole school system, including institutionsthat provide vocational training and higher educa-tion institutions, gives new generations knowl-edge, attitudes and skills that can be instrumentalin bringing about sustainable development. Themedia, the Internet and libraries also play an

important role in communicating environmentalinformation. Product information and green certifi-cate schemes are other sources of environmentalinformation.


Up-to-date and accurate knowledge is essential forpreventing and repairing environmental damage.

The Government will give high priority toensuring that everyone has access to environmen-tal information, and particularly that it is an integralpart of the education of children and young people.Environmental information must also be an ele-ment of lifelong learning and play a part in influenc-ing people’s attitudes. Information must be used toencourage participation in decision-making pro-cesses in society and to provide a basis for makingenvironmentally friendly choices on a day-to-daybasis.

The Internet is a powerful tool for developingknowledge and processing and communicatinginformation. More and more people are using theInternet and other electronic means of maintainingcontact and finding information. The Internet hasalso become a key channel for communicationbetween members of the public and the publicadministration. Environmental information mustincreasingly be provided electronically and in away that makes it possible to have a dialogue withusers.

To improve the knowledge base for environ-mental policy and raise the general level of environ-mental awareness in Norwegian society, the Gov-ernment will:• Expand environmental monitoring pro-

grammes and increase the environmentalresearch effort.

• Take part in the development of the GlobalEarth Observation System of Systems(GEOSS), a worldwide network for global utili-sation of data, for example for monitoring andfor early warning of environmental disasters.

• Develop the website State of the EnvironmentNorway into the central information channel forfacts and data on the Norwegian environment.

• Follow the guidelines developed by the WebAccessibility Initiative (WAI) for websites thatprovide environmental information, to ensurethat everybody has equal opportunities for par-ticipation.

• Make the general public and the public admin-istration more aware of their rights under thenew Environmental Information Act, and pro-vide a framework that will enable public author-


ities and businesses to meet their obligationsunder the Act.

• Take steps to provide more environmentalinformation about products, particularly thoseintended for private consumers, and focus oneco-labelling and green certificate schemes.

• Continue efforts to increase the availability ofproduct information on the Internet and furtherdevelop the Product Register, for example byencouraging the business sector to play alarger role.

• Integrate environmental education and the nat-ural sciences in the school system, for instanceby raising the level of expertise among teachersand at teacher training institutions.

• Further develop, modernise and strengthen theNorwegian Environmental Education Network,among other things by linking it more closelyto the website State of the Environment Nor-way.

• Take the initiative for closer cooperationbetween Norwegian schools and schools indeveloping countries and Eastern Europe.


3 Conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

3.1 Goals

Box 3.1 shows the Government’s goals for the con-servation and sustainable use of biological diver-sity. The strategic objective has been amended toinclude Norway’s international commitment tohalting the loss of biodiversity.

3.2 Policy instruments and measures

The Government will take the following steps tohalt the loss of biodiversity by 2010:• Continue the development of relevant legisla-

tion on the basis of the report from the commit-tee appointed to review legislation relating tobiodiversity.

• Expand survey and monitoring activitiesrelated to biodiversity: this will include continu-ing and improving the national programme tosurvey and monitor biodiversity, carrying outthe next phase of municipal surveys of biodiver-sity, and starting programmes in marine areas(MAREANO1 and SEAPOP2).

• Strengthen research related to biodiversity.• Revise the Norwegian Red List of threatened

species. The next edition should be ready in2006, and a major revision of the list will becompleted in 2010.

• Draw up action plans for selected habitat types,groups of species and species in the period2005–2010, including plans for coral reefs, kelpforests and selected types of cultural landscapethat require management.

• Draw up management plans for the mostheavily used national parks and other large pro-tected areas, and ensure that an active manage-ment regime is pursued in protected areaswhere this is necessary.

• Draw up and implement a national plan for pro-tected marine areas.

1 The MAREANO project involves a number of institutions,and will among other things map topography, resources, pol-lution and biodiversity in marine and coastal waters.

2 SEAPOP stands for Seabird Population Management andPetroleum Operations.

Box 3.1 Goals for conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity

Strategic objective:

The environment shall be managed in a waythat maintains the diversity of habitats andlandscape types and ensures that there areviable populations of naturally-occurring spe-cies: this will ensure that biological diversitycan continue to evolve. In addition, Norwayaims to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010.

National targets:

1. A representative selection of Norwegianhabitats shall be protected for future gen-erations.

2. Major disturbance such as infrastructuredevelopment shall be avoided in endan-gered habitats, and in vulnerable habitatsimportant ecological functions shall bemaintained.

3. The cultural landscape shall be managedin such a way that biological diversity, thehistorical and aesthetic value of the land-scape and its accessibility are maintained.

4. Harvesting and other use of livingresources shall not cause species or popu-lations to become extinct or endangered.

5. The introduction of alien species throughhuman activity shall not damage or limitecosystem functions.

6. Populations of endangered species andspecies for which Norway has a specialresponsibility shall be maintained orrestored to viable levels.

7. The needs of future generations shall betaken into account when managing soilresources that are suitable for cereal pro-duction.


• Draw up proposals for a national action plan forthe management of genetic resources and con-servation of genetic diversity.

• Implement the national plan for management ofgenetic resources for food and agriculture.

• Follow an improved and integrated strategy formaintaining important agricultural landscapesand protecting cultivable and cultivated soil.

• Strengthen the regulatory regime for as manyas possible of the marine fish stocks that areused commercially by establishing long-termmanagement plans for these stocks.

• Draw up a cross-sectoral national strategy foralien species by 2006. This work includes draw-ing up a «black list» of alien species that may

threaten or are already threatening ecosys-tems, habitats or other species in Norway and areview of the economic impacts of alien speciesin Norway.

• Play an active part in strengthening the interna-tional framework for conservation and sustain-able use of biodiversity. Arrange the fifth inter-national Trondheim conference on biodiversityin 2007, which will focus on the internationalgoal of achieving by 2010 a significant reduc-tion of the current rate of biodiversity loss at theglobal, regional and national level as a contribu-tion to poverty alleviation and to the benefit ofall life on earth.


4 Outdoor recreation

4.1 Goals

Box 4.1 shows the Government’s goals for outdoorrecreation. Instruments and measures designed toachieve national target 4 are listed in chapter 11.6.



• Intensify efforts to promote physical activity,including arranging Outdoor Recreation Year2005.

• Strengthen the legal basis for outdoor recre-ation activities, including the right of publicaccess to the countryside.

• Establish a forum for outdoor recreation inschools, in cooperation with the Directorate forPrimary and Secondary Education, the Direc-torate for Health and Social Affairs and NGOsthat are active in this field. The aim is to buildup expertise in outdoor recreation activities inthe school system.

• Safeguard a number of large outdoor recreationareas for public use and safeguard outdoor rec-reation interests in areas that are no longerrequired by the Norwegian defence forces.

• As part of its focus on the coastal zone, considerwhether to expand the system of coastal parksfurther west than Lindesnes municipality inVest-Agder county.

Box 4.1 Goals for outdoor recreation


Everyone shall have the opportunity to takepart in outdoor recreation as a healthy andenvironmentally sound leisure activity thatprovides a sense of well-being both near theirhomes and in the countryside.

National targets:

1. The tradition of outdoor recreation basedon the right of access to uncultivated landshall be kept up by all sections of the pop-ulation.

2. Children and young people shall be giventhe opportunity to develop skills in out-door recreation activities.

3. Areas of value for outdoor recreation shallbe safeguarded so that environmentally-friendly access and passage and harvest-ing of natural resources is promoted andthe natural resource base is maintained.

4. Near housing, schools and day care cen-tres, there shall be adequate opportunitiesfor safe access and play and other activitiesin a varied and continuous green structure,and ready access to surrounding areas ofcountryside.


5 The cultural heritage

5.1 Goals

Box 5.1 shows the Government’s goals for culturalheritage conservation, as they were proposed inthe recent white paper on the cultural heritage(Report No. 16 (2004–2005) to the Storting).



• Follow a policy that safeguards the full breadthof Norway’s cultural heritage as a repository ofknowledge, to provide opportunities for experi-encing this heritage and as a catalyst for eco-nomic growth.

• Follow a policy to ensure that the potential ofthe cultural heritage is realised more fully thanis the case today. This will include a focus onthe development of local communities and com-mercial activities on the basis of the culturalheritage in towns and urban settlements, alongthe coast and in the agricultural landscape. Aprogramme for value creation and a knowledgenetwork for historical properties will be estab-lished.

• Launch special initiatives targeting childrenand young people and the cultural heritage ofminority groups in Norway.

• Provide a framework that will enable municipal-ities to make use of the cultural heritage in thedevelopment of communities, through develop-ment of the Planning and Building Act.

• Make use of research, competence-buildingand information to improve access to the cul-tural heritage.

Box 5.1 Goals for cultural heritage conservation


The diversity of cultural monuments, sitesand environments shall be managed andenhanced as resources for continued activeuse, as a repository of knowledge, to provideopportunities for experiencing our culturalheritage, and as a catalyst for economicgrowth. A representative selection of culturalmonuments, sites and environments shall bemade and managed on a long-term basis.

National targets:

1. Annual losses of cultural monuments, sitesand environments as a result of demoli-tion, damage and decay shall be mini-mised, and by 2020 shall not exceed 0.5per cent of the total.

2. Cultural monuments, sites and environ-ments protected under the Cultural Heri-tage Act shall be safeguarded and a stan-dard requiring only normal maintenanceshall be achieved by 2020.

3. The selection of permanently protectedcultural monuments, sites and environ-ments shall include a wider range in termsof geography, social class, ethnicity, indus-trial and commercial use and historicalperiods, and by 2020 a representativeselection of these monuments, sites andenvironments shall be protected under theCultural Heritage Act.


6 Eutrophication and oil pollution

6.1 Goals

Box 6.1 shows the Government’s goals for reduc-tion of eutrophication and oil pollution.



• Implement an integrated and ecosystem-basedmanagement regime for marine and coastalwaters and freshwater by completing the inte-grated management plan for the Barents Seaand drawing up integrated management plansfor inland and coastal waters as required by theEU Water Framework Directive.

• Intensify efforts to improve water quality inLake Vansjø and any other water bodies wherethere are serious, complex environmental prob-lems.

• Continue efforts to achieve the zero dischargegoal, i.e. to halt or minimise discharges of envi-ronmentally hazardous substances and othersubstances that may have a negative impact onthe environment from the petroleum industry.

• Continue to play an active part in regional coop-eration on the marine environment.

• Play its part in ensuring that the Ballast WaterConvention can enter into force.

• Take steps to ratify the Ballast Water Conven-tion in the course of 2005.

• Implement the provisions of the Ballast WaterConvention nationally and through regionalcooperation.

• Take steps to monitor the introduction of alienspecies via ballast water and sediments fromships.

• Consider the establishment of a national forumfor environmentally sound shipping in coopera-tion with the industry.

Box 6.1 Goals for reduction of eutrophication and oil pollution


The water quality in fresh water bodies andmarine areas shall be high enough tomaintain species and ecosystems and to takeaccount of the requirements of human healthand welfare.

National targets:

1. Inputs of the nutrients phosphorus andnitrogen to parts of the North Sea that areadversely affected by eutrophication shallbe reduced by about 50 per cent by 2005,using 1985 as the base year.

2. Operational discharges of oil shall notresult in unacceptable injury to health orenvironmental damage. The risk of envi-ronmental damage and other adverseeffects of acute pollution shall be accept-able.


7 Hazardous substances

7.1 Goals

Box 7.1 shows the Government’s goals for reduc-ing the risks associated with hazardous sub-stances.

The wording of the national target for pollutedsoil, water and sediments has been changed, and ithas been split into two targets (one for soil and onefor sediments).



• Review the possibility of prohibiting the use ofenvironmentally hazardous substances in prod-ucts intended for the private consumer.

• Implement the new action plans for mercuryand for PFOS and PFOS-related compounds.

• Propose new substances for inclusion in inter-national agreements such as the StockholmConvention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

• Give priority to efforts to remove substancesthat are hazardous to health and the environ-ment from products intended for children orlimit their use in such products.

• Ensure stricter control of compliance with leg-islation relating to environmentally hazardoussubstances.

• Ensure that appropriate action is taken at allcontaminated sites by 2006.

• Intensify efforts to ensure that polluted sedi-ments do not give rise to serious pollution prob-lems.

Box 7.1 Goals for reducing the risks associated with hazardous substances


Emissions and use of hazardous chemicalsshall not cause injury to health or damage theproductivity of the natural environment andits capacity for self-renewal. Concentrations ofthe most hazardous chemicals in the environ-ment shall be reduced towards backgroundvalues for naturally occurring substances andclose to zero concentrations for man-madesynthetic substances.

National targets:

1. Emissions of certain of the most environ-mentally hazardous substances shall beeliminated or substantially reduced by2000, 2005 or 2010.

2. Emissions and use of substances that posea serious threat to health or the environ-ment shall be continuously reduced with aview to eliminating them within one gener-ation (by the year 2020).

3. The risk that emissions and use of chemi-cals will cause injury to health or environ-mental damage shall be reduced substan-tially.

4. The dispersal of the most environmentallyhazardous substances from contaminatedsoil shall be stopped or substantiallyreduced. Steps to reduce the dispersal ofother hazardous substances will be takenon the basis of case-by-case risk assess-ments.

5. Contamination of sediments with sub-stances that are hazardous to health or theenvironment shall not give rise to seriouspollution problems.


8 Waste management and recovery

8.1 Goals

Box 8.1 shows the Government’s goals for wastemanagement and recovery.



• Take steps to raise the proportion of wasterecovered, with the aim of reaching 80 per cent.

• Implement a strategy for biodegradable waste,which will include– the introduction of waste management

plans as a mandatory element of all buildingprojects,

– the prohibition of landfilling of biodegrad-able waste, planned to take effect from 1January 2009.

• Implement a new strategy to increase the pro-portion of hazardous waste delivered toapproved facilities.

• Play an active role in the development of newlegally binding and globally applicable rules toensure that ship recycling is carried out in anenvironmentally sound way.

Box 8.1 Goals for waste management and recovery


Damage to people and the environment cau-sed by waste is to be minimised. To achievethis, waste problems are to be solved bymeans of policy instruments that ensure agood socio-economic balance between thequantity of waste generated and the quanti-ties recovered, incinerated and landfilled.

National targets:

1. The growth in the quantity of waste gener-ated shall be considerably lower than therate of economic growth.

2. The proportion of waste recovered is to beraised to about 75 per cent of the totalquantity in 2010 and subsequently to 80per cent. This is based on the principle thatthe quantity of waste recovered should beincreased to a level that is appropriate ineconomic and environmental terms.

3. Practically all hazardous waste is to bedealt with in an appropriate way, so that itis either recycled or sufficient treatmentcapacity is provided within Norway.


9 Climate change, air pollution and noise

9.1 Climate

9.1.1 Goals

Box 9.1 shows the Government’s goals for thereduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

9.1.2 Policy instruments and measures


• Ensure that Norway plays an active role innegotiations towards a more ambitious climateagreement containing stricter and more com-prehensive commitments to reduce emissionsafter the end of the first commitment periodunder the Kyoto Protocol in 2012. This mustinclude both the US and those developing coun-tries that generate large volumes of emissionsor whose emissions are rising rapidly.

• Cut Norway’s emissions in the period 2005–2007 by means of the domestic emissions trad-ing scheme and the arrangement with opera-tors in the process industry who are not at thisstage included in the scheme.

• Cooperate closely with other countries, espe-cially the EU, on developing an international

market for emissions trading as soon as possi-ble.

• Consider the establishment of long-term cli-mate policy goals, based on the conclusions ofthe commission appointed to assess how Nor-way can become a low-emission society by2050.

• Continue to give priority to the objective ofbringing about a shift in Norway’s energy pro-duction and use and achieving the national tar-get of a total of 12 TWh per year in energy sav-ings and new renewable energy production by2010. An important tool for this work is theEnergy Fund: its funding has been strength-ened, and it contains NOK 660 million in 2005.

• Follow up the strategy for reducing the use ofmineral oils for heating by 25 per cent duringthe first Kyoto commitment period, 2008–2012.

• Continue to encourage greater use of waste asa source of energy to replace fossil fuels.

• Continue efforts channelled through Gassnova(the state centre for sustainable gas technolo-gies), the fund for sustainable gas technologiesand the new research programme on environ-mentally-friendly gas technologies (CLIMIT)to develop energy-efficient and profitabledesigns for gas-fired power plants with CO2capture and storage.

• Continue taxation and refund schemes forHFCs and PFCs, which are moderately to verypotent greenhouse gases.

• Maintain the agreement between the Ministryof the Environment and the Norwegian Elec-tricity Industry Association on reduction of SF6emissions from the electricity sector.

• Continue to limit emissions from the petroleumindustry by focusing on technological improve-ments and the development of new technology.

• Evaluate new ways of adapting Norwegian soci-ety to climate change.

• Follow up the report of the Arctic ClimateImpact Assessment (ACIA) at national andinternational level. At national level, one of theGovernment’s responses will be to intensifyresearch and monitoring in fields where theACIA revealed gaps in our knowledge.

Box 9.1 Goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions


Concentrations of greenhouse gases shall bestabilised at a level that will prevent dange-rous anthropogenic interference with the cli-mate system.

National target:

Norway shall comply with its commitmentunder the Kyoto Protocol, which is that itsgreenhouse gas emissions in the period2008–2012 must not be more than 1 per centhigher than in 1990.


• Intensify climate-related research, for examplethrough the research programme NORKLIMA,and monitoring activities. Encourage analysesof the framework and relevant instruments ofclimate policy, and focus on research on tech-nology to reduce emissions of CO2 and othergreenhouse gases.

• Analyse the overall potential for local climatemeasures (see Chapter 2.6 on environmentalpolicy at local level).

9.2 Depletion of the ozone layer

9.2.1 Goals

Box 9.2 shows the Government’s goals for phasingout the use of ozone-depleting substances.



• Work actively to further develop a frameworkthat will make it easier for developing countriesand Eastern European countries to meet theirexisting commitments and if appropriate under-take new commitments under the MontrealProtocol.

• Continue work under the Montreal Protocol toensure that phasing out ozone-depleting sub-stances more rapidly does not result in moreuse of HFCs and other substances that enhancethe greenhouse effect.

9.3 Long-range air pollution

9.3.1 Goals

Box 9.3 shows the Government’s goals for thereduction of emissions of long-range air pollutants.



• Introduce the necessary measures and instru-ments needed to ensure that Norway meets itscommitment to reduce emissions of nitrogenoxides (NOx) under the Gothenburg Protocolby 2010. The most important of these will be asfollows:– Lay down emission limits to air pursuant to

the Seaworthiness Act for national sea traf-

Box 9.2 Goals for phasing out the use of ozone-depleting substances


All production and use of ozone-depletingsubstances shall be eliminated.

National targets:

1. Consumption of halons, all types of chlo-rofluorocarbons (CFCs), tetrachlo-romethane, methyl chloroform and hydro-bromofluorocarbons (HBFCs) shall beeliminated.

2. Consumption of methyl bromide shall bestabilised in 1995 and phased out by 2005.

3. Consumption of hydrochlorofluorocar-bons (HCFCs) shall be stabilised in 1995and phased out by 2010.

Box 9.3 Goals for reductions in emissions of long-range air pollutants


Emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxi-des, volatile organic compounds and ammo-nia shall be reduced so that critical loads andlevels are not exceeded, thus avoiding envi-ronmental damage, and so that injury tohealth is avoided.

National targets:

1. Annual emissions of sulphur dioxide(SO2) shall not exceed 22 000 tonnes from2010 onwards.

2. Annual emissions of nitrogen oxides(NOx) shall not exceed 156 000 tonnesfrom 2010 onwards, and annual emissionsin the period up to 2010 shall not exceedthe 1987 level (230 000 tonnes).

3. Annual emissions of volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs) shall not exceed 195 000tonnes from 2010 onwards. In the periodup to 2010, annual emissions shall notexceed the 1988 level (252 000 tonnes),and annual emissions from the entiremainland and the Economic Zone of Nor-way south of 620 N shall not exceed 70 percent of the 1989 level (191 000 tonnes).

4. Annual emissions of ammonia (NH3) shallnot exceed 23 000 tonnes from 2010onwards.


fic and the fishing fleet, to apply to both newand existing vessels.

– Lay down new emission limits pursuant tothe Pollution Control Act for manufacturingindustries in mainland Norway and electric-ity generation on the continental shelf.

– Facilitate flexible solutions for the imple-mentation of stricter requirements thanthose that follow from the rules on inte-grated pollution prevention and control(IPPC Directive) and emission limits fornational sea traffic and the fishing fleet. Thiswill ensure that the NOx target is achievedas cost-effectively as possible. Furtherreview a system that is as cross-sectoral aspossible, including tax levels differentiatedaccording to the level of NOx emissionsand/or third-party emission reductions.Design policy instruments to ensure thatNorway’s commitment is achieved by 2010,to provide a predictable framework, and toprovide good incentives across sectors.

– Consider whether to provide grantstowards measures to reduce NOx emis-sions from national sea traffic and the fish-ing fleet.

– Consider whether to differentiate the roadtax for vehicles of maximum total weight upto 12 tonnes according to their NOx emis-sions.

• Play an active part in revision of the Gothen-burg Protocol, with a view to achieving furtherenvironmental improvement in Norway.

• Take the initiative vis-à-vis the InternationalMaritime Organisation (IMO) for the develop-ment of international rules that will effectivelyreduce emissions to air from ships in caseswhere critical loads for ecosystems and humanhealth are exceeded partly as a result of theseemissions.

• Follow up the new strategy adopted by theEMEP programme (Cooperative Programmefor Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants inEurope).

9.4 Local air quality

9.4.1 Goals

Box 9.4 shows the Government’s goals forimprovements in air quality.



• Consider new measures targeted at the sourcesof emissions, focusing on fuelwood use, con-struction machinery, ships and buses.

• Consider various measures related to land-useand transport planning, including low-emissionzones (where the focus is on reducing emis-sions from road vehicles), further testing ofenvironmental action zones (where the focus ison factors that affect health and welfare) andwhether there is a need to draw up planningguidelines.

Box 9.4 Goals for improvements in air quality


Local air pollution problems shall be preven-ted and reduced to take account of the requi-rements of human health and welfare.

National targets:

1. The 24-hour mean concentration of partic-ulate matter (PM10) shall not exceed 50μg/m3 on more than 25 days per year by2005 and 7 days per year by 2010.

2. By 2010, the hourly mean concentration ofnitrogen dioxide (NO2) shall not exceed150 μg/m3 for more than 8 hours per year.

3. By 2005, the 24-hour mean concentrationof sulphur dioxide (SO2) shall not exceed90 μg/m3.

4. By 2010, the annual mean concentration ofbenzene shall not exceed 2 μg/m3, mea-sured as urban background concentration.


9.5 Noise

9.5.1 Goals

Box 9.5 shows the Government’s goals for noisereduction.



• Reduce noise from road traffic by means ofmeasures targeted at the sources of emissions.

• Consider whether to introduce stricter limitsfor indoor noise levels.

Box 9.5 Goals for noise reduction


Noise problems are to be prevented and redu-ced to take account of the requirements ofhuman health and welfare.

National target:

By 2010, noise annoyance shall be reduced by25 per cent from the 1999 level.


10 International environmental cooperation, environmental assistance, and environmental protection in the polar regions

10.1 EU/EEA environmental legislation

10.1.1 Goals

Box 10.2 shows the Government’s goals for cooper-ation within the framework of the EU and EEA.



• Work actively vis-à-vis EU institutions at all lev-els to ensure that Norwegian interests are safe-guarded when new environmental legislation isdeveloped.

• Make use of the opportunities offered by thenew EEA Financial Mechanisms to promoteNorwegian interests vis-à-vis the new memberstates.

10.2 International environmental bodies

Nordic environmental cooperation, OECD Envi-ronment Policy Committee, UNEP, GEF and CSD.

10.2.1 Goals

Box 10.4 shows the Government’s goals for cooper-ation in international environmental bodies.

Box 10.1 Goals for international environmental cooperation and

environmental assistance


International cooperation on environmentalissues shall be a means of reducing globaland regional environmental problems andenvironmental damage in Norway caused byactivities and emissions in other countries,promoting sustainable development andimprovements in the state of the environmentin areas adjacent to Norway and in developingcountries, and ensuring that internationalagreements and legislation provide a fram-ework that does not weaken Norway’s natio-nal environmental policy.

Box 10.2 Goals for cooperation within the framework of the EU and EEA

National target:

Norway will seek to ensure that EU/EEAlegislation provides a high level of environ-mental protection and promotes sustainabledevelopment.

Box 10.3 Goals for cooperation within the framework of international agreements with implications for the environment

National targets

Norway will seek to ensure that the rules ofthe WTO system, the development of EU/EEA legislation and EFTA’s free trade agre-ements with third parties provide for the useof environmental policy instruments andincorporate sustainable development con-cerns.

Norway will seek to ensure that FAO,UNDP, the World Bank and the World Intel-lectual Property Organisation (WIPO) incor-porate environmental and sustainabledevelopment concerns more fully into theiroperations.




• Make use of opportunities to influence thedevelopment of EU environmental legislationwithin the framework of Nordic environmentalcooperation, and work towards ambitious tar-gets for multilateral environmental agree-ments.

• Follow up the OECD Environmental Strategy,focusing particularly on taking part in efforts todecouple environmental pressures from eco-nomic growth, and calculate what the costs willbe if the OECD environmental strategy is notimplemented.

• Focus on UNEP as the main forum for globalenvironmental policy and take an active part inUNEP’s strategic work, including the follow-upof the World Summit on Sustainable Develop-ment in Johannesburg.

• Advocate an increase in the proportion of GEFfunds used for projects related to environmen-tally hazardous substances.

10.3 International agreements with implications for the environment

10.3.1 Goals

Box 10.3 shows the Government’s goals for inter-national cooperation that is not specifically relatedto the environment.



• Work actively to ensure that trade and invest-ment agreements provide adequately for theuse of environmental policy instruments.

• Seek to ensure that relevant multilateral organ-isations such as FAO, UNDP, the World Bankand WIPO incorporate environmental and sus-tainable development concerns more fully intotheir operations.

• Evaluate the possibility of establishing a seeddepository for agricultural material in Svalbardand work towards more sustainable manage-ment of agricultural genetic resources, forexample through FAO.

• Work to achieve a good balance between intel-lectual property rights and the protection of tra-ditional knowledge in the field of geneticresources, for example through WIPO.

• Maintain its financial support to the UN GlobalCompact and UNEP’s work in the field of corpo-rate social responsibility, including the effortsof the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) todevelop sustainability reporting guidelines.

10.4 Bilateral and regional environmental cooperation

Environment-related development cooperation,Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

10.4.1 Goals

Box 10.5 shows the Government’s goals for bilat-eral and regional environmental cooperation.



• Draw up an action plan for incorporating envi-ronmental considerations and sound naturalresource management into Norwegian develop-ment cooperation.

• Integrate environmental considerations intothe central priority areas of Norwegian develop-

Box 10.4 Goals for cooperation in international environmental bodies

National target:

Global and regional cooperation bodies shallbe developed into effective tools for sustaina-ble development, the achievement of globaland regional environmental targets and effec-tive implementation of international environ-mental conventions.

Box 10.5 Goals for bilateral and regional environmental cooperation

Cooperation in the Nordic region and adja-cent areas shall lead to improvements in thestate of the environment, protect and enhancethe natural and cultural heritage in theseareas, and help to reduce and prevent trans-boundary pollution that may have an impacton the environment or economic activity inNorway.


ment cooperation (agriculture, fisheries, indus-trial development and education).

• Seek to ensure that development cooperationin general, and cooperation with China, Indone-sia and South Africa in particular, promotesimplementation of multilateral environmentalagreements by Norway’s partner countries.

• Follow up the UNECE environmental strategyfor countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus andCentral Asia, giving priority to water, naturalresource management and capacity building,and follow up the bilateral cooperation agree-ments between Norway and Kyrgyzstan andNorway and Kazakhstan.

10.5 Environmental protection in the polar regions

10.5.1 Goals

Box 10.6 shows the Government’s goals for envi-ronmental protection in the polar regions.



• Propose amendments to the Svalbard Environ-mental Protection Act so that areas of specialconservation value are automatically protected.

• Evaluate the regulatory and other measuresneeded to ensure that cruise traffic and othershipping in Svalbard operates in accordance

with the environmental protection goals andlegislation for the archipelago.

• Establish a new protected area around Wijde-fjorden in Svalbard to safeguard the uniqueArctic vegetation, establish a new protectedarea on Jan Mayen to safeguard the island’sunique natural environment and cultural heri-tage, and draw up new regulations for JanMayen relating to the cultural heritage.

• Strengthen cooperation with Russia on themarine environment.

• Intensify and coordinate efforts to improve theenvironment in northwestern Russia throughthe Barents Council, the Arctic Council andbilateral cooperation, focusing on the priorityareas of environmental policy.

• Play an active role in international efforts toreduce emissions of radioactive substances tothe marine environment.

• Strengthen efforts to reduce the risk of emis-sions of radioactive substances in the Arctic, inclose cooperation with the Russian authoritiesand the international community.

• Seek to ensure that the impacts and risks ofradioactive emissions to the environment fromNorwegian and foreign sources are so low thatinternationally accepted levels for concentra-tions in biota are not exceeded.

• Strengthen Norway’s position in the Antarcticcooperation and Norwegian environmentalresearch in the Antarctic through activity at theresearch station Troll, which was officiallyopened for year-round use in February 2005.


Box 10.6 Environmental protection in the polar regions


The large continuous wilderness areas in Sval-bard and the Antarctic shall together with thecultural heritage in these areas be protectedagainst major developments and environmentalpressures. Svalbard shall be one of the bestmanaged wilderness areas in the world, and thesettlements shall be soundly managed in orderto protect the environment and promote humanwelfare. Norway will work to ensure that itsneighbouring Arctic seas remain some of thecleanest in the world, and that their resourcesare used within limits that will ensure themaintenance of biological diversity both in theshort term and in the long term. Norway willtake part in efforts to reduce emissions of radio-active substances and the risk of such emis-sions that may result in pollution of theNorwegian environment.

National targets:

1. Cooperation in the Nordic region and adja-cent areas and in the Arctic region shall leadto improvements in the state of the environ-ment, protect and enhance the natural andcultural heritage in these areas, and help toreduce and prevent transboundary pollutionthat may have an impact on the environmentor economic activity in Norway.

2. Cooperation shall be used to put the authori-ties and business and industry in Russia in abetter position to control the country’s ownenvironmental problems properly, and tointegrate Russia’s environmental authoritiesinto international and regional cooperation.

3. Utilisation of resources in Norway’s neigh-bouring Arctic seas shall not cause species tobecome endangered or extinct. Populationsof species that are currently believed to beendangered or otherwise adversely affectedby land use, harvesting or pollution shall beconserved and if possible restored.

4. Efforts shall be made to retain the extent ofcontinuous wilderness areas in Svalbard. By2002, a representative cross-section of Sval-bard’s natural environment shall be pro-tected against major developments and envi-ronmental pressures by the establishment ofspecially protected areas. Steps shall betaken to give adequate protection to marineareas of particular conservation value aroundSvalbard.

5. Steps shall be taken to preserve a representa-tive selection of structures and sites belong-ing to the cultural heritage of Svalbard andJan Mayen as scientific source material andas a source of emotional and aesthetic expe-rience for future generations. Losses of suchstructures and sites as a result of humanactivity shall not exceed an average of 0.1 percent of the total per year.

6. Transport and travel in Svalbard shall notcause serious or permanent damage to thevegetation or disturb animal life. Opportuni-ties for experiencing the natural environ-ment undisturbed by motor traffic shall alsobe ensured in areas that are easily accessiblefrom the settlements.

7. Cooperation with the Russian authoritiesshall be a means of lowering the risk of radio-active pollution of Norwegian land and seaterritory in order to avoid possible adverseeffects on health, the environment or eco-nomic activity.

8. Emissions of radioactive substances fromNorwegian sources shall be limited to levelsthat do not have an adverse effect on the nat-ural environment.

9. In areas where radioactive pollution hasbeen identified, steps shall be taken toensure that no population groups exceed rec-ommended radiation exposure limitsthrough consumption of natural products oroutdoor recreation activities.


11 Regional planning and land-use policy

11.1 Goals

Box 11.1 shows the Government’s goals for land-use policy.

11.2 Land-use management in areas designated as agricultural areas, areas of natural environment and outdoor recreation areas

National targets:

1. Mountain areas shall be managed through awhole-landscape approach that safeguardstheir cultural and natural resources while pro-viding opportunities for appropriate types ofcommercial development and outdoor recre-ation.

2. The environmental qualities of landscapes shallbe safeguarded and developed throughimproved knowledge and targeted planningand land-use policy.

3. Areas of wild reindeer habitat shall be safe-guarded.

4. The annual conversion of high-quality arableland for other purposes than agriculture shallbe halved. Particularly valuable areas of cul-

tural landscape shall be documented and man-agement plans put in place by 2010.

5. Coordinated planning procedures, includingevaluation of user and environmental interests,shall be followed for the establishment ofenergy generation plants requiring large areasof land.



• Strengthen municipal and regional planningpursuant to the Planning and Building Act as atool for coordinating land-use management andvalue creation in areas designated as agricul-tural areas, areas of natural environment andoutdoor recreation areas.

• Facilitate greater cooperation between variouspublic- and private-sector actors in the manage-ment of mountain areas and uncultivated land.

• Safeguard the key role of wild reindeer in theNorwegian mountain fauna through regionalplans and the establishment of conservationareas for wild reindeer. Norway is home tomost of the wild reindeer in Europe, and theGovernment intends to establish some areasthat reflect the pattern of reindeer migrationinto Norway and others that are important fortheir survival in Norway in the future.

• Promote the development of wind power as animportant renewable energy source by coordi-nating procedures under the Planning andBuilding Act and the Energy Act.

• Take biodiversity and outdoor recreation con-cerns into consideration to a greater extent dur-ing planning processes.

• Give greater emphasis to landscapes in land-use management, in accordance with therequirements of the European Landscape Con-vention.

• Provide tools that will enable municipalities todraw up an overall strategy for safeguardingimportant agricultural landscapes and protect-ing cultivated and cultivable land.

Box 11.1 Goals for land-use policy


Land-use management in Norway shallprotect and enhance the natural environment,cultural environment, landscapes and otherimportant qualities of the surroundingsthroughout the country. A coordinated land-use policy shall ensure coherence betweenNorway’s goals for local and regionalrestructuring and its goals for protection ofthe natural environment and cultural heri-tage.


11.3 A proactive policy for the shoreline

National target:

The environmental and recreational qualities of thecoastal zone shall be safeguarded, and easy accessto the shoreline shall be provided for the generalpublic.



• Encourage municipalities, county authoritiesand county governors to follow a restrictive linewhen considering planning proposals and appli-cations for exemptions to the ban on buildingless than 100 metres from the shoreline.

• Clarify what legal authority the municipalitieshave for removing barriers to public access andpassage near the shoreline.

• Safeguard the most attractive areas along theshoreline and make provision for public access.

• Establish a national network for coastal zonemanagement.

• Give priority to the coastal zone when followingup the work of the committee appointed toreview the planning legislation.

11.4 A proactive land-use and natural resource policy for river basins

National targets:

Land-use policy for river systems shall be based onan integrated approach to management of the riverlandscape, zones adjoining watercourses and waterresources.



• Establish an integrated land-use policy for thezones adjoining watercourses and ensure thatplanning and exemption routines safeguardnational and regional interests.

• Take steps to safeguard river landscapes as aresource for outdoor recreation and as impor-tant areas for biological diversity, and to protectthem from pollution and erosion.

• Strengthen the Planning and Building Act as atool for safeguarding drinking water andgroundwater resources.

11.5 Adapting holiday housing developments to the environment

National target:

Holiday housing shall be sited and designed to har-monise with the landscape and its environmentalqualities, with a focus on resource use and aes-thetic qualities.



• Promote long-term, integrated planning of holi-day housing to ensure that there is a variedstock of holiday housing in accordance withnational and regional social and environmentalgoals.

• Set out the main principles to be followed dur-ing municipal and regional planning relating toholiday housing.

• Develop criteria and tools to ensure that highstandards are maintained in holiday housingareas.

• Obtain better information on the energy impactof the construction and use of holiday housing,and evaluate instruments that can be used tomanage energy types and use.

11.6 Land use and the environment in towns and urban settlements

Urban settlement development shall promote ahigh quality of life and good health through goodurban planning and design, environmentallyfriendly transport and the provision of good, easilyaccessible outdoor areas.

Near housing, schools and day care centres,there shall be adequate opportunities for safeaccess and play and other activities in a varied andcontinuous green structure, and ready access tosurrounding areas of countryside.



• Develop criteria and tools to ensure high qual-ity in urban development processes.

• Develop models and tools for the developmentof town centres and the establishment of envi-ronmental action zones.


• Encourage the business sector to focus moreon reducing the environmental impact of work-related travel.

• Draw up national policy guidelines for universaldesign.

• Follow up the action plan for greater physicalactivity and give more emphasis to publichealth in planning processes.

• Evaluate and if appropriate revise national pol-icy guidelines to give more weight to the inter-ests of children and young people.

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