🇳🇴European carbon management spotlight: Norway🇳🇴

Norway’s carbon dioxide removal (#CDR) policy infrastructure only exists as part of its overall CCS ambitions. It seems that Norway is betting on carbon capture and storage (#CCS) - and especially CO2 storage - as part of a long-term economic strategy to prepare its transition away from fossil fuel exploitation.

What are Norway’s climate commitments?

🎯 Norway’s Climate Change Act sets a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50-55% by 2030 (from 1990 levels), and a target of 90-95% reduction by 2050. There is no clear net-zero target enshrined in domestic law.

📜Norway released a Climate Action Plan for the years 2021-2030 which sets a framework for Norway’s climate policy. This plan does not explicitly refer to CDR as a climate policy measure.

🔎Norway submitted to the #UNFCCC a Long-term low-emission strategy by 2050. It mentions CDR but says that emissions reductions are the priority and thus does not develop CDR further.

Which CDR methods is Norway prioritising?

🏭Carbon capture and storage (#CCS) is central to Norway’s climate policy and the country’s fossil fuel industry is deeply involved in CCS projects. For example, the Northern Light project is Europe´s most important CO2 storage project. 🌳

Norway’s latest Nationally Determined Contribution (#NDC) and Long-term low emission strategy by 2050 both focus only on the ​​Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (#LULUCF) sector.

🌾The Climate Action Plan mentions the aim to reduce emissions in the agricultural sector by 5 million tons CO2/year by 2030. While it does not explicitly mention CDR, it focuses on soil, so enhanced weathering (#EW) could be an option here.

☁️The Norwegian Environment Agency is considering a reverse tax subsidy for direct air capture (#DAC) of 2,000 NOK/t CO2 removed (€177). This mirrors the 45Q tax credit in the US at $185/t CO2 of DAC.

Overall, Norway’s approach to carbon management is strongly focused on CCS and its role in the country’s transition away from fossil fuels. It will be interesting to see how the wider CDR landscape evolves in the country, with most potential arguably in direct air capture (#DAC), particularly if the DAC subsidy gets passed.

🙌Shout out to some of the companies and organisations leading the way on CDR in particular in Norway: GreenCap Solutions AS, Beat Global Warming, Inherit Carbon Solutions, Accend, Removr, Carbonor AS, Across Nature, Vow ASA, Norsk Hydro, Hafslund Oslo Celsio, Norske Skog, SINTEF. And a shoutout to the individuals playing a leading role in the comments.

❓What are your thoughts on Norway’s decision to prioritise CCS? What other CDR technologies have potential in Norway?

Follow the conversation