Is Norway Green? It Seems To Be, But ….. (Video)

It is Generally Regarded as a Climate Leader. Is Norway Green? What About Drilling in the Arctic?

is Norway green? Let's look at the evidence. Aurora from Tromso, Norway — Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) from Tromso, Norway

October 2018

I’ve written before about the great strides Norway has made in climate change leadership – divesting its sovereign funds of fossil fuels, for example. Norway is often ranked as one of the world’s greenest countries. So, is Norway green, really?

Doubt is being raised about how eco-friendly Norway is, when it has approved drilling for oil in the Arctic. That’s very bad news, and many people are trying to overturn this ruling – see the 17-old making excellent points in the video below from the BBC.

Norway gets a lot of its energy from renewable sources. It blessed with lots of water, so it could be said that its simply taking advantage of it natural resources, rather than deliberately going green. (Also, large dams are not necessarily that good for the environment).

Divesting from fossil fuels could also be viewed two ways:- 1) support for climate change, or 2) a calculated financial decision – spreading / diversifying the risk, thinking oil won’t be as profitable in the future, etc.

When I visited Norway, I saw a LOT of people with single-use disposable plastic (e.g. coffee and other drinks, lots of plastic packaging in supermarkets) – just like almost every other country.

But overall, I think Norway does a pretty good job. Statistics certainly show support for its green economy.

So, what about drilling for oil in the Arctic?

That’s a problem. There are significant oil and gas reserves in the north of the country – and a lot of Norway’s north is in the Arctic. As such, it’s a dangerous area for exploration, as spills are incredibly difficult to contain and clean.

3 groups took the country to court, saying the decision violated their rights to a clean environment. However, the court sided with the government and said it was OK to go ahead with issuing drilling licences. I strongly disagree with the reasons the court apparently gave:-

The oil and gas will be exported so Norway is not responsible for those CO2 emissions (I think that’s called passing the buck).
The risks of drilling in the Arctic are very low – no, they’re not, and cleanup is immensely difficult. There WILL be spills. It’s just how drilling is.

The groups are appealing the decision, and hope to win.

So, is Norway green? Overall, yes, I think so.

Yes, there are vested interests in fossil fuels, and many Norwegians have well-paid jobs in the industry. You can understand their point of view. I do NOT agree with drilling in the Arctic, and the arguments made by the court were weak in the extreme.

But no country can change immediately, and I see Norway doing more than most other countries to be green. But I do hope the protesters win their case and that drilling is stopped.

Watch the video below.

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What do you think about Norway’s “greenness”? Let me know in the comments below.