Climate change

As part of Norway’s contribution to the EEA Financial Mechanisms, the Government will earmark EUR 140 million over five years for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in selected EU member states. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Stoltenberg today at the Government’s high-level conference Fighting Climate Change with Carbon Capture and Storage in Bergen.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg will be hosting the High-Level Conference on Climate Change and Technology in Bergen on 27-28 May 2009. The agenda will focus on carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that could prove crucial if the world is to achieve necessary cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions.

Stavanger is hosting the 24th International Electric Vehicle Symposium this week from May 13-16, with the theme "Towards Zero Emission". It will be attended by HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Vice-President of the European Commission, Margot Wallström, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and the President of Iceland Ólaufur Ragnar Grímsson.

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway contribute to Poland’s environmental efforts through the EEA and Norway Grants. The support to energy renovate public buildings cuts energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

Norway and the EU are joining forces to boost investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in developing countries. Norway has committed NOK 80 million towards a new fund for investments in projects to combat climate change and promote clean energy in developing countries.

A scientific research and development programme worth more than NOK 300 million is being launched in Norway with the aim of generating more cost effective technology for CO2-capture. The project is one of the biggest of its kind to date.

On 16 July the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) accepted that the Norwegian State’s partaking in the Test Center Mongstad is compatible with the state aid rules of the EEA Agreement. -  This is a big step towards developing and testing new CO2 capture technology, says Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Norway will enter the Joint Declaration on Cooperation in the Field of Research on Offshore Wind Energy Deployment, a cooperation programme on offshore wind power development established last year by Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Norway has recently been invited to participate in this programme.

At a seminar in the European Parliament, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed the need to focus on implementation of existing legal framework for the Arctic, rather than calling for a new legal regime.

5th March, Minister of Petroleum and Energy Åslaug Haga visited Brussels to attend a European Parliament open hearing on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).