Helgesen: The EU has provided us with a daunting task – OBI Online

– We’ve got a demanding task. It is now drafting lavutslippspolitikken really starts, says Helgesen in a comment that the EU gives Norway the most stringent cuts requirements.

He would not specify how much of the cuts Norway should take at home. EU opens namely to buy allowances from the emissions trading scheme for industry.

– It’s not that we have unlimited flexibility. It opened to purchase quotas but it becomes clear ceilings and limitations, pinpoint Helgesen.

– We have to cut a lot at home, but it is too early to quantify it now, says Helgesen, which suggests that we first to answer this question in 2017.

– We’re going with a preliminary assessment in the fall, but negotiations with the EU and Norway will take over a year’s time, he said.

Specific measures

Norway shall participate fully in the effort along with the EU, and the proposal from the European Commission, Norway will cut emissions by 40 percent in non-quota subject sectors, ie transport, agriculture, waste and construction.

– We must now be based on these commitments and designing the concrete policy. But we have a good foundation in the Environment Directorate’s report from 2014 climate strategy designed by the Environment Agency and transport sectors in the National Transport Plan.

Car traffic

Climate Minister is clear that we are facing very strong reductions in emissions of passenger traffic.

– We must get beyond the goal Parliament adopted in our zero sales of fossil cars by 2025.

We’ve come a long way when it comes to electric vehicles, and many European countries look at us in terms of our electric vehicle policy. Now we must do more freight, more of this traffic must be by rail and ship, emphasizes Helgesen.

First and foremost, we must at lavutslippsløsninger for heavy traffic as well as sustainable biodiesel and hydrogen, he says,

in urban areas have better collective solutions in place, and agriculture, which accounts for 16 percent of CO2 emissions in Norway, have undergone major changes.

Just Treat

Helgesen underlines the importance of the EU Treaty as treats Norway with EU countries.

– It has been very important for us that we will carry out the objectives together with the EU. But we get a very demanding task, and more demanding than many other countries, says Helgesen.

For many countries, a reduction in oil-fired a “low hanging fruit” that it is easy to pick, while Norway that has a large proportion of hydropower, has less to be gained here. (© NTB)