Norway may have to cut emissions at home – ABC News

Wednesday is expected that the European Commission put forward its proposal for how the burdens of climate policy should be distributed between countries. It will be the start of a negotiation process that eventually will give Norway a separate figure for how much we need to cut emissions up to 2030.

But that Norway will have a specific number, does not mean that the cuts must be home in Norway.

– There is complete flexibility, says analyst Stig Schjølset Thomson Reuters Point Carbon.

– There is no number on how much we need to take nationally. If Norway will emit as much in 2030 as today, so it’s entirely possible to do so, he said.

Emissions trading

Norway is already included in the ETS, a quota system for companies covering emissions from industrial, power generation and oil and gas. Where it’s not going to be any restriction on the purchase and sale of quotas across national borders within the EU and EEA.

In 2020, Norway also participate in the EU program for the sectors not covered by the ETS, such as transport, agriculture, construction and waste. The EU has a separate quota system where there are no companies that must make amends, but the countries involved in the system. By all appearances, it will also in this system get unlimited admission to trading across borders.

Should Norway have a separate figure for the proportion of the cuts to be taken home, so there is something Norwegian politicians themselves must decide, says Schjølset.

See also: – NVE power giants makes Norwegian power and industrial dirty

Warns «game of chance “

Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen (H) for its part has not believe that Norway can escape without their own cuts in emissions.

– It is a highly theoretical possibility, says Helgesen said.

He believes there will be a “game of chance” if Norway is committed to take the whole bill by purchasing allowances from other European countries.

– the there are major practical question is what that will actually be available, says Helgesen.

– it is unclear whether there will be a sufficient number of countries that have a sufficient number of allowances to sell, he warns.

See also: Norway buys renewable energy from Italy

Increased flexibility

It is nonetheless clear that the European Commission have received strict orders from its member states to make the quotas more accessible. EC Council demands is that the flexibility of the system will “increase significantly” after 2020.

More options are now on the table to get to this:

• EU may open for project collaboration across borders.

• the countries with the most stringent targets may use allowances from the ETS to make up for emissions in sectors that are not covered by ETS.

• A separate stock exchange can be created for emissions trading between countries.

• Some of quotas to cover emissions outside the ETS, could be held off and auctioned to the highest bidder.

See also: Notifications sharp increase in electricity prices to reach climate goals

Hard cutting in Norway

if such auctions conducted, Norway can obtain allowances even though other countries have no surplus to sell, says Schjølset.

He reminds simultaneously that Norway so far not succeeded particularly well in reducing emissions at home. On the contrary, they have increased by almost 4 percent since 1990.

– We do not know how emissions will evolve, says Schjølset.

– But what we do know is that it will be cheaper to cut in almost all other European countries than in Norway.

will cut 40 percent

edges up to Norway to cut emissions in non-quota regulated sector by 40 percent by 2030.

EU proposes in its climate plan for Norway to cut emissions in non-quota regulated sector by 40 percent by 2030, compared with 2005, newspaper VG reports.

A final proposal will come under further calculations European Commission and after negotiations with Norway.

How the cuts will be implemented at home is up to the Norwegian authorities.

– Non-quota regulated sector essentially means agriculture and transportation as well as waste and barley. To achieve this goal we need both a green tax shift and targeted instruments in transport and agriculture, says Climate and Environment Minister Vidar Helgesen (H), VG.