Norway Commits To Stretch Climate Goal
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 04.20.07
Now, 'that's what we're talking about.' Via: BBC and RTE News- "Norway is aiming to offset all emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 with the world's toughest national target for fighting global warming. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told a meeting of the Labour Party today that he plans to make the country carbon neutral by 2050. Mr Stoltenberg..."added that the government of Norway, the world's number five oil exporter, also plans to cut emissions by 30% by 2020. That target is tougher than the European Union goal of at least a 20% reduction." Increased reliance on hydroelectric power and sequestration of C02 are two of the approaches Norway will rely on to deliver on the goal. On learning of this, the fact that Norway is the #5 oil exporter set off the "green-washing" alert bell here at TreeHugger. What good is a stretch goal at home when your downstream customers have a far greater climate impact with product end use, and no parallel mitigation goals? Good news on that front: Stoltenberg seems intent on supply chain management as well. Via China People's Daily Online:- "China will adopt on-the-ground strategies to combat climate change, with financial and technological backing from Norway. Further strengthening their relationship yesterday, the two countries signed agreements in Beijing, witnessed by Premier Wen Jiabao and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, on a three-day official visit to China. Among the three pacts is one targeting the effects of climate change, and will be jointly conducted by Norway, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and China." The ultimate national stretch goal, the one that would serve as the appropriate slap upside the head for US government officials, would be for OPEC members to match Norway's courage and put some of those princely petro-dollars to work at home and for their customers, making climate mitigation a condition of their supply contracts. Speaking of OPEC, they seem to have been rather quiet about climate issues. Hmmm. Image credit: RTE
This is the kind of thing that brings real awareness to an issue and makes a difference. Good for them.
And good for us, here on Earth.
This is the kind of thing that bring real awareness to and issue and makes a difference. Good for them.
And good for us, here on Earth.