[Green Growth:Korea`s New Strategy (38)] Norway a leader in fighting climate change

The following is the 38th in a series of articles focusing on the Korean government`s "green growth" strategy. The series will also introduce the increasing efforts of major advanced countries of the world to promote a green economy. - Ed.



To prevent dramatic changes in today`s climate will be an enormous challenge to the international community. If not stopped in its early stages, climate change will have disastrous consequences, particularly in developing countries, even threatening international peace and stability. For these reasons, Norway is aiming to be at the forefront in fighting climate change.

Although Norway, in 1991, was one of the first countries to initiate a carbon tax, we are still a high-emission society. But as the world`s third-largest exporter of natural gas and the fourth-largest exporter of oil, we recognize that we must do better. Thus, for the 2008-2012 period, we are aiming at reducing our emissions by more than 10 percent more than our obligations under the Kyoto Protocol.

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Also, Norway aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve such reductions at home, however, will not be feasible. This is because 99 percent of all our electricity and 60 percent of our total energy consumption comes from renewable resources -- mainly hydropower. Therefore, much of our CO2 reductions must be achieved through reductions abroad, by purchasing units under the Clean Development Mechanism.

This is in line with Norway`s policy in helping developing countries grow in a sustainable way and reduce the impact of climate change on them. Hence, development assistance has become an important component of Norway`s climate policy. As an illustration, Norway`s Minister of International Development, Erik Solheim, two years ago also became the minister of the environment.

The Norwegian government has listed five main goals in its fight against climate change. Firstly, the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year must set an ambitious goal for curbing CO2 emissions, in order to avoid a rise in temperature of more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2050. This new climate regime, which shall take effect from 2012, must require all industrialized countries to take the lead in combating climate change.

Secondly, Norway will work actively to reduce global deforestation, thereby reducing the effect of greenhouse gas emissions.

Thirdly, emissions from international shipping must be included in the new climate regime, and fourthly, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies should be developed and implemented.

Finally, we will use our Arctic territories, which are very sensitive to changes in temperature, to monitor the effects of climate change.

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The Rainforest Initiative



Forests, and rainforests in particular, are incredibly important in preventing CO2 from reaching the atmosphere. Although not covered by existing agreements, deforestation and forest degradation correspond to around 20 percent of existing GHG emissions.

Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg announced Norway`s intention to fight deforestation at the 2007 Bali conference. Norway now contributes more than $460 million a year to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD). These funds are earmarked to helping developing countries conserve their rainforests. The rainforest initiative is also designed to support national development processes and to maintain biodiversity and sustainable development.

Norway`s main goal is for REDD-type projects to be included in the new climate regime to be adopted in Copenhagen. Currently, forest planting is the only forest-related measure covered by the Kyoto Protocol. A REDD regime should result in measurable, reportable and verifiable emission reductions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.

REDD should not only be considered a "Norwegian project." My hope is that the rainforest initiative may encourage other industrialized nations to design their own REDD projects, which can help to achieve sustainable, low-carbon growth in developing countries.



Carbon capture and storage



All forecasts indicate that fossil fuels will account for around 80 percent of the world`s energy supply by 2030. How is it then possible to cut emissions by as much as 85 percent by 2050?

The answer may lie in the development of carbon capture and storage technologies.

Although CCS may not be a perfect solution, it is vastly preferable to letting emissions leak into the atmosphere. CCS has the potential to radically reduce emissions, particularly from large coal and gas power plants. CCS means to capture CO2 for safe storage deep into underground geological structures. Since coal will remain our most important energy source for many years to come, we will have to rely on CCS to cut emissions. The OECD`s IEA estimates that CCS technology has the potential to reduce 20-30 percent of global emissions already by 2030. Norwegian industry is playing an active role in the development of these technologies, so that they can be used as part of a standard design, particularly in the development of new coal-fired power plants.

Critics fear that CCS may hamper efforts to develop clean energy solutions. Some say that the stored gas may eventually leak out into the atmosphere. Since 1996, Norway has accumulated considerable experience in separating CO2 from natural gas, and pumping it into geological structures for storage under the North Sea. At the Sleipner gas field, one million tons of CO2 a year have been injected into geological formations 1,000 meters below the seabed. Several EU projects have monitored the stored CO2, which has behaved as expected without leakage.

Norway is currently setting up a CO2 test center at the Mongstad oil refinery north of Bergen with a full-scale carbon capture facility. When finished, it will capture 1.3 million tons of CO2 annually from the power plant plus, one million tons from the refinery. The aim is for the power plant to produce electricity with no emissions of CO2.

As for green growth, Norway is both greening its existing industries through increased energy efficiency and by developing new eco-friendly energy sources. Among the most promising ones are new offshore energy technologies such as ocean windmills and tidal power.



Norway`s cooperation with Korea



Korea is a very important trading partner for Norway, being our 7th largest export market. Last year, the two countries` ministers of environment signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on environmental issues. Norway`s environmental focus and Korea`s new green growth strategy should form a good basis for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Korea`s advanced industrial base, with its skilled workforce and high level of R&D, has the potential to put Korea in the forefront of the development of green technologies. Combined with Norway`s extensive experience in many of these fields, a relationship that is both economically profitable and environmentally sound can develop.

One such area of cooperation is the development of new CCS technologies, where Korea`s advanced mechanical industry has huge potential. Korea has shown growing interest in this important field by joining Australia`s pioneering Global CCS Institute.

Green growth cooperation is exemplified by the recent deal between LG Electronics and the Norwegian solar energy leader REC Wafer. Under the agreement, worth over $340 million over five years, LGE will purchase from REC crystalline silicon wafers, which is the most efficient means to produce solar energy. In a similar vein, Norwegian renewable energy company Daimyo recently made a deal with Kentec OPAS of Korea to sell waste-to-energy plants to Norway, the first time a Korean company has exported such facilities.

Also, there is much potential for Korea-Norway cooperation in the maritime sector, which is currently not included under the Kyoto Protocol. The CO2 emissions from international shipping have grown considerably in the last years, and now account for 2-3 percent of the world`s total emissions. Korea, as the world`s leading shipbuilding nation, and Norway, with its large shipping fleet, are joining forces to fight climate change in this important sector. The Korean shipping company EUKOR Car Carriers, a joint venture between Hyundai-Kia, Norwegian Wilh. Wilhelmsen, and Swedish Wallenius, has a project whereby annual emissions are reduced by 36,000 tons of CO2.

Last year, a large high-level delegation of Korean companies led by Samsung Heavy Industries visited the annual Scandinavian Renewable Energy Forum (Scan-REF) outside Oslo. I hope that new projects will follow from Korean companies` participation in the Scan-REF.

On the political level, Norway will in April host a high-level conference on Arctic ice melting with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Al Gore as co-chairmen. In May, another high-level conference on CCS will take place in Bergen, both with high-level Korean participation. In October, the Korea-Norway Economic Cooperation Committee will meet in Busan, with renewable energy as an important part of the agenda.

With their strong industrial foundations and many common projects, Norway and Korea will continue their cooperation in combating climate change and enhancing green growth.

By Didrik Tonseth