The country’s Environment Agency this week transferred the final 2,053,108 emissons credit to the UN’s carbon offset registry, its final contribution for the period 2008-2012. 

 

Norway’s Climate and Environment minister Tine Sundtoft said it was good that the country had met its commitments ahead of next month’s climate meeting in Paris. 

 

“It is positive that we can demonstrate that we comply with our obligations before we go to Paris to negotiate a new deal,” she said. 

 

She argued there should be no shame on Norway relying on credits to meet its goal. 

 

“The opportunity to use quota purchases allows countries to collaborate more easily on emission reductions,” she said. “We manage to cut more by collaborating than we would have done alone, and that means that the level of ambition in climate policy can be raised.” 

 

Norway’s heavy buying of emissions credits went beyond what was required to bring it to its target for 2008-2012, which was to limit emissions growth over the period to one percent above 1990  levels. 

 

It also transferred allowances for voluntary cancellation to strengthen its Kyoto commitment by 10 percent, to offset emissions from state employees’ air travel and from the test centre for carbon capture at Mongstad. 

 

Including purchased credits, its emissions were twelve percent lower than in 1990. 

 

If Norway had not taken measures to reduce emissions domestically, its emissions would have been 25-30 percent higher, the ministry of climate and environment said in its press release.