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CLIMATE CHANGE

OECD criticises Norway’s climate efforts

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has said that Norway is not in a position to achieve its climate goals and is set to only cut 20 percent of emissions by 2030 rather than the 55 percent the government promised, NRK reports.

Published: 23 April 2022 14:05 CEST
A hungry polar bear looks for prays along the shore, near Pyramiden, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, 2021.
A hungry polar bear looks for prays along the shore, near Pyramiden, Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago, 2021. Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP

This is the fourth time the OECD has conducted a major review of Norway’s efforts for climate and the environment.

Norway is in many areas a pioneer in climate and environmental issues. The take-up of electric vehicles is among the highest in the world and Norway has extensive hydropower. Around 50 percent of Norway’s energy supply is renewable.

However, the report concludes Norway is not doing enough to achieve its own goals and obligations, according to NRK. Among the findings, the report said:

  • Norway is on course towards cutting 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, not 55 percent as the government has promised. However, the Norwegian Parliament has since adopted a climate plan with measures to reduce emissions further.
  • There isn’t a comprehensive and adequate plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture.
  • Norwegian exports of oil and gas contribute to large emissions.
  • The number of endangered species is increasing in Norway, partly due to land use for agriculture, forestry and development for roads and buildings.
  • Norway has one of the world’s highest material consumption and a high material footprint per capita.

Norwegian oil and agricultural policy in particular is criticised in the report. The OECD is now asking Norway to get an overview of all the subsidies the state provides directly and indirectly for the extraction of oil and gas, and to base oil investments in line with the goals in the Paris Agreement.

Norway should also make a plan for how to phase out the production of fossil energy, according to the report.

“The OECD does not say that we should come up with an end date. What they remind us of, is that we must prepare for the fact that oil and gas demand will fall in the long run. We are fully aware of that,” Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide told NRK.

In agriculture, the OECD calls for Norway to spend less money on income and production in agriculture, and more on support schemes for farmers who want to make agriculture more climate and environmentally friendly.

Regarding waste, the report states that Norway is not on the right track when it comes to having economic growth without it leading to similar growth in the waste that is created. In 2019, Norwegian waste production reached a record high of 12.2 million tonnes, according to NRK.

The OECD proposes stronger incentives to reverse the trend of increased waste production. 

“Norway has the capabilities and financial means to be able to accelerate a transition both within its own borders and abroad. Despite progress in many areas, the country faces a number of challenges, including in terms of sustainable consumption and diversity protection”, the report states.

Minister of Climate and Environment Espen Barth Eide calls the OECD report a useful tool in the work of achieving the Norwegian climate and environmental goals.

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ENVIRONMENT

Pant: Everything you need to know about Norway’s bottle recycling system

The Norwegian bottle deposit system, known as pant, promotes recycling and reducing waste. Here's a closer look at how it works and why it's become an integral part of Norwegian culture.

Published: 20 March 2024 15:20 CET
Pant: Everything you need to know about Norway's bottle recycling system

If you’ve recently moved to Norway, you’ve likely already spotted bottle and can collection points in most supermarkets.

These drop-off points are integral to Norway’s pant (deposit) system. When consumers buy beverages in plastic bottles and aluminium cans, they pay an additional fee (pant) – typically between one and three kroner – as a deposit.

READ MORE: What you need to know about rubbish and recycling in Norway

This deposit incentivises consumers to return their empty containers for recycling rather than disposing of them as regular waste.

Most people in Norway have a designated bin or bag for storing containers with pant. Once they fill these up, they take them along on their next shopping trip to a grocery store or supermarket.

Bottle recycling in Norway goes back to 1902 when returning bottles to the breweries for the equivalent of 4 kroner. The scheme was later adapted to apply to mineral water. Norway’s wine monopoly would also implement its own scheme, but it ended in 2001. 

In May 1999, the pant flaskepant system as we know it today was introduced by Infinitum (formerly Norsk Resirk A/S). 

Pant machine in use

Returning empty bottles and cans to designated store collection points allows for easy reclaiming of your deposit. Pictured is such a machine in a Kiwi store in Bergen, western Norway. Photo by: Robin-Ivan Capar / The Local Norway

How to use the pant machines

By returning empty bottles and cans to designated collection points in stores, where machines scan and sort the containers, you’ll be able to reclaim your deposit in the form of a voucher or refund corresponding to the value of the pant.

On average, a regular plastic bag from Kiwi or REMA 1000 can hold bottles and cans worth around 100 kroner in pant, so using the voucher on the spot, to pay for part of your groceries is common. 

You’ll usually find the pant machine at the entrance to supermarkets, but in some stores (especially the larger ones), it’ll be located outside – though not too far from the entrance.

Pant machine Red Cross

When depositing bottles and cans into the machine, you’ll have the option to select between two buttons: one grants you a voucher redeemable at the register, while the other allows you to donate the pant to charity and enter a lottery for a chance to win a prize. Photo by: Robin-Ivan Capar / The Local Norway

Pantelotteriet: The deposit lottery

The pant deposit system also offers a unique opportunity for charitable giving.

In some machines, consumers have the option to donate their refund to charity through a lottery system. By simply pressing a button on the machine, you can contribute the total amount, with the chance of winning a prize if selected.

This Pantelotteriet lottery, launched in April 2008, is operated by Norsk Pantelotteri AS, a company jointly owned by the Norwegian Red Cross and the Olav Thon Group. Proceeds from the lottery support the Red Cross’s initiatives.

Participation is available across over 2,000 stores, including major chains like REMA 1000, Kiwi, Meny, and SPAR, as well as select outlets in the Matkroken, Europris, and Coop Norge chains.

Conceived by Olav Thon, the lottery aims to boost the recycling of cans and bottles while providing consistent funding for charitable causes.

Prizes up to 1,000 kroner are typically paid out in cash.

Pant lottery

This is what a losing pant lottery ticket looks like. Photo by: Robin-Ivan Capar / The Local Norway

A sustainability effort

Norway’s pant system promotes environmental sustainability by giving people a monetary nudge to recycle and reduce the amount of plastic and aluminium waste.

It also has a social element, as it serves as a source of income for those experiencing financial hardship, who can collect and return bottles and cans (it’s not uncommon to see people collecting these containers from public spaces, such as parks or streets, to return them for pant).

Furthermore, the system also fosters a broader culture of environmental consciousness among Norwegians, even if the country is western Europe’s largest producer of oil and gas.

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