The European Union (EU) is considering increasing its climate goal to cut more greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and Norway might follow suit, news agency NTB reported Sunday.
The EU has agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and now it is considering increasing the target to 45 percent.
According to Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Ola Elvestuen, Noway should in that case follow up and do the same, the NTB report said.
Norway and the EU are already negotiating an agreement on joint implementation of the climate goals by 2030, Elvestuen said and promised to bring the matter to the Storting, Norway's national parliament, on what Norway's new climate goal should be.
Storting politicians from Christian Democratic Party, Labour Party and Conservative Party widely support Elvestuen's idea.
Representatives from Progress Party, on the other hand, believe it will be "more than challenging enough" to reach 40 percent, whereas politicians from Socialist Left Party and Green Party believe that Norway should go even further and cut emissions by 50 or even 60 percent, NTB reported.
The case is now on its way to EU member states and the question will probably be clarified during the autumn.
The EU has earlier this year increased energy saving goal from 27 percent to 32.5 percent, while the target for renewable energy was increased from 27 percent to 32 percent, which will lead to significant emission cuts that the EU had not previously considered, NTB wrote.
Norway is not a member of the EU but is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). It remains subject to the same single market regulations and the fundamental principles of the free movement of goods, services, people and capital as the 28 full EU member states.
