Climate quotas have hardly lead to any emissions cuts in Norway

Smoke from two pipes in OsloSmoke from two pipes in Oslo. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen.NTB scanpix

The cornerstone of Norwegian  climate policy, the  emissions  trading scheme , has  so far not lead to any  significant emissions  cuts at home.

Norway  committed fully to the EU emissions trading scheme in 2008, and since then Norwegian companies  had to consider whether it would be cheaper to cut their emissions  or buy a quota from a company  abroad.

The conclusion  as of now  is  that it has been cheaper to acquire quotas,  Dagens Næringsliv (DN) writes and  refers to a new report by researchers  at  the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and Statistics Norway (SSB).

– The quota system has  not contributed notably  to any reductions in  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from Norwegian companies,one of the researchers behind the report, Professor Knut Einar Rosendahl at NMBU says.

In the first phase, 2005-2007, when  Norway was only partially included in the quota system, the system gave zero emission reductions. The same is true of the one year of  the third phase  researchers have been able to analyze ,2013.

– We find some tendencies  on emissions in the second phase, but can’t say  this  for certain. Rosendahl  told DN. Phase Two lasted from 2008 until 2012.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today