Erna Solberg thinks Norwegians can fly without shame

Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) is not ashamed when she is out flying. She thinks Norwegians should go on a summer vacation without shame.

“Yes, I’m flying on vacation this summer. And I really do that without shame. I think we should reach our climate goals in other ways than having a bad conscience that we enjoy a holiday,” said Prime Minister and Conservative leader Erna Solberg when she was a guest at the last political quarter on NRK before the summer holidays.

The word “flyskam” (shame for flying) was voted last year as a new word in Sweden, and denotes the shame some feel about climate emissions from air traffic and their own flights.

“But Norway is an elongated country, and we also mix in biodiesel in the aviation fuel, so that our aircraft emit less dangerous emissions than airplanes in many other countries,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

She believes technology changes, and not shame, are the best means of reducing emissions.

“I believe it’s wrong to make it morally despicable to fly for people who come from a country like Norway, which is cold, elongated and scattered. We have to fly,” says Solberg.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today