Norway Pointed At With A Green Finger—Guilty
Drilling platform in a shipyard in Ølensvåg, Norway. Source: Wikimedia Commons, W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0
First came the optimism, then he turned his attention to Norway.
NORWEGIAN OIL AND GASSeries · 22 posts
- Norway's Shelf Oil And Gas Resources: Overview
- Cheap Oil Doesn't Mean Immediate Danger For Norwegian Oil Industry
- Equinor: More Workforce, Less Production
- 100,000 People Could Die Because of Three Oil And Gas Fields in Norway
- More Oil And Gas For A Top Ten Greenest Country
- Norway Pointed At With A Green Finger—Guilty
- Norway's Oil Industry Faces Difficult Times
- Norway Doesn't Pay Oil Veterans Compensation For Loss Of Health
- Norwegian Oil Companies May Have Higher Emissions Than They Say
- Norway Is One of the Main Beneficiaries of the Middle East War
- Only One Party in Norway Is Eager to Drill Oil in the Arctic Ice Zone
- Norwegian Goliat Oil Field's Extended Life
- Norway Is Profiting from Europe's Fuel Shortages
- Norway Is Getting Rich from the Middle East War
- Norway Is Accelerating Its Oil and Gas Industry
- US–Iran Agreement: Now "Norge AS" Earns Less
- Norwegian Gas and Oil Giant Gets Rich from War against Iran
- Oil and Gas Production Is Splitting Norway
- Norway Plans to Drill Oil and Gas in the Exclusion Zone
- An Oil Refinery in Arctic Norway for the War Effort
- US Oil Giant Considers Leaving Norway
- Norway Hits 100 Oil Fields as Its Industry Warns of Decline
Even though Europe is boiling, a ray of sunshine has been lit. But it became dark when the UN chief looked towards Norway.
António Guterres offered both criticism and optimism when he spoke about energy security going forward.
With him on the podium, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had a report on the state of renewable energy in the world.
Clean energy is absolutely fundamental for us to have fewer heat waves and natural disasters.
Then the UN chief began to speak.
And it started positively.
“This is not just a shift in energy. It is a shift in opportunities and we are repairing our relationship with the climate,” Guterres continued.
“Of all the new electricity capacity built last year, almost all came from renewables. In addition, every continent has gained more renewable energy capacity than fossil,” said Guterres.
Guterres refers to the report, which says that renewable energy accounted for 92% of all new electricity capacity in 2024.
In short: Oil is out—solar and wind are in, according to Guterres.
“Clean energy is no longer a promise, it is a fact,” he added.
He then pointed out that the production of solar power is now over 40% cheaper than fossil energy.
Two trillion dollars were invested in clean energy last year, which is 800 billion more than fossil. In ten years, investments in renewable energy have increased by almost 70%.
But then came the seriousness and the pointing finger. And it was, among other things, pointed northwards towards us.
Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies, they are sabotaging them, said the UN chief. And they are missing out on the biggest economic opportunity of this century.
Norway claims Norwegian gas is important for energy security in Europe. That argument is not bought by the UN.
“Let’s be clear. The biggest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels. Renewables provide sovereignty over energy and protect us from increased prices. Solar energy has no price jumps and there are no sanctions against wind,” he said.
Join Or Become Irrelevant
According to Lars-Henrik Paarup Michelsen, CEO of the Norwegian Climate Foundation, the message is crystal clear.
“Guterres is asking countries like Norway to make a choice: Either join the climate effort, by becoming a driving force for a faster transition away from fossil energy and adjusting policy. Or become increasingly irrelevant, by clinging to the narrative that Norwegian oil and gas policy is compatible with climate goals,” he says.
Climate scientist Bjørn Samset says Norway is falling into the UN’s firing range because of oil.
“Guterres is most critical of countries and companies that are not working as hard as they can to contribute to a fossil-free society. Norway’s position is “develop, not phase out”, so in that sense the finger is pointed in our direction,” he says.
Contradictions
Guterres says that fossil fuels are a threat to energy security. Norway says the opposite.
Who is right?
State Secretary Elisabeth Sæther at the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy told NRK that fossil fuels produce emissions and must be phased out in the long term, but that gas is today crucial to ensuring stable energy in Europe, especially since the Ukraine crisis. Norwegian gas, she said, has low emissions and replaces coal, which cuts greenhouse gas emissions.
“According to the Ministry of Finance, over 30% of our income came from oil and gas.”
Are We Sabotaging Our Own Economy?
“No, it is not sabotage. On the contrary. Norway should be a safe and responsible energy supplier in a world that will still need oil and gas for decades to come. At the same time, we are reducing emissions and investing in future solutions, she replies.”
Do You See The UN Chief’s Statements As A Finger Pointing At Norway?
“Guterres gives an important and serious reminder to all countries. At the same time, each country must find solutions that work. Norway combines responsible management of oil and gas with high climate efforts,” says the State Secretary.
Signs Of Optimism
Despite the seriousness directed at fossil fuel nations, climate scientist Samset believes that the speech and report from Guterres show signs of optimism.
“It shows that we are well underway with a transition to fossil-free energy sources, and that they are also cheaper and more fairly distributed than the fossil alternatives.”
“There is a lot of gloomy news, with record-high emissions, temperatures and major damage from extreme weather. Fortunately, the transition is well underway. Now we must not give up, but continue and build on. It works, and there is no reason why a society built on renewable energy sources should be worse than one built on fossil fuels,” says the climate scientist.
Source: NRK (in Norwegian)