“International aviation must carry climate costs”, Stoltenberg says

Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg told the UN High-Level Event on Climate Change, in New York today, that new efforts will be needed to secure increased cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. He underlined that rich countries have an obligation to reduce global emissions.

”We need increased cuts in emissions. Norway’s view is that international aviation must be included in a future climate protocol. That is to say aviation must carry the costs of their greenhouse gas emissions. This may be achieved by including aviation in a quota regime. The EU plans to include aviation in their quota regime from 2011. Norway supports this”, Stoltenberg told the meeting.

The Norwegian Government has already decided that all state travels abroad shall be carbon neutral, in the sense that emissions from such travels shall be compensated for by the purchase of quotas.

At the High-Level Event on Climate Change Mr. Stoltenberg chaired a plenary on financing the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In his speeches at the meeting he presented Norway’s policy on international climate efforts:

1. There is a need for a strong and binding international goal that may prevent global warming from going beyond a temperature increase of two centigrade. This is a limit set by scientists in order avoid releasing natural processes that will cause great damage and which cannot be halted.
2. Within 2050 there must be a 50 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 level, and global reductions must start as soon as possible. Reductions in the near future will have more effect than those coming later.
3. More countries must commit themselves. The countries which have taken obligations under the Kyoto Protocol are causing 30 per cent of global emissions. When the world needs a 50 per cent cut, it is evident that more countries must participate.
4. The future protocol must be based on the rich countries, carrying the main responsibility climate problems, must pay most of the bill. They must pay for domestic measures, but also for measures in developing countries. To achieve this international mechanisms, as climate quotas, must be enforced.

“Norway’s attitude is that we must se a new climate protocol within the framework of the UN”, Stoltenberg said.

The UN High-Level Event on Climate Change gathered more than 60 heads of state and government and was presided over by UN Secretary-General Ban-ki-Moon. A central topic on the agenda was the follow-up of the Kyoto Protocol.

Prime Minister Stoltenberg also presented Norway’s knowledge and experience on carbon capture and storage.

”The Mongstad Project on Carbon Capture and Storage at a thermal power plant has caused major interest. This is a technology where Norway holds a leading role”, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said.