A budget spurring on green competitiveness

- The Government is implementing a climate policy that cuts emissions both at home and abroad. This is a budget for green competitiveness. We want to bring in green capital to Norway and promote green solutions from Norwegian companies, says Minister of Climate and Environment, Vidar Helgesen.

Internationally, the government will invest more heavily in the climate and forest initiative and shall contribute towards the fulfilment of the international climate agreement from Paris.

The budget proposal for the Ministry of Climate and Environment and Environment has an expenditure frame of NOK 10.45 billion in 2018 compared to NOK 10.38 billion in 2017. This is a net increase of approx. 74 million, or 0.7 percent.

These are some of the points in the Government's budget proposal for 2018:

• The Government will contribute towards the strengthening of international climate efforts and support of the implementation of the Paris agreement. The Government therefore proposes to increase the allocations for climate negotiations as well as for the UN climate panel, by NOK 25 million. This is necessary, as there are uncertainties regarding contributions from other major donors.
• There is a proposal to strengthen the climate and forest initiative, reaching NOK 3 billion in 2018. This initiative supports efforts in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from rainforests. Overall, the Government plans for Norway to pay for approximately 30 million tonnes of reduced CO2 emissions in 2018.
• The government proposes to increase research efforts that can back the effort of fulfilling the Norwegian climate targets by 2030. The increase of NOK 20 million will be particularly targeted at transport and agriculture, sectors outside the EU quota system. Building new knowledge on marine ecosystems and clean seas will be facilitated. Pilot projects targeted at improving the coastal environment will be continued.
• The government will promote green solutions from Norwegian companies, attract green capital to Norway and cooperate in creating new jobs. Innovation Norway will establish a new partnership with private business. The government proposes to allocate NOK 10 million to this initiative.
• Norwegian municipalities participate with important climate schemes and solutions near people. The provision for municipal climate measures, Klimasats (‘Get going)’ is proposed to continue in 2018, with an allocation of NOK 102.5 million.
• An allocation of NOK 18.6 million is proposed for the fight against chronic wasting disease in wild reindeer.
• A total of NOK 4.1 million has been proposed for the tagging of wolves, NOK 3.3 million for increasing the capacity in Statens Naturoppsyn (the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate) to monitor wolf issues and NOK 20 million for a grant scheme for municipalities with wolf territories.
• It is proposed that NOK 27.1 million be paid to Statsbygg (The Norwegian Directorate of public Construction and Property) in connection with transfer of state property, purchased in 1980 in conjunction with the copper mine at Røros.
• NOK 180 million is proposed for the purchase of climate quotas in 2018.
• In the draft budget the CO2 compensation scheme amounts to NOK 496 million kroner.
• The Government proposes to transfer responsibility for the Meteorological Institute and Artsdatabanken (the Databank on Species) from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Climate and Environment, from January 1^st 2018.