Joint Declaration - German-Norwegian Partnership on Climate, Renewable Energy and Green Industry
Date: 05/01/2023 | Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries
Norway and Germany agree to enter a strategic partnership on Climate, Renewable Energy and Green Industry. The overarching aim is to reach the long-term temperature goal in the Paris Agreement, create new green industries and jobs and strengthen energy security and circular economy. The partnership complements the long-lasting cooperative relationship between Germany and Norway within oil and gas that has given great benefit to both countries.
This partnership encompasses the following fields:
- Climate Policy
- Hydrogen
- Renewable Energy / Offshore Wind
- Negative emissions / CCS
- Raw & Processed Materials and Batteries
- Maritime industry / Green shipping
- Microelectronics
The parties express their intention of maintaining a regular dialogue on key policy developments relevant for the partnership. This regular dialogue includes developments at both national, EU and global level. The parties will contribute to well-functioning and resilient supply chains within the scope of the partnership.
To facilitate this the parties will organise an annual high-level meeting to provide strategic direction to the partnership. The partnership will be further developed in continuous exchange with business associations, social partners and other relevant stakeholders in both countries.
The parties agree on a work program with concrete actions in order to realise the goals of the partnership. This will be a living document with regular updates to reflect progress made and new opportunities identified.
The following next steps are agreed as a part of the work program:
1. Climate Policy
The two parties will regularly exchange views on current developments in the national and European climate policy. We will share experiences on best practices as well as challenges in our respective climate policy frameworks with a view to learning from each other.
2. Hydrogen
There will be a separate Joint Statement on Hydrogen including agreed steps. These will be pursued with the intent to ensure the supply of hydrogen from Norway to Germany.
3. Renewable Energy / Offshore wind
The two parties want to continue their cooperation on renewable energy – offshore wind in particular. We will build on the existing efforts to develop offshore wind, including offshore grid infrastructure, with the future possibility of developing hybrid cooperation projects, in the North Seas Energy Cooperation and through bilateral formats.
4. Negative emissions / CCS
Norway will inform about possibilities of capture, transport and long-term storage of CO2 at the Norwegian continental shelf.
The two parties will expand cooperation in the North Sea Basin Task Force. During the Norwegian chair in 2023, we will establish an ambitious new programme of work, which could include development of guidance for transboundary movement of CO2.
The two parties will discuss various options for CO2 infrastructure and value chains, including a CO2 pipeline from Germany to Norway.
Germany will continue to play an active role in developing a uniform framework for the certification of carbon removal in the EU which is also supported by Norway.
5. Raw & processed materials and batteries
The parties will intensify their cooperation on raw materials and related strategic value chains, taking advantage of common strategic interests and aiming to strengthen industrial networks.
To promote increased trade and cooperation, the parties will organize a business workshop for actors in value chains relevant to the green industrial transition in both countries. Topics relevant for the Norwegian and German industrial transition are carbon neutral and energy intensive production processes such as steel, base metals, aluminium and silicon, production of battery raw materials (anode & cathode) and battery manufacturing for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, as well as raw materials critical to green technologies.
The parties will maintain a close dialogue on Norwegian participation in relevant and complementary projects to the battery IPCEI “EuBatIn” coordinated by Germany. The parties will jointly investigate funding possibilities on raw and processed materials relevant for The Critical Raw Materials Act.
The parties will discuss challenges and opportunities in this context and exchange information related to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and any related developments, also on the EU-level.
6. Maritime industry / Green Shipping
The parties will intensify the close dialogue in order to investigate and cooperate on initiatives towards the IMO and other relevant arenas in order to strengthen green shipping actions, especially regarding the phase out of greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.
7. Microelectronics
The parties will explore the possibilities of intensified cooperation in the field of microelectronics as a key technology for digital and green transformation, with IPCEI Microelectronics and Communication Technologies and other relevant initiatives. This includes the potential for deepening cooperation between German based semiconductor manufacturers and Norway’s development and research capacities in renewable energy and environmental technologies, as well as business development and further partnerships in chip development and manufacturing.
On behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Dr. Robert Habeck
On behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries
Minister for Trade and Industry
Jan Christian Vestre