Norwegian industry plans to up fossil fuel production despite Paris pledge

(EurActiv, 29 Jan 2016) Norway wants other countries to leave their coal and oil in the ground to meet new global climate change targets, but its industry is planning to increase production of its own fossil fuels.

“We know that if we burn all the coal, oil and gas available, the Paris agreement cannot be fulfilled. Significant parts of the total fossil resources must remain, untouched,” said Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, director of the Norwegian oil and gas association and a former minister of finance.

Schjøtt-Pedersen argued that by exploiting its own fossil fuels Norway would help other countries, like Germany and Britain, to emit less because Norwegian gas was cleaner than coal.

“If Europe were to replace coal with Norwegian natural gas, this would result in a 50% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions for every unit of energy produced. We produce gas with low emissions, which can replace coal with high emissions,” he told a meeting this week of politicians, scientists and business people from Arctic nations in Tromsø, Norway.

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EurActiv, 29 Jan 2016: Norwegian industry plans to up fossil fuel production despite Paris pledge