E.U. and Norway have signed a Green Alliance to strengthen cooperation on climate, environment, energy and clean industry
The President of the European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen and the Prime Minister of Norway – Jonas Gahr Støre have signed a Green Alliance to strengthen their joint climate action, environmental protection efforts, and cooperation on the clean energy and industrial transition.
A Green Alliance is the most comprehensive form of bilateral engagement established under the European Green Deal, with both parties committing to climate neutrality and to aligning their domestic and international climate policies to pursue this goal. This is only the second agreement of its kind, following the E.U.-Japan Green Alliance signed in 2021.
Both sides reiterate their commitment to their respective 2030 targets of at least 55% greenhouse gas emission reductions as compared to 1990, and to achieving climate neutrality at the latest by 2050. The European Union (E.U.) and Norway will work closely together to ensure the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement and the historic biodiversity agreement reached at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference, COP15.
Speaking on the occasion, Ursula said, “Norway is a long-standing and reliable partner to the E.U. and we share a common vision for building a climate-neutral continent. We want our societies and economies to prosper together while reducing emissions, protecting nature, decarbonising our energy systems, and greening our industries.”
Taking it to twitter, Ursula tweeted,
Today we sign the EU-Norway Green Alliance – a new, green chapter to an already fruitful energy cooperation.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 24, 2023
From renewables to critical raw materials, the EU and Norway are now working together towards net-zero ↓
https://t.co/YVaMhwECse
The E.U.-Norway Green Alliance will focus on strengthening efforts to combat climate change including cooperation on climate adaptation, carbon pricing, carbon removals and carbon capture, transport, utilisation and storage. It will also increase cooperation on environmental issues with a focus on halting and reversing biodiversity loss, forest degradation and deforestation, promoting a circular economy and addressing the full life cycle of plastics, the development of global standards for the management of chemicals and waste and sustainable ocean management.
The alliance will also support the green industrial transition and further enhance political and industrial cooperation through strategic partnerships, such as a future Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Raw Materials and Batteries Value Chains. It will also accelerate the clean energy transition with a focus on hydrogen and offshore renewable energy. The alliance will decarbonise the transport sector across all modes of transport, with special regard to zero GHG emissions and zero pollution shipping. It will be increasing regulatory and business cooperation to set global standards for the innovative environmental solutions required to accelerate the transition to circular and net-zero economies.
It includes consolidating existing collaboration on research, education, and innovation in the areas of decarbonisation, renewable energy and bio-economy. They will also work together to promote sustainable finance and investments to set Europe on a pathway to an environmentally sustainable, climate-neutral and climate-resilient economy.
