Norwegian Climate Policy: From Pusher to Laggard?

Abstract

Initially Norwegian climate policy was very ambitious and Norway stood forth as a pusher on the international scene. Over time Norwegian policy has become more ‘sober’, stressing the need for differentiated commitments and flexible implementation. In contrast to the initial ‘enthusiastic’ phase, climate change policy has been increasingly seen in pragmatic economic terms. Still, Norway is no laggard, as it has shown more willingness to pay for abatement measures than many other countries.