Hydro power inflow, wind power, solar power and electricity demand in Norway are estimated based on meteorological data for the period 1961-2020. The installed capacity of the production technologies is kept constant at 2020 levels throughout the analyses. Correlations within and between power sources, and trends in electricity production and consumption are investigated. Wind power production shows a higher correlation with electricity demand than hydro inflow and solar power at daily and monthly time scales. For wind and solar, correlations between power plants decrease distinctly with distance, whereas for hydro inflow the correlation dependence on distance is less clear. Hydro power inflow shows an increasing trend during the time period studied, and the relative increase is largest during the winter season. Wind and solar power production are only marginally affected by climate differences in the study period. Electricity consumption decreases somewhat during the 60-year period, due to increasing average temperatures. The combined effect is a slightly increasing trend in long term estimated electricity surplus. Although a surplus of electricity exists at the mean annual level, additional available electricity in the form of reservoir storage or import is needed to maintain security of supply within the country.

The Norwegian CLIMIT programme for research, development and demonstration of carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS), has laid the technological foundation for building full-scale CCS projects in Norway. The CLIMIT programme has, together with national research centers and new R&D infrastructure, resulted in new and improved CCS technologies. More cost-effective capture technologies have been brought forward and increased confidence in CO2 transport and storage technologies has been achieved. The CLIMIT programme has been in operation since 2005 and has since then invested € 225 M in RD&D within CCS. The CLIMIT programme has also made significant contributions to CCS development outside Norway’s borders. The paper gives a broad overview of the CLIMIT portfolio within CO2 capture, transport and storage, and how it together with other governmental instruments, has laid the ground for future CCS deployment.

The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) is an international climate change initiative at ministerial level, with the mission to advise ministers and other decision makers on the acceleration of deployment of CO2 capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS). To this end, CSLF’s Technical Group issues a Technology Roadmap every three – four years. The roadmap receives input from two other major activities of the Technical Group, reports on selected issues, prepared by Task Forces; and cooperation with CCUS projects that are recognized by the CSLF, as well as from the CSLF delegates and external experts. Its representation of 80% of global CO2 emissions along with its high political backing and legitimacy, makes CSLF an excellent and unique avenue for the promotion of CCUS related issues with the aim to accelerate deployment. The paper describes the work mode of the CSLF Technical Group and its latest activities and achievements of its three major activities.

The objective of this study was to review available health economic evaluations of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) inhibitors. These drugs reduce low-density lipid cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk, but their cost effectiveness has been questioned. We searched Medline and Embase for economic evaluations in any language at any time. Studies were included if they analysed any PCSK9 inhibitor compared with either statin alone or in combination with ezetimibe or any other therapy considered standard prior to the introduction of PCSK9 inhibitors. We found ten full health economic evaluations of PCSK9 inhibitors, two from Europe and eight from the United States (US). Six of the eight from the US were from two different consortia that analysed PCSK9 inhibitors at different stages through the development of evidence. All studies generally reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios above suggested thresholds for cost effectiveness, except one study from Spain. The results of this review indicate that PCSK9 inhibitors in general are not cost effective at the current prices, but lower prices may change the results.

ABSTRACTExcept royal castles in major Norwegian towns, only two stone castles were built by Norwegian aristocrats in the High Middle Ages. All other aristocrats lived in wooden buildings. Of these only Lagmannsstova at Aga in Hardanger remains. It has been attributed to the appeal court judge Sigurd Brynjulffson, though to have been constructed at the end of the thirteenth century as one unique building. However, investigations show that the remaining hall made up less than one-third of a building complex containing two halls, a chapel, kitchen and living quarters, all built at the first half of the thirteenth century. Investigations also show that the powers of the appeal court judge were drastically expanded at the same time, not at least by the Norwegian Code of the realm of 1274. By relating judicial powers and manor house, we get a quite different image of the Norwegian aristocracy and bureaucracy in the High Middle Ages than the popular one of an egalitarian peasant society.

Uranium (U) is a chemo-toxic, radiotoxic and even a carcinogenic element. Due to its radioactivity, the effects of U on humans health have been extensively investigated. Prolonged U exposure may cause kidney disease and cancer. The geological distribution of U radionuclides is still a great concern for human health. Uranium in groundwater, frequently used as drinking water, and general environmental pollution with U raise concerns about the potential public health problem in several areas of Asia. The particular paleo-geological hallmark of India and other Southern Asiatic regions enhances the risk of U pollution in rural and urban communities. This paper highlights different health and environmental aspects of U as well as uptake and intake. It discusses levels of U in soil and water and the related health issues. Also described are different issues of U pollution, such as U and fertilizers, occupational exposure in miners, use and hazards of U in weapons (depleted U), U and plutonium as catalysts in the reaction between DNA and H2O2, and recycling of U from groundwater to surface soils in irrigation. For use in medical geology and U research, large databases and data warehouses are currently available in Europe and the United States.

The article offers an insider’s account of how the Paris Agreement on climate change was reached. Focusing on participation and ambition, it describes the efforts to include a long-term temperature goal, expectations for regular ratcheting up of climate efforts, and provisions for tracking global progress. The author argues that a shift from the earlier top-down approaches to setting targets, to a bottom-up, self-determined approach has spurred participation and made it easier to reach agreement. In addition, the Paris Agreement anchors a clearer direction of travel than before. The article also discusses the negotiations of the provisions in the Agreement to drive increased national climate mitigation efforts over time. Finally, the author considers the role of conference diplomacy, particularly the need for inclusive leadership. It is argued that the French Presidency combined a transparent negotiations process with a clear sense of direction that helped achieve a comprehensive and ambitious outcome. The role of back-channel talks as part of effective conference diplomacy is also discussed.

Box 1 The Global strategy for women's, children's and adolescents' health (2016-2030) Objectives of the global strategy: * Survive: end preventable mortality; * Thrive: promote health and well-being; and * Transform: expand enabling environments. Five drivers of change to achieve the objectives based on the global strategy action areas: * People: individual potential and community engagement; * Political effectiveness: country leadership, financing, accountability; * Programmes: health system, multisector, humanitarian, research and innovation; * Partnerships: Every Woman Every Child Partnerships, Including the Global Financing Facility, the United Nations and multilateral H6 partnership, Unified Accountability Framework and Independent Accountability Panel, Innovation Marketplace and other national, regional and global partnerships; and * Principles: country-led, universal, sustainable, human-rights based, equity-driven, gender-responsive, evidence-informed, partnership-driven, people-centred, community-owned, accountable, aligned with development effectiveness and humanitarian norms. The Global strategy for women's, children's and adolescents' health (2016-2030) provides a roadmap for ending preventable deaths of women, children and adolescents by 2030 and helping them achieve their potential for and rights to health and well-being in all settings. (1) The global strategy has three objectives: survive (end preventable deaths); thrive (ensure health and well-being); and transform (expand enabling environments). These objectives are aligned with 17 targets within nine of the sustainable development goals (SDGs),2 including SDG 3 on health and other SDGs related to the political, social, economic and environmental determinants of health and sustainable development. Like the SDGs, the global strategy is universal in scope and multisectoral in action, aiming for transformative change across numerous challenging areas for health and sustainable development (Box 1). (1) The strategy was developed through evidence reviews and syntheses and a global stakeholder consultation, (3,4) and draws on new thinking about priorities and approaches for health and sustainable development. (4) Particular attention was given to experience gained and lessons learnt by countries during implementation of the previous Global strategy for women's and children's health (2010-2015) (5) and achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs). (6,7) A five-year operational framework with up-to-date technical resources has also been developed to support country-led implementation of the global strategy. This framework will be regularly updated until 2030. (1,3) Evidence shows that progress is required across a set of overlapping and mutually reinforcing areas to improve the health, dignity and well-being of women, children and adolescents. (4,7,8) Key areas for action were set out in the first global strategy (2010-2015), including health financing; the health system and workforce; access to essential interventions and life-saving commodities; national leadership; and accountability. (5) Based on emergent evidence, sociopolitical and environmental changes and the SDGs, the current global strategy (2016-2030) includes new strategic areas, for example adolescent health; humanitarian and fragile settings; an integrated life-course approach to health recognizing the links across different stages; multisector approaches; and guiding principles such as universality, human rights, equity and development effectiveness. (1) Evidence indicates that countries can accelerate progress in health and sustainable development through integrated action within the health sector and across social, economic and environmental sectors. (7,9) For example, through investments across sectors, the Chinese government lifted 439 million people out of poverty between 1990 and 2015, reduced child and maternal mortality by over 80% and 72%, respectively, and raised secondary school enrolment to over 99%, with equal numbers of boys and girls enrolled. …

SummaryFuture phosphorus (P) scarcity and eutrophication risks demonstrate the need for systems‐wide P assessments. Despite the projected drastic increase in world‐wide fish production, P studies have yet to include the aquaculture and fisheries sectors, thus eliminating the possibility of assessing their relative importance and identifying opportunities for recycling. Using Norway as a case, this study presents the results of a current‐status integrated fisheries, aquaculture, and agriculture P flow analysis and identifies current sectoral linkages as well as potential cross‐sectoral synergies where P use can be optimized. A scenario was developed to shed light on how the projected 2050 fivefold Norwegian aquaculture growth will likely affect P demand and secondary P resources. The results indicate that, contrary to most other countries where agriculture dominates, in Norway, aquaculture and agriculture drive P consumption and losses at similar levels and secondary P recycling, both intra‐ and cross‐sectorally, is far from optimized. The scenario results suggest that the projected aquaculture growth will make the Norwegian aquaculture sector approximately 4 times as P intensive as compared to agriculture, in terms of both imported P and losses. This will create not only future environmental challenges, but also opportunities for cross‐sectoral P recycling that could help alleviate the mineral P demands of agriculture. Near‐term policy measures should focus on utilizing domestic fish scrap for animal husbandry and/or fish feed production. Long‐term efforts should focus on improving technology and environmental systems analysis methods to enable P recovery from aquaculture production and manure distribution in animal husbandry.