On the final day of the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) meeting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Norway announced its new nationally determined contributions (NDC) for 2035, as pledged under the Paris Agreement. The country shared an economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 70-75 per cent from 1990 levels.
SB62, also known as the June Climate Meetings, took place in Bonn, Germany from June 16 to 26, 2025.
However, the latest NDC omits sector-specific targets for industrial processes and product use, energy, waste and agriculture, forestry and other land use. It also signals Norway’s intention to use internationally transferred mitigation outcomes under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. Article 6.2 allows countries to enter into mutual agreements to trade mitigation outcomes that can be reported and accounted for under an international framework. This means the country plans to offset its carbon emissions and account for the emission reductions in its NDC through carbon markets.
Although rules for UN-led carbon markets were finalised at the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) to the UNFCCC, concerns around the integrity of carbon credits, accountability mechanisms, and the review process have been flagged in a recent report by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
Notably, Norway’s NDC outlines key policy tools, including taxation of GHG emissions, regulatory instruments such as the emissions trading scheme, climate criteria in public procurement, dissemination of climate-friendly options and financial support for technologies like carbon capture and storage.
While these instruments may improve emissions intensity, they fall short of delivering the absolute emission reductions urgently needed, especially from developed countries, to uphold equity in climate action and keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius target within reach.
Historically, Norway has one of the highest per capita GHG emissions, recording 12.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent per person in 2023, nearly twice the global average. Between 1990 and 2020, it had the second-highest per capita production of natural gas and the fourth-highest for oil. As of 2023, natural gas and crude oil accounted for 93 per cent of Norway’s domestic energy production.
At the beginning of 2025, Norway awarded stakes in 53 offshore oil and gas exploration licences to 20 companies and is set to invest $26.6 billion this year, which was a 6.6 per cent increase from 2024.
Norway has approved more oil and gas projects in the North Sea since signing the Paris Agreement than any other country, according to Oil Change International (OCI). The country’s planned fossil fuel expansion until 2050 is expected to generate lifetime emissions equivalent to those of 19 coal-fired power plants, or 60 years of Norway’s current domestic emissions.
In April 2025, an official white paper detailed climate policies across sectors. It shared that emissions from road transport are expected to fall to near zero by 2040. However, the paper did not provide a timeline for phasing out fossil fuels entirely.
Despite informing Norway’s updated NDC, the white paper failed to reflect the outcome of the first global stocktake (GST), specifically Paragraph 28(G), which urges parties to contribute to “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”
Pathways for phasing out fossil fuels must begin with operationalising the GST outcome. One potential pathway considers historical responsibility and capacity to transition. Building on these parameters, another study by CSE identified that developed countries — notably the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, the UK, Norway, Japan and France — should take the lead in phasing out fossil fuel production.
Norway, however, has argued that its fossil fuel production is “cleaner” and operates under higher ethical standards than that of many other countries. Additionally, in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, its role in ensuring energy security for the European Union has become more pronounced.
It is also critical to note that the US, Canada, Norway and Australia are together responsible for nearly 70 per cent of projected CO₂ emissions from new oil and gas fields and fracking wells between 2025 and 2035, according to a OCI study. The study further pointed out that emissions from existing extraction projects alone would exceed the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget.
In light of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) enshrined in the Paris Agreement, it is imperative for developed countries like Norway not only to halt the expansion of new fossil fuel extraction but also to begin winding down existing production.
The recently concluded SB62 underscored the growing erosion of trust in multilateralism, with little accountability for historically high-emitting nations that continue to set new climate targets while expanding fossil fuel production.