Norway – From Vikings to visionaries Norway’s Stride to a Sustainable Society

“The impact of climate change is already here. The world needs to act together to reduce global warming.
Rapidly reducing methane emissions is one of the most efficient and accessible solutions, at the same time as it leads to improved clean air quality and global crop yields. This is a window of opportunity the world cannot afford to miss taking action on.”-Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway.

From jaw-dropping scenery to the land of the fjords, spectacular waterfalls, midnight sun, northern lights, and a penchant for the great outdoors, Norway is abundantly blessed with picturesque nature and healthy topography. What makes Norway further exquisite and a centerstage story is, its score on the SDG index. Norway ranks seventh today, with a score of 82.00. According to the SDG Index, Norway’s performance for UN SDGs; 

1 (No Poverty), 

3 (Good Health and Well-being), 

5 (Gender Equality), 

7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 

10 (ReducedInequalities), and 

17 (Partnerships for the Goals) is relatively high. The Voluntary National Review (VNR) report by Norway speaks of its solid commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda in the last five years. Norway’s pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals is relevant in their national policy documents, but it was only in 2002 that Norway adopted an explicit “National Strategy for Sustainable Development”. Considering Norway’s commitment to ratify the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and thereby, becoming the first
industrialized country to take that pivotal step. On the transport front too, Norway is paving the way for a rapid transition to electric mobility. As per the International Energy Agency (IEA), Norway proudly claims that by 2025, 100 percent of all new passenger cars and light vans to be zero-emissions. A considerable initiative, adding to this is The Zero-Growth Goal, a programme incentivized to curb the extra congestion in urban areas by encouraging the use of public transport, walking, and cycling as best alternatives to clogging roads
with vehicles.

“Green solutions are paving the way for new business opportunities and growth, as well as helping us to deal with climate threats.” – Erna Solberg, Former Prime Minister at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP25, in Madrid in 2019, outlined the country’s work to electrify their car parks and ferries. Source: un.org Norway is one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world. The sustainability efforts of Norway are omnipresent and relevant in all the spheres of its economy. From the school curriculum, with initiatives like – the Sustainable Backpack Programme (SBP), and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), a

form of teaching prominent in Norwegian schools. Then, the extra-ordinary emphasison recycling and strict plastic intolerance, with the use of only bio-degradable and recycled forms of plastic, the genial “pant” system which rewards people for returning plastic bottles plus the occurrence of second-hand thrift stores such as Fretex that thrive in towns and cities across the country. There is a strong cross-institutional focus to keep the air, transition to electric mobility. As per the International Energy Agency (IEA), Norway proudly claims that by 2025, 100 per cent of all new passenger cars and light vans to be zero-emissions. A considerable initiative, adding to this is The Zero-Growth Goal, a programme incentivized to curb the extra congestion in urban areas by encouraging the use of public transport, walking, and cycling as best alternatives to clogging roads with vehicles. the seas, and nature free from pollution and implement the SDGs to create an equitable, just, safe and fair society.