The government has lost control
This week, negotiations on a new climate settlement broke down.
Ki-generated illustration from Sora
Main moments
The Conservatives, SV, Venstre, MDG and the Centre Party have all withdrawn from the Labour Party's half-hearted attempt to unionize Parliament.
The Labour Party is thus the only party to support the Labour Party's climate plan. It's embarrassing.
When the government released its climate message, Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen claimed they had struck a good balance. He believed that he stood in the middle between those who thought he was too ambitious and those who thought he was too unambitious, and thus had struck right. But where he sees balance, the other parties see bad policy. This is not how it will be reconciled.
It may appear that the government never wanted a settlement. When seeking a settlement it is customary to give the case mayor to another party, but Ap insisted that their own Mani Hussaini should have the role. Instead of seeking compromise, they have governed the process as if they had a majority on their own.
Without a settlement, it is unclear what Norway's climate goals are. The AP government has in recent years operated with several different goals: one that has been reported to the United Nations, one that concerns the EU climate framework, and now a new national target for 2035; and this last goal lacks grounding in Parliament. What actually are Norway's climate goals is now unclear even to the most initiated. That's not how you run a country. And at least that's not how you cut emissions.
We have the proposals that could rally support. The Environment Agency recommended a domestic climate target of 60 per cent emissions cuts by 2035, showing that this is entirely achievable. It would have given increased predictability, made it easier to manage the instrument apparatus, and shown leadership. The government could also have chosen to reach out to the climate parties to try to reach the 2030 climate target the government itself has set, but reluctance took precedence over cooperation.
If Labour really wants a settlement, they need to take the initiative anew. There is no such thing as a majority for their line. Then you have to be willing to move on. It requires leadership; listening, building alliances — and rallying political Norway on the most important goal we have: to cut emissions on time.
