European Green Deal: New Green Alliance Between EU-Norway Deepens Clean Industry Commitment

Blue water sits in the valley of green hillsides of Norway.

by | Apr 27, 2023

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Blue water sits in the valley of green hillsides of Norway.

The European Union (EU) and Norway have established a Green Alliance, which will strengthen their commitment to climate action, environmental protection efforts, and clean industry efforts. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Jonas Gahr Støre, gathered in Brussels to sign the agreement into effect.

The Green Alliance is a subset of the European Green Deal, a conglomerate of proposals that indicate the EU’s striving to be the first climate-neutral continent. Participating countries are expected to cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030 in pursuit of a net-zero economy. 

The alliance has been in the works since February 2022, and the partnership has a heavy focus on transitioning away from fossil fuels. Practically, these efforts include clean mobility, renewable energy, and hydrogen production. 

The Green Alliance’s Clean Industry Pursuits

President von der Leyen said: “Norway is a long-standing and reliable partner to the EU and we share a common vision for building a climate-neutral continent. We want our societies and economies to prosper together while reducing emissions, protecting nature, decarbonizing our energy systems, and greening our industries. This Green Alliance makes our bond even stronger and allows us to design a better future together.”

Both leaders have emphasized their continued commitment to reducing greenhouse gasses by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. In order to accomplish these aspirations, the EU and Norway aim to keep global temperatures within the 1.5C limit established under the Paris Agreement. 

This most recent Green Alliance agreement is only the second of its kind. The first was signed in 2021 between the EU and Japan.

Negotiation Complications 

The bilateral arrangement is comprehensive, focusing on hydrogen and offshore renewable energy reserves. While the EU and Norway have established The Green Alliance and a commitment to tackling climate change, the beginnings of this agreement were rocky. 

Early on, the respective leaders were in disagreement over the future of oil and the protection of the Arctic. Norway has an exceptionally large oil and gas reserve, and the war in Ukraine cut Europe’s supply. Since then, Norway has become Europeis’ biggest natural gas supplier, a fossil fuel.

Although the future of the alliance hinges on its ability to decarbonize energy, Norway will remain a fossil fuel supplier to Europe for the foreseeable future.

Despite the complex negotiations early on between the EU and Norway, the Green Alliance is a step toward the clean energy industry. They agree to jointly promote ambitious climate action on the global stage.

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