Lawmakers demand cost analysis for Norway’s climate targets amid budget concerns

The Storting adopted new climate objectives in June 2025, aiming for a substantial reduction in Norwegian emissions by 2035. Despite the investigation instruction that costs must be assessed, the government has not produced a cost analysis, citing three rationales: a refusal to calculate, an inability to calculate, and a claim that calculations have already been done. Climate minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen dismissed the need to evaluate costs of measures such as oil-field electrification and electric-car subsidies, and tasked the Miljødirektoratet with estimating emissions linked to Norwegian consumption abroad.

Opposition parties, especially Fremskrittspartiet, argue that meeting the remaining emission cuts could be costly and have urged the Storting to mandate a detailed cost study; only Senterpartiet and Kristelig Folkeparti backed the proposal, while all other parties, including Høyre, said the information would be too heavy to bear. The piece contrasts this lack of analysis with extensive budgeting for defence, highlighting a perceived double standard in policy appraisal.