Norwegian Ministry of the Environment

From ClimateWiki

The Royal Norwegian Ministry of the Environment is a Norwegian ministry established in 1972. The ministry is responsible for environmental issues in Norway.

Areas of Responsibility

In addition to initiating, developing and carrying out its own measures through its own instruments, the Ministry of the Environment has an important role in influencing other Ministries and sectors at the national level.

The Ministry is responsible for coordinating the environmental policy objectives of the Government, and ensuring follow-up and monitoring results of environmental policies. Increased local commitment is of basic importance for creating legitimacy, and will contribute to improving the overall environmental work.

It is also of great importance to continue cooperation and dialogue with industry. International cooperation is indispensable in order to meet the regional and global environmental challenges. The environmental administration contributes in a number of arenas in order to ensure that international cooperation at all levels is expanded and strengthened.

Target Areas

The environmental policy is divided up into seven target areas. These focus on the most important environmental challenges, and highlight the collective environmental efforts of the Government. Target areas 1-4 comprise the most important environmental challenges and cover the environmental policy across ministries and sectors. Target areas 5 covers the environmental administration’s administrative responsibility for the planning part of the Building and Planning Act and mapping and geodata policy on the national level. Target area 7 describes more general tasks and environmental policy work which covers more than one target area.

1. Nature diversity and outdoor recreation

2. Cultural heritage and cultural environments

3. Water pollution, hazardous substances and waste

4. Air pollution and climate

5. International environmental cooperation and environmental issues in polar areas

6. Planning for a sustainable development

7. Other instruments