Part 3
Plan for the national work on climate change adaptation 2024–2028

5 Priority areas and actions in the cross-sectoral climate change adaptation work

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The Government’s plan for the national climate change adaptation work for the period 2024–2028 is twofold: Chapter 5 describes priority areas where cross-sectoral actions and climate change adaptation efforts are needed across multiple sectors. Chapter 6 describes efforts and actions that largely fall within each sector’s area of responsibility. However, the distinction between cross-sectoral priority areas and sectoral climate change adaptation actions is not clear. Several of the areas discussed in Chapter 6 are also largely cross-sectoral, such as national security, civil protection and emergency preparedness, and nature and the environment. However, the plan is twofold to highlight areas that require joint efforts and coordination by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, which is responsible for coordinating the national climate change adaptation work.

The plan is based on new knowledge about the status and challenges in the work on climate change adaptation since the last white paper – Report No 33 to the Storting (2012–2013) Climate change adaptation in Norway (white paper). The knowledge base is somewhat fragmented and there is a significant imbalance in the scope and level of detail between sectors and areas of society. This imbalance is linked to the development of climate change adaptation as a policy area and field of expertise. For a long time, climate change adaptation work was primarily focused on the most immediate and visible consequences of climate change, such as natural disaster events and extreme weather events. There has been less focus on areas where the consequences are more indirect and the risk and vulnerability picture is particularly complex, for example due to chains of effects. This picture is changing, and there is increasing awareness and knowledge about the consequences of climate change in other countries and the risks that climate change may pose to the economy and welfare in the future. Our understanding of how climate change aggravates threats to international peace and security is also increasing.

Despite these ongoing developments, the knowledge base still differs between sectors and areas of society. Similarly, the experience base varies with regard to success criteria, challenges and development needs in the work on climate change adaptation. Among other things, the Office of the Auditor General’s performance audit from 2022 (Document 3:6 (2021–2022)) provides a thorough review of the authorities’ work on climate change adaptation of infrastructure and buildings, while such reviews have not been made in other areas. The discussion of the priority areas and actions in this plan must be viewed in light of this variation in knowledge and experience bases, and the wide range of issues in the field of climate change adaptation. The plan does not provide an exhaustive review of all relevant topics and issues in the field, but describes selected areas where current knowledge indicates that efforts are particularly needed in the next few years.

The governance system described in Chapter 4 of this white paper will strengthen the knowledge base for assessing and prioritising climate change adaptation efforts in and across sectors in the time ahead. National climate change vulnerability analyses will provide a compilation of knowledge about the consequences in different areas. Better procedures for measuring and evaluating the work will also improve the knowledge base.

The municipalities play a key role in the work of developing climate-resilient local communities across Norway, and many of the actions in this plan affect their areas of responsibility. Each municipality has an overall responsibility for social development within their geographical areas and must ensure that consideration for the changing climate becomes an integral part of its municipal duties. Many municipalities have come a long way in this work, and the Government’s aim is that the actions in this plan will further boost local climate change adaptation efforts. Among other things, the Government will consider various actions to clarify the requirements under the Planning and Building Act. This is to ensure that consideration for the changing climate and natural hazards are better addressed in risk and vulnerability analyses in connection with specific building applications and when land-use plans are updated. Among other things, the Government will consider allowing municipalities to charge a separate fee to fund stormwater measures. The Government will also take steps to ensure a better knowledge base for implementing adaptation measures that will generate greater benefits than costs for society and for nature-based climate adaptation solutions. The Government will continue to provide relevant and up-to-date guidance on climate change adaptation in planning, and will emphasise that the guidelines must be readily available and adapted to the municipalities’ needs and expertise.

The Government also emphasises that climate change adaptation work must be carried out through good participatory processes that safeguard indigenous rights and consideration for vulnerable groups.

Cross-sectoral actions

In this plan, the Government presents a number of cross-sectoral actions to create a climate-resilient society. The actions in the plan will help to increase cooperation and knowledge about climate change adaptation, and ensure new solutions are used to equip society and nature in the face of a changing climate. The plan will support Norway’s efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Climate change adaptation is directly related to goal 13, which addresses individuals’ and institutions’ ability to counteract, adapt to and mitigate the consequences of climate change. Efforts to build a climate-resilient society are also closely linked to several of the other SDGs, including goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities, goal 14 on life below water, goal 15 on life on land and goal 17 on partnerships for the goals.

5.1 Address climate change considerations in the sectors

The Government:

• will request each ministry to review relevant instruments and assess whether changes are needed to ensure that the changing climate is taken into consideration

• will request each ministry to review letters of allocation and instructions to government directorates and agencies, and assess whether changes are needed to ensure that the changing climate is taken into consideration

Climate change has profound consequences and requires a systematic response, which makes the changes an integral part of the activities in all sectors and policy areas affected. The consequences and risks resulting from the changing climate affect actors, sectors and areas of society in different ways, and the efforts and actions needed to meet the changes vary widely.

Each ministry is responsible for taking the changing climate into account within its sector and managing subordinate agencies. As far as possible, climate change adaptation should be included in existing decision-making processes and activities rather than being a separate task in addition to other activities. How climate change considerations can best be integrated in individual areas depends on the challenges, work method, available instruments and other conditions in the individual sector. The Government will request that each ministry reviews relevant instruments and assesses whether changes are needed to ensure that climate change considerations are addressed. A systematic review of relevant policy instruments in all sectors will contribute to greater integration of climate change adaptation in the sectors’ work, avoid actions that may make society more vulnerable to climate change and reduce any conflicts between different considerations. The review of policy instruments will also apply to the environmental regulations and other relevant regulations on Svalbard.

In order for climate change adaptation considerations to be well integrated in the sectors’ work, clear and consistent governance signals must be given to subordinate agencies. The Government will therefore request that each ministry reviews relevant allocation letters and instructions to subordinate directorates and agencies, and consider whether changes are needed to ensure that climate change considerations are addressed.

As the body responsible for the Government’s overall work on climate change adaptation, the Ministry of Climate and Environment will coordinate the work on reviewing relevant policy instruments, letters of allocation and instructions. The sectoral principle will form the basis for the review, and each ministry will assess which instruments are relevant to include within its specific areas of responsibility.

The review of relevant policy instruments, letters of allocation and instructions is important to meet the challenges discussed in the Office of the Auditor General’s report, which highlights the need for better coordination and concretisation of actions to ensure progress in climate change adaptation work.

5.2 More knowledge about climate change and climate change adaptation

The knowledge base for climate change adaptation has been significantly strengthened in recent years, both in Norway and elsewhere. However, more knowledge is still needed, which the Government also emphasises in Report No 5 to the Storting (2022–2023) Long-term plan for research and higher education 2023–2032. Different risk factors related to climate change impact each other across geography, sectors and actors. More knowledge is needed that illuminates such relationships. We also need to know more about the relationship between climate-related development trends and other features of social development. This includes more knowledge about the economic consequences of climate change as well as its effect on gender equality and social conditions. More knowledge is also needed about instruments and solutions that contribute to climate-resilient development, including nature-based solutions.

The complexity of the climate and environmental challenges require interdisciplinary knowledge. This is also emphasised in the IPCC’s most recent report, which draws on disciplines such as social sciences, humanities and technology, as well as mathematics and natural science sources.

More and more actors need to take climate change into account, including citizens, industry actors and NGOs. Broader participation in knowledge development can provide insight into the vulnerability and adaptation capacity of different actors, and uncover knowledge needs.

Several actors provide funding for knowledge development on climate change adaptation in Norway. Key actors are the Research Council of Norway and the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon Europe. The Research Council invests in research and innovation through different portfolios. One of these portfolios deals specifically with climate and polar research, but research and innovation in the field of climate change are also included in several of the other portfolios. The sectoral principle for research entails that each ministry must have an overview of its research needs in the short and long term, and fund such research, both through the Research Council of Norway and other channels.

5.2.1 Knowledge of the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation

The Government:

• will appoint an expert committee to obtain more knowledge about the socio-economic consequences of climate change for vulnerable sectors and regions, and identify priority areas where there is good potential to reduce climate-related risk, assessed in relation to the cost of actions

Climate change affects all areas of society and entails considerable costs for society. However, the consequences of climate change are not quantified to any great extent, and it is difficult to estimate exact costs. Both the changes that affect Norway and the spillover effects of climate change in other countries have economic consequences. There is a great deal of uncertainty, among other things related to which climate scenarios are most likely towards 2100. There is still little knowledge about how the consequences of a changed climate will be distributed by type of economic activity, and their geographical impact.

The Climate Risk Commission conducted an overall analysis of the impact of climate change on the Norwegian economy, based on national wealth. The Commission assessed the risks associated with the transition to a low-emission society (transitional risk) and risks associated with the consequences of climate change (physical climate risk). However, the study did not include quantified costs within different areas of society.

The costs of adapting Norway to climate change will vary between sectors and areas of society and depend, among other things, on the actions that are needed and the scope of the effort required. Social and environmental benefits can be difficult to price. A synthesis of existing literature and knowledge update are required in the field.

In order to ensure that the benefits of climate change adaptation exceed the costs wherever possible, we need more knowledge about what climate change will cost Norwegian society now and in the future, and about which priority areas and actions are profitable and cost-effective. It is therefore important to map the economic cost of climate change for society, and to gain more knowledge about which sectors and regions are most vulnerable to the economic impacts. This could contribute to more targeted and cost-effective climate change adaptation and thus enable the authorities and others to prevent the negative impacts of climate change on people, society and the environment as expediently as possible. The Government will therefore appoint an expert committee comprising members from the most affected public agencies, the municipal sector and independent experts, who are tasked with obtaining more knowledge about the socio-economic consequences of climate change for vulnerable sectors and regions in Norway. The committee will also identify priority areas where the potential for reducing climate-related risk is high, assessed in relation to the cost of action. It will, furthermore, provide input to the work of developing indicators to recognise the economic benefits of climate change adaptation actions and the need for adaptation in different sectors and industries.

5.2.2 Knowledge of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation

The Government:

• will increase knowledge about nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, including methods of implementation and the criteria for achieving successful outcomes

• will increase knowledge about how climate change, land-use changes, pollution and loss of nature affect each other and how nature-based solutions may simultaneously help solve a number of challenges

• will further develop relevant tools and guidance to better assess nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation through cost-benefit analyses

Nature-based solutions focus on solving the challenges of society by using natural processes and ecosystems as a starting point. They use the known properties of nature to meet challenges, such as reducing flooding or stormwater, stabilising the ground and preventing landslides, while preserving or improving the conditions for biodiversity. Such solutions are based on the nature in the area, and use or restore existing habitats and ecosystems or imitate them. In addition to safeguarding biodiversity, nature-based solutions can also provide a number of other positive effects for society, including better air quality and opportunities for recreation and social meeting places. Nature-based solutions can comprise purely natural measures, such as conservation and ecological restoration, or be used in conjunction with more technical, engineered measures, such as building artificial dams with natural aquatic plants.

The IPCC and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) highlight nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches as cost-effective means of achieving the SDGs. Nature-based solutions are also highlighted in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and by the Nordic environment and climate ministers who have adopted a declaration on nature-based solutions. In the declaration, they commit to scaling up and making more general use of nature-based solutions, and encourage stakeholders in the Nordic region to adopt such solutions.

Nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation are being increasingly employed, but are still less used than more technical and ‘grey’ solutions. The lack of evaluations, effect analyses and long-term monitoring of implemented nature-based actions may be an obstacle to both public and private actors adopting such solutions. More knowledge about how well nature-based solutions work for different purposes is therefore needed to increase the adoption of nature-based solutions in climate change adaptation. Decision-makers and project developers also need better guidance and greater competence about both the benefits and limitations of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. The Government will increase knowledge of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, including methods of implementation and the criteria for achieving successful outcomes. The Government will also further develop relevant tools and guidance to be able to better assess nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation through cost-benefit analyses. In addition, the Government will increase knowledge about how climate change, land-use changes, pollution and loss of nature affect each other, and how nature-based solutions may simultaneously help solve a number of challenges.

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Source: The figure was developed as part of the project LIFE Rich Waters.

5.2.3 Knowledge of climate change and social justice

The Government:

• will obtain more knowledge about the potential impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation on social inequality in Norway

• will obtain more knowledge about the potential impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation on gender equality in different sectors in Norway

A key principle of the 2030 Agenda is ‘Leave no one behind’. According to the Paris Agreement, climate change adaptation should employ a gender-sensitive, participation-based and fully transparent approach that takes vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems into account. It is a goal that the transition to a climate-resilient low-emission society should contribute to fair distribution and that it should include and mobilise everyone in society.

There is some knowledge about the connection between gender, climate change and gender equality in the Global South, but there is limited knowledge about gender equality challenges and socio-economic aspects related to the consequences of climate change and adaptation in Norway. The Government will therefore obtain more knowledge about the potential impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation on social inequality in Norway. In addition, the Government will provide more knowledge about the potential impacts of climate change and climate change adaptation on gender equality in different sectors in Norway. The Government intends to develop such knowledge in connection with its work on the national climate change vulnerability analysis, discussed in Chapter 4.

Nordic cooperation is also relevant to the Government’s work on climate change and gender equality. In March 2022, the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality and LGBTI (MR-JÄM) launched a declaration to strengthen Nordic cooperation on gender equality in climate policy.1 The declaration is followed up through an interdisciplinary programme to increase awareness, knowledge and exchange of experience on the links between gender and climate actions in the Nordic region and internationally.

5.3 Clarify the responsibilities of the county governors and the Governor of Svalbard

The Government:

• will clarify the responsibilities of the county governors and the Governor of Svalbard in the work on climate change adaptation

Several levels of the public administration are responsible for climate change adaptation. In addition to the county authorities and municipalities, the county governors and the Governor of Svalbard have important roles. Through their follow-up of the municipalities, the county governors help ensure that the Government guidelines for climate change adaptation, issued through the central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation, are adequately addressed at the local level. The Governor of Svalbard has many of the same roles as the county governors on the mainland in terms of limiting the negative impacts of climate change on the environment and society. In their dialogue with the municipalities and other regional and local actors, the county governors can, among other things, assess whether climate change adaptation can be integrated into different local and regional networks and forms of cooperation. Such networks may help to develop and test solutions, methods and work methods in local adaptation efforts, and communicate the results of such work. Networks also provide useful competence building and sharing of experience between municipalities and across regional administration levels. The Government will clarify the responsibility of both the county governors and the Governor of Svalbard in the work on climate change adaptation, in light of the policies presented in this white paper. The ministries will look more closely at how this should be concretised through their management dialogue with the county governors and the Governor of Svalbard.

In addition to clarifying the county governors’ responsibility for ensuring that the national guidelines for the overall work on climate change adaptation are applied by municipalities and county authorities, the Government will, among other things, look at how the risk and vulnerability analysis in the counties (fylkesROS) can be developed to ensure that it is used more actively in the county governors’ work on climate change adaptation at the regional and local level, cf. Chapter 6.2.2.

5.4 Land-use management for a climate-resilient society

5.4.1 Planning as a tool in climate change adaptation

The Government:

• will consider stipulating regulations in Section 4-3 of the Planning and Building Act, which specify the minimum to be emphasised in the risk and vulnerability analysis when preparing plans for development, including climate considerations and property of significance from a security perspective

• will consider whether requirements should be made in relation to updating, and possibly cancelling, land-use plans where there is new knowledge about hazard areas

Land-use planning provides the framework for using and protecting land and is thus an important tool for adapting nature and society to a changing climate. As the local planning authority, the municipality is responsible for ensuring that land is managed and developed in a way that makes it resilient and adapted to the climate of the future. The Planning and Building Act and Technical Regulations (TEK17) are pivotal to land-use plans and building development in the municipalities.

The Planning and Building Act requires that risk and vulnerability analyses (ROS) be prepared for plans that facilitate such development. According to the Office of the Auditor General’s report (Document 3:6 (2021–2022)), many municipalities find it challenging to conduct risk and vulnerability analyses because the Planning and Building Act only provides that an analysis has to be prepared, and does not set out any explicit requirements or guidelines for methods, process or content. The Gjerdrum Committee in Norwegian Official Report 2022: 3 På trygg grunn – Bedre håndtering av kvikkleirerisiko ('Better management of quick clay landslide risk') also found that clearer requirements should be made in relation to both the content and implementation of ROS analyses under the Planning and Building Act. The Committee therefore proposed that, in the same way as in the Act relating to Civil Protection, ROS analysis regulations should be included in Section 4-3 of the Planning and Building Act. The lack of such requirements or guidelines makes it difficult for the municipalities to know what is expected of the ROS analyses, and may lead to insufficient identification of risk and vulnerability in a given area. The Government will therefore consider stipulating regulations in Section 4-3 of the Planning and Building Act, which specify the minimum to be emphasised in the ROS analysis when preparing plans for development, including climate considerations and property of significance from a security perspective. In collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning has been commissioned to prepare proposals for such regulations in 2023. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will then consider the proposal in more detail, in dialogue with the ministries concerned.

The central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation require that a regional and municipal planning strategy must assess whether climate change considerations entail a need to cancel or revise current plans. The Office of the Auditor General’s report (Document 3:6 (2021–2022)) showed that few municipalities change or cancel previously approved plans even if new natural hazards are identified in the planning area. One consequence of the plans not being updated is that natural hazards are not sufficiently taken into account in planning process. The Government will consider whether there should be requirements for updating and possibly cancelling land-use plans where there is new knowledge of hazard areas.

An updated knowledge base about land use is an important prerequisite for taking climate change into account in land-use planning. Many municipalities do not have a sufficient overview of actual land use, or the properties and features of the areas that are being considered or have been proposed for reallocation for development purposes in municipal master plans. The Government recommends that the municipalities prepare land use accounts as part of the municipal planning work. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is in the process of preparing guidance on this topic. In the long term, it is natural that this knowledge base can be combined with ecosystem accounts, which show what types and how much nature we have, what state it is in and what services it provides. This gives each municipality a better overview of nature areas in the municipality and what functions they fulfil. Such an overview can be used in planning work for better climate change adaptation and nature management. Together, land and ecosystem accounts can help municipalities and land-use management stakeholders assess the overall impact on ecosystems, and whether planned land use makes ecosystems more or less resilient to climate change.

Several agencies and ministries have prepared guides on how to address climate change considerations and natural hazards in land-use planning. Some information and guidance is available on websites such as klimatilpasning.no and planlegging.no. However, obtaining an overview of all the guides and knowledge that exist is difficult, which can make it challenging to turn knowledge into action.2 The Government will continue to provide relevant and up-to-date guidance on climate change adaptation in planning, and will emphasise that the guidelines must be easy to access and adapted to the municipalities’ needs and expertise. More accessible and better adapted guidance will also help meet guidance needs relating to land-use planning on Svalbard.

5.4.2 Nature-based solutions and nature’s contribution to climate change adaptation

The Government:

• will further develop guidance on the instructions for nature-based solutions in the central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation

• will raise awareness in land-use management of natural and agricultural areas that bind the soil, store carbon, protect against erosion and are important for stormwater management and flood mitigation

Nature-based solutions can be used as tools for climate change adaptation, but there are currently few government guidelines on the use of such solutions. The central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation state that conservation, restoration or establishment of nature-based solutions should be considered in land-use planning, and that an explanation must be provided if other solutions are chosen instead of nature-based solutions. The Government will further develop guidance on the instructions for nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation in the central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation. This includes guidance on how nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation should be considered in planning processes. The guidance will, among other things, address how aspects related to the implementation and operation of nature-based solutions can be included in the assessments. In order to develop the guidance, it will be relevant to obtain experience of how the guidelines in the central government planning guidelines have been followed up in social and land-use planning since the planning guidelines for climate change adaptation were adopted in 2018.

It will be particularly important going forward to facilitate the sharing of experience, including relevant results from programmes on nature-based solutions under the Nordic Council of Ministers, in which Norway participates. Sharing experience is important to help ensure that nature-based solutions are used to a greater extent than they are today, where they prove effective in bolstering society against climate change.

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The transformation of Ålgård centre in Gjesdal municipality shows how good planning, cooperation and participation can develop a former industrial area into an attractive meeting place offering activities and attractions for all age groups. The project has drawn nature into the central area of the town and increased the area’s resilience to climate change. The photo shows the canal park and the footpath along the Figgjoelva river. The project won the State Award for Building Quality in 2019.

Photo: Ragnhild Momrak, Dronninga landskap.

Textbox 5.5 Restoration of marshland

Intact wetlands play an important role in regulating hydrological conditions and can in some cases mitigate floods. In Adalstjern nature reserve in Horten municipality in Vestfold, an abandoned peat bog was restored from 2019 to 2022. By, among other things, filling previous drainage ditches, more water is retained in the marsh. This will result in a longer detention period for the water and provide a more steady water flow, thereby mitigating floods. Restoring marshland will also be positive for the biodiversity associated with this type of nature, and prevent the carbon stored in the peat from being released into the atmosphere as CO₂.

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Photo: Pål Martin Eid, Norwegian Nature Inspectorate.

The Government will also raise awareness in land-use management of natural and agricultural areas that bind the soil, store carbon, protect against erosion and are important for stormwater management and flood mitigation. It is important to take ecosystems into account in land-use management so that ecosystems are as resilient as possible to climate change. It is therefore important for municipalities to both maintain and establish blue-green infrastructure in cities and towns. Blue-green infrastructure refers to networks of natural areas, for example parks, outdoor areas, avenues, trees, roadsides, canals, streams, ponds, lakes, private gardens. Blue-green structures can contribute to preserving biodiversity and securing habitats for different species, provide residents with valuable recreational areas, and thus contribute positively to people’s health and quality of life, and make cities and towns more resilient to floods, landslides, stormwater and heat.

Degraded nature is less resilient to climate change and is less able to provide ecosystem services to society, such as improved water quality or reduced runoff. To help ensure that ecosystems are in good condition and can help to reduce the effects of climate change, it is important that municipalities preserve and restore wetlands, watercourses and other nature that is naturally flooded and adapted to this, so that they can continue to serve as natural buffers against flooding. Restoration covers actions that improve the condition of degraded nature and is necessary to stop the loss of biodiversity, limit greenhouse gas emissions from degraded nature and handle the impacts of climate change.

Ensuring sustainable management, and preventing the degradation of agricultural, nature, outdoor recreation and reindeer husbandry areas will be important for bolstering society against climate change, since such areas can bind soil and mitigate erosion, flooding and stormwater.

5.4.3 Better access to climate and geodata

The Government:

• will establish the national data platform ‘Klimakverna’ to make climate and hydrological projections available

• will improve the quality of the Norwegian Public Base of Geospatial Data (DOK)

Climate and environmental data are important for knowledge-based social and land-use planning. The Norwegian Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) – a collaboration between the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, NVE, NORCE Norwegian Research Centre and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research – facilitates and disseminates climate and hydrological observations, projections and products for use in adaptation to climate change, such as county-specific climate profiles. Municipal authorities and other public actors are an important target group for the NCCS, but the knowledge base is also used for researching and studying the effects and consequences of a changed climate. In addition, businesses, NGOs, educational institutions, the media and others may benefit from such information. The NCCS will continue to provide the scientific knowledge base for climate change adaptation and make it available to the public administration and other users, through guidance, dialogue and user-friendly climate services.

The Government will establish the national data platform ‘Klimakverna’ to make climate and hydrological projections available. The national data platform ‘Klimakverna’, which is being developed by the NCCS, will make it easier to use climate and hydrological projections. The data will be provided in relevant and standardised formats and communicated in a user-friendly manner. A main objective is to better enable the municipalities in particular to take changing climate conditions into account in their plans and decisions.

Many directorates provide location-based data (geodata) in their own map solutions and in various other formats. However, a number of municipalities find it difficult to gain an overview of and access to geographical data sets that can be used in climate change adaptation efforts. Geonorge, the national website and sharing platform for map data, aims to provide a one-stop-shop for geographic information, making it easier to get an overview of the data. The Government has initiated measures to further develop Geonorge as a sharing platform for geographic data.3

Geodata from the Norwegian Public Base of Geospatial Data (DOK) forms an important part of the information basis for municipal and regulatory planning, impact assessments, risk and vulnerability analyses and building applications. DOK is to be used as the basis for planning proposals and building application cases, cf. Section 2-1 of the Planning and Building Act, and currently consists of 148 data sets. DOK is important to increase knowledge about and ensure climate change is addressed in planning. To be used in connection with climate change adaptation, the data sets in DOK must be well-organised and of high quality. To ensure this, the Government will improve the quality of DOK. As part of the national geospatial strategy, several activities have been implemented to support this4, and in 2023 the Norwegian Mapping Authority was commissioned to establish a scheme for the receipt and reuse of DOK data in order to improve the public map data.

Textbox 5.6 Detailed national elevation model

The entire land area of Norway has been laser scanned to produce detailed elevation data. Data from the elevation model are used, among other things, to create detailed hazard maps for floods and landslides, show areas that may be affected by rising sea levels and storm surges, and model how stormwater moves through the terrain.

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Source: NVE Atlas.

5.5 Handling stormwater in cities and towns

The Government:

• will consider the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a separate stormwater fee, and look at different fee models

• will submit proposals for a new chapter in the Pollution Control Regulations, with requirements for the establishment, emptying and maintenance of sand traps, for consultation

• will look at the need for amendments to the Pollution Control Act’s provisions on liability for damage caused by wastewater treatment installations

The municipalities’ funding scheme for stormwater management needs to be brought up to date. Today, large parts of the municipalities’ costs for wastewater treatment installations are financed through the wastewater fee in accordance with the rules set out in the Act relating to municipal water and wastewater facilities. The current wastewater fee can generally only be used to finance stormwater facilities that consist of pipelines. Local and open solutions for the management of stormwater, such as infiltration zones, detention basins, rainbseds and green roofs, cannot therefore be financed by income from fees. Such solutions are often more suitable for handling sudden, large volumes of water and can be cheaper than traditional stormwater solutions.

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In Thorvald Meyers gate in the City of Oslo, stormwater management is addressed through open, blue-green measures that contribute to local retention that delays and reduces the pressure on the stormwater system and Akerselva. This also has aesthetic and biological value for the urban environment. The project was one of the finalists for the State Award for Building Quality in 2022.

Photo: Ilja Hendel.

If municipalities want to finance open and local stormwater solutions, they must do so through their ordinary budgets. This provides few incentives for satisfactory stormwater management and is more expensive for society as a whole as well as for the individual municipality. The wastewater fee is calculated according to the individual subscriber’s water consumption and is not related to the amount of stormwater that accumulates and runs off the individual’s property. The wastewater fee therefore provides few incentives for private individuals to take action on their own property, and leads to a skewed distribution of costs. Nor can the current fee be used to finance grants for private stormwater measures. Such measures may reduce the municipality’s need to take action and make investments on behalf of the community, and provide greater flexibility in relation to stormwater solutions.

The Stormwater Commission assessed funding schemes for stormwater measures, and recommended introducing a separate stormwater fee. In 2019, the Norwegian Environment Agency submitted its report on the Stormwater Commission’s fee proposal. The Government will consider the advantages and disadvantages of introducing a separate stormwater fee, and look at different fee models. The Ministry of Climate and Environment has commissioned the Norwegian Environment Agency to conduct an assessment of different fee models and propose legislative and regulatory amendments in 2023.

Roads are a major source of stormwater pollution. Clearer regulation of and responsibility for polluted stormwater from roads is therefore an important measure. Sand traps and similar solutions along roads collect gravel, sand, soil and particles from the stormwater that flows off roads. Sand traps prevent sand, gravel etc. from reaching drainage pipes and thus reduces wear and damage to the wastewater system. Furthermore, sand traps retain certain environmental pollutants and large microplastic particles from the water that is channelled away. Tyre wear and road dust are the main sources of microplastic emissions from land-based sources in Norway, and active use of sand traps is one of the actions that may reduce emissions. In cases where the stormwater is separated from the rest of the wastewater system, sand trapping will often be the only potential purification step for contaminated stormwater. Good emptying and maintenance also prevents sand traps from becoming clogged, which is important to prevent flooding and damage.

The Stormwater Commission found that pollution should be cleaned close to the source and proposed introducing provisions in a new chapter (15 C) of the Pollution Control Regulations to regulate the operation of sand traps and similar solutions. On behalf of the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Environment Agency investigated the proposal in 2019 and recommended introducing the provisions. The proposal will require the road owner to operate, empty and maintain sand traps and similar solutions in order to maintain function and prevent pollution and damage to wastewater treatment installations. The proposal only applies to urban areas, where there are many activities that can pollute stormwater. It is proposed that the county governors should be assigned pollution control authority. The Government will submit the proposal for a new chapter in the Pollution Control Regulations, with requirements for the establishment, emptying and maintenance of sand traps, for consultation. This work is led by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

The rules on liability for damage caused by wastewater treatment installations need to be reviewed. The question of who is liable for stormwater damage has led to several legal disputes and conflicts between homeowners and owners of water and wastewater treatment installations, and between their respective insurance companies. The Stormwater Commission proposed making changes to Section 24a of the Pollution Control Act concerning type of liability and possible differentiation of liability for stormwater and contaminated wastewater. The Government will review the need for amendments to the Pollution Control Act’s provisions on liability for damage caused by wastewater treatment installations. This work is led by the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

5.6 Addressing rising sea levels

The Government:

• will consider how national authorities’ efforts to address rising sea levels can be improved

As a coastal nation, Norway is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surges. Natural assets, agricultural land, infrastructure, buildings and the cultural environment along the coast will be among the areas affected. Although we do not know exactly how the sea level will rise in Norway, a long-term perspective is required when planning measures along the coast. Local, regional and national authorities must take rising sea levels into account in their administration. At the same time, good coordination is needed between state actors, among other things to ensure that sea level rise is addressed in the many areas affected and that the state coordinates its efforts with local and regional authorities. The Office of the Auditor General’s assessment is that the municipalities do not currently receive sufficient assistance and follow-up from the government authorities to be able to tackle the issue they are required to address.

The Norwegian Environment Agency is responsible for coordinating and advising the Ministry of Climate and Environment on which prognoses for sea level rise should be used as the planning basis in different parts of the country. As part of its coordinating role in civil protection, the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) provides advice on how the prognoses should be used in the municipalities’ planning work. However, sea level rise affects many areas of society and poses challenges beyond civil protection considerations. The challenges of rising sea levels are expected to be greater in the future, and the work requires a different planning horizon than much of the other climate change adaptation work. The Government will therefore consider how the authorities’ efforts to address rising sea levels can be improved. The review will include an assessment of how the municipalities can receive adequate assistance, and whether current administrative practices reflect the challenges of sea level rise for Norwegian society.

Textbox 5.7 Sea level map solution

The Norwegian Mapping Authority operates the map solution ‘Se havnivå i kart’, which shows areas that may be at risk of sea level rise and storm surges. The solution disseminates municipal statistics about buildings, land and roads that may be exposed to flooding. It can be used to identify risk areas and is an aid for coastal zone planning. New national sea level projections based on the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report will be completed in 2023 and will be integrated into the map solution.

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Source: Norwegian Mapping Authority.

5.7 Food security in a changing climate

The Government:

• will continue the three pillars of Norwegian food security: maintaining the production base, continuous production of food and well-functioning trade systems

The Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries are responsible for different parts of the food system: along the value chain from sustainable harvesting and production in the sea and on land, to the population’s consumption of healthy and safe food.

Climate change has consequences for food production both in Norway and globally. Major fluctuations in global food production could contribute to conflicts, which may, in turn, challenge food security including for parts of the Norwegian population. New geopolitical challenges exacerbate the situation. It is difficult to imagine a rich country like Norway not being able to meet the population’s need for food, but we may in fact experience more episodes of limited access to certain types of food, in addition to higher food prices. This will primarily affect those with the worst living conditions. Seafood is one of the few foods in which Norway is self-sufficient, making it important for food security. Food production must be adapted to prevent damage caused by climate change, but also to take advantage of the opportunities that the changes may entail. To achieve this, it is important that companies, businesses and organisations acquire the necessary skills and capacity to work in a structured and planned manner on climate change adaptation. It is also important that public administration capacity is adapted to the coming threats in the areas of food security, animal health and plant health. In light of the report Klimaendring utfordrer det norske matsystemet (‘Climate change challenges the Norwegian food system’ – in Norwegian only) (see box 3.7), the Government, in Report No 15 to the Storting (2022–2023) Folkehelsemeldinga – Nasjonal strategi for utjamning av sosiale helseforskjellar (‘Public Health Report – National strategy for reducing social inequalities in health’ – in Norwegian only) announced that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will be asked to prepare to meet the challenges posed by climate change and a tense international situation for the Norwegian food system, in order to ensure access to sufficient, safe and healthy food. In order to safeguard Norwegian food security, the Government will also continue to pursue the three pillars of Norwegian food security: maintain the production base, continuous production of food and well-functioning trade systems.

The Farm to Fork strategy is an important element of the EU Green Deal. The strategy describes how the European Commission will work for a fairer, healthier and more environmentally friendly food system that safeguards people’s access to sufficient, healthy and safe food. The strategy is an important basis for further work on sustainable food systems in the EU and could affect Norwegian policy in several areas.

The strategy announces a wide range of initiatives related to new regulations or amendments to existing regulations, including in the field of food. Parts of this legislation will be EEA relevant, while other parts will cover areas outside the EEA Agreement, including agricultural, fisheries and public health policy. The Government is following up the various EEA-relevant regulatory initiatives as part of the ongoing EEA work and promoting Norwegian interests in that context. Follow-up of the Farm to Fork strategy in Norway must also be seen in the context of the assessment of whether a national plan for sustainable food systems should be drawn up, cf. Report No 40 to the Storting (2020–2021) Mål med mening – Norges handlingsplan for å nå bærekraftsmålene innen 2030 (Norway’s action plan to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030’ – in Norwegian only) and Recommendation No 218 to the Storting (2021–2022).

5.8 Safeguard Sami interests and use indigenous peoples’ knowledge in climate change adaptation efforts

The Government:

• will obtain more knowledge about how climate change affects Sami culture and business activity, traditions, ways of life and health

• will involve the Sami Parliament and the Norwegian Reindeer Herders’ Association in climate change adaptation work, where relevant

• will include indigenous peoples’ knowledge/árbediehtu in the work on climate change adaptation

Climate change has major consequences for Sami culture and business activity, and more knowledge is needed about these consequences. The Sami Council’s report ‘Climate Change in Sápmi – an overview and a Path Forward’ points out that more knowledge is needed about the consequences of climate change for Sami culture, business activity and way of life.5 The Government will obtain more knowledge about how climate change affects Sami culture and business activity, traditions, way of life and health.

Through the Constitution, the Norwegian authorities are obliged to ensure that the Sami people can preserve and develop their language, culture and way of life.6 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Article 27 and the ILO Convention No 169 on indigenous and tribal peoples in independent states commit Norway to, among other things, preserve the natural basis for Sami reindeer husbandry and set out procedural obligations regarding consultations and participation in decisions that may directly affect Sami interests. In addition to statutory consultations, the Government will also involve the Sami Parliament and the Norwegian Reindeer Herders’ Association in climate change adaptation work, where relevant. It may also be relevant to involve other Sami organisations and institutions in climate change adaptation efforts.

The use of indigenous peoples’ knowledge is highlighted in Article 7 of the Paris Agreement on climate change adaptation and in the Global Biodiversity Framework. In addition, the IPCC and the Nature Panel emphasise the importance of using traditional knowledge and indigenous peoples’ knowledge, together with the scientific knowledge base, in the work on climate change adaptation. This will strengthen the basis for safeguarding Sami interests in adaptation to climate change.7 The Government will therefore include indigenous knowledge/árbediehtu in its climate change adaptation work, including its work on national climate vulnerability analyses, as described in Chapter 4.

6 Actions in selected areas

This chapter is the second part of the Government’s plan for national climate change adaptation work for the period 2024–2028. In addition to the priority areas and actions set out in Chapter 5, this chapter describes the Government’s actions in selected sector areas during the period.

The chapter does not provide an exhaustive overview of the national climate change adaptation work. A more thorough report on the individual ministries’ ongoing work on climate change adaptation is provided in the Government’s annual report to the Storting in accordance with the Climate Change Act and can be found in the Government’s climate status and plan. Going forward, plans and actions in the sectors as well as any action points for the cross-sectoral work will also be presented in the climate status and plan.

6.1 Nature and the environment

6.1.1 Reduce the overall pressure on ecosystems to enable them to withstand climate change

The Government:

• will integrate climate change adaptation in biodiversity policy, including the work on the white paper on national follow-up of the new global biodiversity framework

• will increase knowledge about the risks to nature as a result of climate change and how it can best be bolstered to tackle these changes

A diversity of species with different characteristics and great genetic variation enables nature to adapt to changes in the climate through natural selection of the fittest. Climate change will affect the living conditions of most species. The variety and good condition of ecosystems is a prerequisite for ecosystems withstanding climate change and continuing to provide ecosystem services (see box 3.4). According to the IPCC8, protecting and restoring ecosystems is essential to maintaining and increasing the resilience of the biosphere. The IPCC states that degradation and loss of ecosystems is also a cause of greenhouse gas emissions, which may be exacerbated by climate change, including drought and forest fires. Forests can be adapted to the climate through sustainable management and a varied mix of tree species to increase resistance to pests and climate-related damage such as forest fires. Forests can also be adapted by establishing protective forests, by preservation and other conservation measures and by restoration.

The overall pressure on ecosystems from human activity reduces nature’s ability to adapt to climate change. In addition to climate change, land-use change, overexploitation, the spread of alien species and pollution are the main negative impacts on nature globally. Overall, these impact factors increase the risk of ecosystems reaching tipping points – a point at which they shift into a new and potentially irreversible state.

Ecosystems must be kept in good condition, now and in the future, in line with the national environmental objectives. The Government will integrate climate change adaptation in its biodiversity policy, including its work on the white paper on national follow-up of the new global biodiversity framework.

Textbox 6.1 Climate change adaptation and national follow-up of the Global Biodiversity Framework

The Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in Montreal in December 2022, sets targets for halting and reversing global biodiversity loss. The agreement has four overarching goals to be met by 2050 and 23 targets to be met by 2030. Target 8 states that the impact of climate change on biodiversity must be minimised and its resilience increased by, among other things, reducing emissions and adapting to climate change, and through nature-based solutions. The Government is now considering how this target and the rest of the framework will be followed up in Norway’s biodiversity action plan, which the Government will present as a white paper in 2024. The impact of climate change on biodiversity will be an important factor in the national follow-up of the new global targets.

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The Chinese COP15 President forced through the Global Biodiversity Framework on 19 December 2022, at four o’clock in the morning in Montreal.

Photo: Ministry of Climate and Environment.

The IPCC considers that the impact of climate change on nature is greater and more extensive than previously thought. More knowledge is still sorely needed about the impact of climate change on Norwegian nature and the interaction between climate change and other impacts. The Government will therefore increase knowledge about the risks to nature as a result of climate change and how it can best be bolstered to tackle these changes. A sound knowledge base on the consequences of climate change is pivotal to being able to plan solutions that both reduce emissions and risk and vulnerability. In Report No 5 to the Storting (2022–2023) Long-term plan for research and higher education 2023–2032, the Government has given special priority to research and research-driven innovation on ecosystems in Norway, including nature’s tolerance limits, possible ecosystem tipping points, the value of nature and sustainable land-use management. Together with the efforts to generate new knowledge about the risk climate change poses to nature and actions to ensure that nature maintains its resilience to change, this will provide a good basis for safe social development where Norway also contributes to the world achieving the global biodiversity targets.

Textbox 6.2 National hiking trails

Climate change makes increasing and new demands of both the maintenance and establishment of measures to promote outdoor activities. Paths and trails, for example, must be developed to withstand a great deal of precipitation and torrential rain without being destroyed by erosion or landslides. Focusing on comprehensive and long-term planning will enable the national hiking trails scheme, along with the guide ‘Stiskulen – the right path in the right place’, helps to ensure good choices are made in relation to the preparation, operation and maintenance of the trails. Through the annual grant scheme, public, private and voluntary actors can apply for grants for, among other things, the adaptation of trails with very high visitor numbers, so that they can withstand both wear and heavy rainfall.

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Climate change is increasing the need for trails and other routes to be maintained in numerous places. Timber planking is one of several measures that can be funded through the national hiking trails scheme.

Photo: Anne Rudsengen, Norwegian Nature Inspectorate.

6.1.2 Prevent loss of and damage to the cultural environment

The Government:

• will help to prevent and reduce loss of and damage to the cultural environment as a result of climate change

The Government will help prevent and reduce loss of and damage to the cultural environment as a result of climate change. A key element in this work is ensuring coordinated land-use planning and that the cultural environment is an integral part of climate change adaptation and emergency preparedness efforts. Good knowledge of the condition, vulnerability and risk of damage to cultural monuments and cultural environments is a prerequisite for implementing the necessary actions. Furthermore, knowledge of material use, craftsmanship and traditional climate change adaptation solutions is needed to make good choices that both safeguard the cultural environment and make them better equipped to withstand climate-related events. Preventive actions such as regular maintenance and good management are the best way of safeguarding the cultural environment.

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The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage has several good examples that show that it is possible to implement climate change adaptations, while safeguarding cultural environmental assets. The collection of examples is available digitally and is a tool for the public administration and others who own protected and listed cultural monuments. The website is regularly updated with new examples from across Norway.

Photo: Screenshot of examples in the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s collection.

6.1.3 New white paper on the overall management plans for the marine areas

The overall pressure on ecosystems from human activity reduces nature’s ability to adapt to climate change. Ecosystems in good condition are also important for reducing the impact of climate change in marine areas. In addition to climate change, other important negative impacts are pollution, alien species, impacts on the seabed and other impacts from human activities. The marine ecosystems change rapidly as the climate warms and species shift north. The changes are already significant in both the North Sea and Skagerrak and in the northern parts of the Barents Sea, where sea ice is retreating rapidly. The possibility that new species can become established in Norwegian waters is also increasing, especially in our northernmost marine areas where the cold climate previously acted as an effective barrier. How the management of Norwegian marine areas can adapt to climate change will be an important topic in the forthcoming white paper on management plans for the Norwegian marine areas, which will be presented in spring 2024.

6.2 National security, civil protection and emergency preparedness

6.2.1 Climate change considerations in civil protection work

The Government:

• will increase knowledge about how national security and critical social functions are affected by climate change, and make them more resilient for the future

• will map how the ministries work on climate change adaptation as part of their civil protection remit

• will further develop the method for analyses of crisis scenarios to systematically take climate change into account in assessments of future risk

• will protect vulnerable groups in civil contingency planning

Civil protection is about ensuring the safety of citizens. It is about society’s ability to prepare for, protect itself against, and deal with events that threaten fundamental values and functions. Climate change affects civil protection in a number of ways. The increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather increases the risk of serious natural events and can threaten life and health, material assets and critical infrastructure.

In order to facilitate a systematic approach to civil protection work, the Government views the work as a coherent chain comprising prevention, emergency preparedness, management, recovery and learning. In all parts of the chain, knowledge development and adaptation to changes in the risk and vulnerability situation are an integral part of the work. This underscores the importance of increasing our knowledge about climate change in the short and long term. The resilience of critical infrastructure is particularly important in a changing climate. Critical infrastructure comprises the facilities and systems necessary to maintain critical social functions that in turn meet society’s basic needs and make citizens feel secure. These include basic physical needs such as water, food and heat. The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) will therefore work actively to integrate climate risk and vulnerability in all stages of the civil protection chain to an even greater extent than today.

Climate change will affect several critical social functions, as well as national essential functions. It is therefore important to obtain an overview of how they may be affected by a changing climate, for example through status assessments of the critical social functions for which the ministries are responsible. The Government will increase knowledge about how national security and critical social functions are affected by climate change and make them more resilient for the future. The Government will also further develop the method for analysing crisis scenarios to systematically take climate change into account in assessments of future risk. The Government’s political platform, the Hurdal Platform, highlights the importance of developing a better system for identifying how risks in different sectors affect each other. Report No 5 to the Storting (2022–2023) Long-Term Plan for Research and Higher Education 2023–2032 highlights civil protection and emergency preparedness, including knowledge related to the impact of climate change on serious natural events, food security, the spread of infectious diseases and access to vital natural resources, as a priority area. DSB’s analyses of crisis scenarios also help to highlight this in relation to extreme weather events and natural hazards.

The consequences of a changing climate place increased demands on prevention, but also entail a need to dimension preparedness and crisis management capacity to a changed risk profile. Crisis management is about translating preparedness into effort and cooperation. Good crisis management requires that those tasked with handling the event have the necessary resources in the form of equipment and personnel. It is important that different actors with specialised response skills related to personnel, skills and material assets collaborate, especially in complex events. Our society is generally resilient with good procedures, preparedness and crisis management capabilities. However, we must be prepared for climate-related events occurring at other times of the year than we have been used to and in places that have not previously been at risk.

The impact of climate change on critical social functions can also affect national security, as well as national essential functions. It is therefore important to obtain an overview of how the parts of civil protection that are essential for Norway’s ability to safeguard its national security interests are affected, as defined in the Act relating to National Security.

As part of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security’s supervision of the ministries’ civil protection work in accordance with the Civil Protection Instructions, the Government will map how the ministries work on climate change adaptation as part of their civil protection remit.

Climate change affects different parts of society differently and can exacerbate inequalities. The most vulnerable are often the hardest hit. This is because different population groups have different opportunities and resources, and thus different prerequisites for adapting to the effects of climate change and dealing with crisis situations. For example, research shows that people with disabilities are more likely to be injured in a natural disaster since it can be challenging to evacuate them and they are rarely included in contingency plans.9

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction for 2015–2030 underlines the importance of including people with disabilities in the design of climate policy, in the planning of prevention measures and in data collection. The framework also refers to the importance of a gender, age, disability and cultural perspective in the work on reducing disaster risk. This requires empowerment and inclusive, accessible and non-discriminatory participation processes. It is also important to pay special attention to people who are disproportionately affected by disasters and are particularly vulnerable in the face of climate change. In cases where the municipality or other parties are responsible for providing services to vulnerable groups, they are also responsible for preparedness and for ensuring that vulnerable groups receive the services they are entitled to if they are at risk of adverse events. DSB recommends that the municipal responsibility for safeguarding vulnerable groups should be considered a critical service, and that the vulnerability of various services should be assessed and followed up by building capacity in the services’ contingency plans. In light of this, the Government will include vulnerable groups in civil contingency plans, with special emphasis on people with disabilities.

6.2.2 Develop risk and vulnerability analysis in the counties (fylkesROS)

The Government:

• will develop the risk and vulnerability analysis in the counties (fylkesROS) to ensure that it is used more actively in the work on climate change adaptation at the regional and local level

As a coordinating authority, the respective county governors must maintain an overview of risk and vulnerability by preparing a risk and vulnerability analysis for the county. This analysis is a tool that can be used more actively in the work on climate change adaptation both regionally and locally. It can, among other things, be used by the county authority as a knowledge base in regional plans and as a possible basis for the county governor’s authority to file an objection in the area of civil protection. The Government will develop the analysis to enable it to be used more actively in the work on climate change adaptation at the regional and local level.

The Government wants climate events that are included in risk and vulnerability analyses to be followed up with interdisciplinary pilots at the regional level. As such, the county governors, in collaboration with regional actors, will promote local interdisciplinary networks in their respective municipalities.

6.2.3 Better warning system for natural hazard events

The Government:

• will ensure that Norway can make greater use of risk-based natural hazard warnings

• will further develop the possibility of issuing public warnings in the event of extreme weather and natural hazards that pose an acute risk to life and health, through Emergency Alert, the authorities’ new alert system

Good monitoring and warning as a preventive measure against flood and landslide damage will become increasingly important, enabling early warning that allows lives and assets to be saved. Through monitoring and warning, the emergency preparedness system can also be mobilised in time. NVE can provide technical advice to municipalities, county governors and the emergency services, which can then decide on measures such as relocation and evacuation. Monitoring and warning increases the safety of the population in vulnerable areas. The Government will therefore ensure that Norway can make greater use of risk-based natural hazard warnings.

NVE, in cooperation with, among others, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, is further developing the national alert service so that natural hazard warnings better match the risks and consequences of events and not just the likelihood of an event occurring. By highlighting risks and consequences, i.e. where incidents will cause damage, emergency response efforts and measures can be targeted to where the need is greatest.

Emergency Alert is the authorities’ new mobile-based alert system. The intention behind Emergency Alert is to be able to quickly communicate important information that can save lives and health in the event of sudden and serious events, such as extreme weather and natural hazards. The Government will further develop the possibility of issuing public warnings in the event of extreme weather and natural hazards that pose an acute risk to life and health, through Emergency Alert. Emergency alerts are sent by the police. Other actors that need to send warnings must establish cooperation with the police.

6.2.4 Tackle increasing forest fire hazards

The Government:

• will increase knowledge of how land-use management and various forestry measures can reduce the fire hazard in particularly vulnerable areas

• will ensure that the fire and rescue service is better equipped to meet the future challenges related to extreme weather and climate change through knowledge dissemination and training at the Norwegian Fire and Rescue Academy

Climate change increases the risk of forest fires. In 2019, DSB conducted an analysis of forest fire preparedness in Norway seen in relation to the experience of recent fires in the Nordic region and expected climate change consequences in a ten-year perspective. The analysis shows that future forest fires will be challenging based on today’s preparedness level.

Experience from Europe has shown that it is difficult to maintain emergency preparedness dimensioned for what is referred to as ‘megafires’. These are fires that, due to climate change, are of a size and intensity that make them almost impossible to extinguish using conventional methods. Several EU countries are therefore now promoting various forms of land-use management that, in strategic places, can reduce combustible organic material so that forest fires and wildfires can be limited before they pose a risk to life, health and important social structures. Specifically, this may involve targeted grazing of fire-prone vegetation or pre-burning of at-risk areas, which is currently carried out in coastal heathlands. Another measure may be to consider the composition of tree species in particularly fire-prone areas. Preventing fires through land-use management is considered more cost-effective than combating fires that spread rapidly in vegetation and to settlements. Such measures may also be relevant in Norway, but must at the same time be assessed against other considerations. The Government therefore seeks to increase knowledge of how land-use management and various forestry measures can reduce the fire hazard in particularly vulnerable areas.

The Government will also ensure that the fire and rescue service is better equipped to meet the future challenges related to extreme weather and climate change through knowledge dissemination and training at the Norwegian Fire and Rescue Academy, which educates firefighters and provides training for fire and rescue service managers. It also runs courses such as forest fire courses, which help to disseminate knowledge in the field of prevention and emergency preparedness.

In order for the fire and rescue service to be equipped for the future, including being able to deal with the consequences of climate change such as an increased risk of forest fires, the Government initiated a comprehensive review of the fire and rescue area in autumn 2022. The Government will present a white paper on the topic by the end of 2023.

6.3 Floods and landslides

6.3.1 New white paper on floods and landslides

The Government:

• will present a new white paper on flood and landslides

Floods and landslides are natural processes, but are affected by climate change and land use. Efforts are already being made to reduce the negative impact of climate change in the natural hazard field. Among other things, the government authorities assist with mapping, land-use planning, protection measures, monitoring, warning and emergency preparedness to prevent damage from floods and landslides.

Preventing flood and landslide damage may constitute valuable climate change adaptation. Relevant measures in that context include not building in vulnerable areas, or establishing physical safeguards, preferably based on nature-based solutions. Such solutions may involve preserving typical characteristics of watercourses like wetlands, floodplains, forests, edge vegetation, or river restoration with wider rivers to provide adequate space for the watercourse.

The framework for work on the prevention of flood and landslide damage was established through Report No 15 to the Storting (2011–2012) Hvordan leve med farene – om flom og skred (‘How to live with the risks of floods and landslides’ – in Norwegian only). We have since obtained new experience, expertise and knowledge of natural hazards. A changing climate makes the work on prevention increasingly important. The need for prevention is also made more pressing by increased development and other human activities in hazard areas. More knowledge, mapping and development of management practices is needed in the various parts of the natural hazard field.

In Norwegian Official Report NOU 2022: 3 På trygg grunn – Bedre håndtering av kvikkleirerisiko (‘Better management of quick clay landslide risk’ – in Norwegian only), the Gjerdrum Committee pointed out that the current regulations are unclear regarding the responsibility of different parties for securing existing buildings. In its performance audit, the Office of the Auditor General has also recommended, in Document 3:6 (2021–2022), that measures should be considered to better secure existing buildings, along with a clarification of municipal responsibilities for such security measures through guidance or other means. The Gjerdrum Committee also highlighted the need for increased efforts to improve hydro-technical facilities in agriculture and to clarify responsibilities where such areas and facilities are subjected to altered loads from upstream interventions.

The Government believes the framework for the prevention of flood and landslide damage requires review and will therefore present a new white paper on the topic in 2024. A review of the policy area will be important in order to update the knowledge and decision-making basis for managing natural hazards and to explore opportunities to develop management practices. Among other things, the white paper will assess the work related to mapping hazard areas and implementing safeguards, review current regulations and update the knowledge and decision-making basis for natural hazards.

6.3.2 Nature-based solutions for flood and landslide protection

The Government:

• will promote the use of nature-based solutions for flood and landslide protection wherever appropriate

There are a number of nature-based solutions that may be suitable for reducing flood and landslide risk while also improving the environmental condition of watercourses.10 The most important method is good land-use management. Vegetation should be left along streams and larger watercourses, as well as on steep terrain, to prevent flood and landslide risks. It is important to preserve or restore nature that is naturally flooded and acts as a natural buffer against flooding, such as wetlands and floodplains. The effects of various measures should be seen in context, for example within a catchment area, to assess how best to use the area while taking the increased risk of flooding and landslides into account.

Increased runoff in a catchment area will increase stormwater runoff and erosion, which may increase the risk of landslides. If not taken sufficiently into account, changes in land use, such as the establishment of new roads or activities like logging, may have a significant impact on stormwater runoff. Vegetation can play an important role in nature-based solutions in preventing erosion. Vegetation acts as erosion protection, helps stormwater infiltrate into the ground, reduces the risk of landslides being triggered and helps slow down rock falls.

Forests can be an effective safeguard against landslides, and are used for that purpose in many countries. In Norway, forests reduce the likelihood of landslides in many built-up areas. Good management solutions must be found that balance consideration of forests as a safeguard and as a resource for business.

Watercourse regulations will normally help to stabilise the flow of water in watercourses and can have a significant flood mitigation effect, but may also have adverse consequences for biodiversity. The Government wishes to ensure that nature-based solutions for flood and landslide protection are used wherever appropriate.

Norway’s protected rivers have great national value and together protect a representative sample of Norway’s natural river systems. The protection applies in particular to hydropower development, but the protected assets must also be taken into account in other interventions. In connection with the consideration of Report No 25 to the Storting (2015–2016) Kraft til endring – Energipolitikken mot 2030 (‘Energy policy towards 2030’ – In Norwegian only), cf. Recommendation 401 (2015–2016), the Storting agreed that the river protection system should in principle be permanent, and that power development can only be considered in cases where the objective is flood control. A unanimous committee stated that ‘power development above 1 MW in protected watercourses shall be submitted to the Storting and only be considered in cases where other flood mitigation measures have been tested, lives and health are at stake and the assets will not be significantly affected’.

6.3.3 Incentives for preventing damage to nature

The Government:

• will look at the possibility of adjusting the natural damage insurance scheme so that it better safeguards the interests of prevention, while ensuring that this does not compromise the principle of a solidarity-based and equal determination of premiums for insurance customers throughout the country

Incentives for prevention and climate change adaptation are affected by economic and regulatory instruments, ownership and schemes for financing, insurance and compensation etc. The financial and insurance industry is an important partner for the public sector in its work on climate change adaptation. Several actors point out that the current incentives pose challenges and that the incentive models for prevention should be improved so that more profitable climate change adaptation actions are implemented. Among other things, the Climate Risk Commission (2018), the Stormwater Commission (2015) and the Climate Adaptation Committee (2010) have pointed to shortcomings in the natural damage insurance scheme.11 The Government will look at the possibility of adjusting the natural damage insurance scheme so that it better safeguards the interests of prevention, while ensuring that this does not compromise the principle of a solidarity-based and equal determination of premiums for insurance customers across Norway. The need to increase incentives to prevent natural hazards must be considered in connection with the forthcoming white paper on floods and landslides.

6.3.4 Assess the requirements for protection against natural hazards

The Government:

• will assess the requirements for protection against natural hazards in the building part of the Planning and Building Act and the Technical Regulations.

Pursuant to Section 28-1 of the Planning and Building Act, it is not permitted to build in areas where a hazard risk or significant inconvenience is indicated due to natural or environmental conditions. The provision gives the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development the legal authority to stipulate more detailed provisions on requirements for protection against natural hazards in the Technical Regulations (TEK17). The legal provision and TEK17 are very significant for land-use plans and developments. More mapping and knowledge about unstable mountain areas has increased safety in areas at risk of rock falls and flood waves. At the same time, the TEK17 requirements have in some places resulted in disproportionately strict building restrictions and desired development grinding to a halt.

To facilitate further development and value creation for local communities that may be affected by rock falls and flood waves, while also safeguarding personal safety, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development changed the requirements in 2022 and 2023. However, more risk-based requirements that are better adapted to local conditions are still needed. The Government will therefore assess the requirements for protection against natural hazards in the building part of the Planning and Building Act and the Technical Regulations. The ministries have appointed a working group comprising the Norwegian Building Authority, DSB and NVE. The working group will look at the possibilities of allowing organisational safeguards and examine whether the safety requirements in TEK17 are at the appropriate level, and how the requirements can more fully take future climate change into account. The affected directorates will be involved in the work.

6.4 Buildings, infrastructure and transport

6.4.1 Climate change adaptation of the transport infrastructure

The Government:

• will concretise the work to make transport infrastructure better adapted to the future climate in the National Transport Plan (NTP) 2025–2036

• will present a comprehensive and binding plan in the NTP to reduce the maintenance backlog for county roads in collaboration with the county authorities

• will present a comprehensive and binding plan in the NTP to reduce the maintenance backlog for national roads

• will present a comprehensive and binding plan in the NTP to reduce the maintenance backlog for the railways

• will present a national implementation plan in the NTP for landslide and avalanche protection of all national roads and county roads with a high and medium landslide/avalanche factor

To ensure safe and predictable transport infrastructure, climate change adaptation must form an integral part of the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure. For example, climate change must be taken into account in the location of roads and railways and when dimensioning culverts, manholes and ditches so that they can cope with increased amounts of water. Furthermore, climate change causes more frequent damage to infrastructure with subsequent repair needs and costs. Climate change may also increase the need to maintain infrastructure that is outdated, undersized or in poor condition.

The overall strategic planning of transport infrastructure takes place through the National Transport Plan (NTP). The plan serves as a tool for coordination, investigation, management and prioritisation, and is normally rolled out every four years. The next NTP has been brought forward to spring 2024. The plan will apply for the twelve-year period from 2025 to 2036. The transport companies have provided input related to climate change adaptation of the sector to NTP. As transport infrastructure projects, operation and maintenance are prioritised in the NTP, the Government will also concretise the work to make transport infrastructure better adapted to the future climate in the plan.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries are also following up the work on climate change adaptation through management dialogue with the agencies and in owner dialogue with the companies.

County roads, national roads and railways

In order to make existing infrastructure more resilient to climate change, the maintenance backlog on roads, railways, in the shipping lanes and ports must be reduced. Among other things, there is an increased need for landslide and avalanche protection. Climate change also poses challenges in terms of road safety, preparedness and accessibility. Roads and railways must be dimensioned to cope with increased amounts of water. Operation and maintenance will also become more demanding in general.

Large parts of the Norwegian rail network are outdated, under-dimensioned or in poor condition. Over time, a large maintenance backlog has accumulated. The old infrastructure causes many faults that halt rail traffic. More frequent damage caused by climate change increases the vulnerability of the railways and the consequences may be greater than for roads as rail traffic cannot be rerouted. This applies in particular to freight transport. Climate challenges thus contribute to less regular rail freight transport and weaken competitiveness in relation to road transport.

As announced in the Hurdal Platform, the Government will in the upcoming NTP present a comprehensive and binding plan to reduce the maintenance backlog on county roads in collaboration with the county authorities. The Government will present similar plans to reduce the maintenance backlog on the national roads and rail network. The content and scope of the plans must be assessed and prioritised in relation to other projects in connection with the NTP process and within the adopted financial framework.

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has been tasked with coordinating a survey of the condition of the county roads, in collaboration with the county authorities. A good overview of their condition will be important in order to implement a comprehensive and binding plan to reduce the maintenance backlog, both for the national and county roads.

The Norwegian Railway Directorate and Bane NOR have been asked to prepare a proposal for a comprehensive and binding plan to reduce the maintenance backlog for rail infrastructure. The Government has also decided to return Spordrift AS to Bane NOR. This move will support the Government’s ambition to establish a more unified and holistic rail sector and speed up the development of a comprehensive and modern maintenance system.

Climate change exacerbates the risk of landslides. The Government will present a national implementation plan in the NTP for landslide and avalanche protection of all national roads and county roads with a high and medium landslide/avalanche factor. The plan must be prepared together with the county authorities and affected sector ministries with subordinate agencies.

6.4.2 Climate change adaptation of port infrastructure and fairways

The Government:

• will discuss the work on mapping the condition of the fishing port facilities along the coast in the NTP and assess whether the facilities are adapted to the effects of climate change

• will strengthen the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s role as a knowledge provider and guide on the impact of climate change for the ports

• will assess whether existing grant schemes can provide funding for climate change adaptation measures for port infrastructure within an unchanged grant limit

The state owns fishing port facilities along the entire coast. The Norwegian Coastal Administration is now mapping the condition of these facilities to gain an overview of the need for maintenance and repairs. Part of this mapping is to assess whether the facilities are adapted to the future effects of climate change. In 2022, quays and piers in Finnmark were mapped, and the Norwegian Coastal Administration expects to have a complete overview of all the facilities across Norway by 2024. The mapping can form the basis for outlining a plan for upgrading the state-owned fishing port facilities. Such a plan could contribute to the best possible climate change adaptation of state-owned fishing port facilities. In the NTP, the Government will discuss the work of mapping the state of the state-owned fishing port facilities along the coast, and assess whether they are adapted to the effects of climate change. Measures to upgrade and maintain state-owned fishing port facilities will also be presented in the next NTP in spring 2024.

As port authority, the Norwegian Coastal Administration has knowledge about the potential consequences of a changed climate for maritime infrastructure, including port infrastructure. The Norwegian Coastal Administration uses this knowledge in its role as specialist authority in planning matters concerning the coastal zone and in consultation submissions and objections. The Government will strengthen the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s role as a knowledge provider and guide on the impact of climate change for the ports.

The Norwegian Coastal Administration also manages various grant schemes for ports and maritime transport, including grants for investment in efficient and environmentally friendly ports and grants for municipal fishing port facilities. None of these are currently specifically targeted at climate change adaptation measures. The Government will assess whether existing grant schemes can provide funding for climate change adaptation measures for port infrastructure within an unchanged grant limit.

6.4.3 Climate change adaptation of property in the state civil sector

The Government:

• will implement climate change adaptation measures for property in the state civil sector

The state is a major property manager. Major assets are tied up in property, and the buildings house important functions. Climate-related damage can have far-reaching consequences for property in the state civil sector and may affect the operation of the state-owned enterprises that use the buildings. In extreme cases, damage to the properties may pose a risk to life and health. Damage can also result in loss of architectural and cultural heritage. The Government will therefore implement climate change adaptation measures for property in the state civil sector. In order to adapt existing buildings and property at the right level, state property managers must map the risk of climate-related damage and draw up the necessary plans for implementing and financing climate change adaptation measures. Statsbygg has already mapped the properties that they manage. The Government has now initiated work on obtaining a similar overview of other properties in the state civil sector. Climate risk must also be considered before initiating new building projects. The cheapest measure is to avoid building where the risk is high.

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Green roofs can have a flood mitigation effect since they retain water. In addition, green roofs contribute to biodiversity and cleaner air. The photo shows a sedum roof at Campus Ås (Norwegian University of Life Sciences).

Photo: Statsbygg.

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The potato is one of the food crops with the largest growing areas in Norway. It has fed us through the ages and can continue to do so. A good potato harvest requires keeping frost, moisture and disease at bay. The photo shows the potato ‘Gulløye’.

Photo: Ulrike Naumann, Tromspotet AS.

6.4.4 Climate change adaptation in the licensing of new energy facilities

The Government:

• will safeguard climate change adaptation through the licensing of new energy facilities, guidance and supervisory activities

A secure power supply is contingent on active efforts to reduce the negative impact of climate change on energy facilities. This requires that climate change is taken into account, both in power production and power distribution. The Government will safeguard climate change adaptation through the licensing of new energy facilities, guidance and supervisory activities. At present, measures are implemented through the licensing of new energy facilities, guidance and supervisory activities. NVE has, among other things, implemented changes in its own case management tools to bring licensing and other exercise of authority in line with the requirements that follow from the central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate change adaptation.

6.5 Agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture

6.5.1 Climate change adaptation in agriculture

The Government:

• will continue to work on climate change adaptation measures and climate resilient farming systems that can contribute to achieving agricultural policy goals and the national target for climate change adaptation, and safeguarding other social interests

• will prepare a mandate and appoint a broadly composed working group with members from research, industry and the public administration to review climate change adaptation in agriculture

• will make an assessment of how the agricultural sector’s policy instruments can be used to facilitate climate change adaptation and climate-resilient farming systems in connection with the follow-up of the working group’s assessments

The agricultural sector must be equipped to ensure the necessary production and climate change adaptation, while reducing its environmental impact. To achieve this, cooperation and joint solutions must be established with farmers, landowners and business actors across the country. Climate change adaptation in agriculture is particularly important in primary production, but also in other parts of the agricultural value chain.

Technology development and new knowledge of agronomy, different farming systems, variety development and livestock breeding will play a key role in the further development of a forward-looking and climate-adapted agricultural sector. The Government will therefore continue working on climate change adaptation measures and climate-resilient farming methods that can contribute to achieving agricultural policy goals and the national target for climate change adaptation, and safeguard other social interests.

The need for climate change adaptation in individual farming and cultivation systems was reviewed by a working group, which submitted the report Landbruk og klimaendringer (‘Agriculture and climate change’ – in Norwegian only) in 2016. The Government will prepare a mandate and appoint a broadly composed working group which will review climate change adaptation in agriculture and update knowledge in accordance with the 2016 report, including new findings from the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report. The working group will also review how overriding social considerations can be safeguarded by climate change adaptation on agricultural land. In connection with the follow-up of the working group’s assessments, the Government will assess how the agricultural sector’s policy instruments can be used to facilitate climate change adaptation and climate-resilient farming systems.

6.5.2 Good use and strong protection of agricultural land

Maintaining agriculture across Norway will be important for maintaining opportunities and spreading risk in the face of climate change. Making use of varied resources, including by investing in rough grazing and new feed resources, is an important part of this work. Going forward, cultivation systems must be prepared for a climate that shifts towards higher temperatures, longer frost-free periods, more freeze/thaw episodes, extreme precipitation, drought and changed biodiversity.

Climate change may increase the significance of food production at our latitudes, with more emphasis placed on self-sufficiency and food production in Norway. The Government has recently presented a new soil conservation strategy with a new and more stringent target for the redistribution of arable land and measures to achieve this target. Keeping arable land in good condition is essential for food production and adaptation to a changed climate. It is therefore important for the Government to develop knowledge, practices and incentives that safeguard soil health and soil functions.

6.5.3 Cooperation between the public administration and industry on climate change adaptation in reindeer husbandry

Inaccessible pastures due to ice and heavy snow can pose a risk to animal welfare and production. Reindeer husbandry has undergone major grazing crises in large parts of the northernmost counties in recent years. The parties to the Reindeer Husbandry Agreement engage in regular dialogue about the work on emergency preparedness and handling of grazing crises in reindeer husbandry. An important part of climate change adaptation in reindeer husbandry is to be able to take action quickly in the event of a grazing crisis. Supplementary feeding is an important strategy to reduce the consequences of inaccessible pastures. The reindeer husbandry industry requires expertise in this area and a course has been developed on supplementary feeding for the industry.

Another strategy for managing the consequences of inaccessible pastures is changes in land use, for example changes to when the animals are moved between seasonal pastures. Changes in land use require that enough land is available for reindeer husbandry, and that no other factors reduce the flexibility of the land use, such as developments, livestock grazing or predators. The municipalities must have greater awareness of how climate change can affect reindeer husbandry’s resource base and municipal land-use planning must address the need for flexibility in grazing areas. This is an important element in the county governor’s dialogue with the municipalities.

Climate change can also lead to a rise in reindeer diseases. This requires more attention from the reindeer husbandry industry and increased knowledge in both the industry and the veterinary service. A pilot project has been established for a health service for reindeer. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute plays a key role here as the host organisation for the health service.

Climate change makes reindeer grazing areas more unsafe because rivers and lakes may freeze and thaw at unpredictable times. Through the Reindeer Husbandry Agreement, a health, safety and environment (HSE) service has been established for reindeer husbandry in the Norwegian Agricultural Extension Service. Continued focus on HSE in reindeer husbandry is an important climate change adaptation measure.

In the Reindeer Husbandry Agreement 2023/2024, the parties to the agreement agreed to establish a working group to examine the challenges posed by climate change for reindeer husbandry and how they should be addressed. The working group will assess existing and new policy instruments and how the reindeer husbandry industry’s experience-based knowledge can form the basis for work on climate change adaptation. The working group will also identify research needs and the need for advice on climate change adaptation.

6.5.4 Forestry is important for climate change adaptation

Adaptation measures in forestry pose particular challenges due to forests’ long cutting cycle. The trees planted today must tolerate the climate in 70–100 years, while also being adapted to today’s climate. Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has commissioned the Norwegian Forest Seed Centre (Det norske Skogfrøverk) and the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) to develop seeds and forest plants that are better adapted to a changing climate. The breeding work has mainly focused on spruce (Picea abies), but a breeding programme for pine (Pinus sylvestris) has now also been initiated. Increased breeding efforts targeting other Norwegian tree species for forestry purposes may also be necessary. The Norwegian Forest Seed Centre also makes recommendations on the use of forest seeds collected in Norwegian and Swedish seed plantations and in forest populations, which are being further developed to address future climate change. In collaboration with NIBIO, the Norwegian Agriculture Agency has also prepared an emergency preparedness plan to handle a major bark beetle infestation in forests in Norway. The reason for the plan is the large bark beetle infestations in parts of Europe, which have given rise to growing concerns about a major outbreak in Norway. This emergency preparedness plan will be an important part of the forestry industry’s climate change adaptation work.

The Forestry Act states that the county governors may issue regulations to the effect that a forest shall be a protective forest when the forest serves as protection for another forest or provides protection against natural damage. In collaboration with the NVE, the Norwegian Agriculture Agency has assessed various management models for using forests and forest management as safeguards against landslides and avalanches. They recommend a solution whereby the protective forest provision in Section 12 of the Forestry Act is used to issue management rules for zones requiring special consideration that can be established in land use and zoning plans under the Planning and Building Act. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food will assess the proposal and investigate the issue in more detail in its work on climate change adaptation.

There are several forest management measures that make forests more resilient in the face of climate change and prevent forest damage. Climate change makes it necessary to consider changing tree species, or establishing mixed forests in places where the currents tree species show signs of not being adapted to the climate or where existing forests are threatened by climate-related forest damage.

6.5.5 Knowledge and tools for climate change adaptation in fisheries and aquaculture

The Government:

• will develop tools and methods to gain more knowledge about the observed and future impact of climate change on the ocean

• will develop knowledge about marine stocks, communities and ecosystems’ vulnerability and resilience to climate change and other simultaneous human impacts, including extreme events

• will develop knowledge about possible measures that mitigate the effects of climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from marine activities or increasing carbon uptake and carbon sequestration

A robust knowledge base is a prerequisite for designing climate change adaptation measures, and more knowledge is needed in several areas. The Government will develop tools and methods to gain more knowledge about the observed and future impact of climate change on the ocean. The Government will also endeavour to develop knowledge about marine stocks, communities and ecosystems’ vulnerability and resilience to climate change, including extreme events, and other simultaneous human impacts. In addition, the Government will develop knowledge about possible measures that mitigate the effects of climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from marine activities or increasing carbon uptake and carbon sequestration. These measures will give the Government a better basis for safeguarding nature and the environment, while ensuring continued sustainable production and harvesting of seafood.

More knowledge is needed about the impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture and the measures required to deal with these consequences. Among other things, we need knowledge about nature’s ability to withstand expected changes in the environment. In view of the industry’s further development in a changed climate, it will also be useful to explore new aquaculture species.

6.6 Business and industry

The business sector makes an important contribution to the transition to a climate-resilient society in several ways. By exploiting the market opportunities that emerge in a changing climate, the business sector can contribute to better and more affordable adaptation in other sectors while maintaining or increasing its value creation. Climate change adaptation in the business sector must be seen in light of the continuous transformation that is taking place in the sector. A high capacity for innovation and transformation in general could reduce the negative impact of climate change on the business sector as a whole. Policies that contribute to an adaptable, innovative and competitive business sector can therefore also contribute to companies’ adaptation. The Government is working to achieve good overall framework conditions for value creation, innovation and restructuring that enable companies to implement adaptation measures, change business practice in line with changed conditions and exploit the opportunities that climate change presents.

6.6.1 Climate risk and sustainability reporting

The Government:

• will contribute constructively to the EU’s efforts to further develop the taxonomy for sustainable economic activities, with the goal of the system being a useful tool for Norwegian companies

The financial industry can play an important role, for example by channelling capital to climate change adaptation and facilitating risk sharing and equalisation. There is extensive regulatory development in the field of sustainable finance in the EU to fund the transition to a sustainable economy and manage financial risks related to climate change and more stringent climate policies.

The EU’s classification system for sustainable economic activity (known as the taxonomy) is a key measure to help financial markets channel capital to profitable sustainable activities and projects. The fact that the actors in the financial markets have not had common definitions of what is sustainable may have made it difficult to identify which investments are in line with long-term climate and environmental goals. The goal is for the taxonomy to become the tool that banks, investors and companies have so far lacked.

The Taxonomy Regulation establishes the overall framework for the system.12 A new Act on sustainable finance that implements the Taxonomy Regulation in Norwegian law entered into force on 1 January 2023.13 Climate change adaptation is one of the six objectives of the Taxonomy Regulation. In order to be defined as sustainable, an activity must contribute significantly to achieving at least one of the objectives and do no significant harm to the other objectives. In addition, the activity must meet minimum social and governance requirements.14

The European Commission sets out further criteria for when activities can be defined as sustainable. The first set of taxonomy criteria covers activities that can contribute to climate change adaptation and reduce and prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The set of criteria covers around 90 different activities that can contribute to climate change adaptation, including power production, forestry, insurance, construction and property. The criteria entered into force in the EU on 1 January 2022 and in Norway on 1 January 2023. The European Commission will establish criteria for more of the six objectives and for more activities that can contribute to climate change adaptation and reduce and prevent greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commission is advised by the Platform on Sustainable Finance (PSF) in the process of developing the criteria.

The Government will contribute constructively to the EU’s efforts to further develop the taxonomy for sustainable economic activities, with the goal of the system being a useful tool for Norwegian companies. The goal is to ensure that the system can serve as a tool for Norwegian companies that want to expand operations that are already sustainable or that want to restructure their operations in a sustainable direction. As part of this, the Government provides input to the European Commission’s work in the Member States’ expert group on sustainable finance and in public consultations, and is in dialogue with Norwegian stakeholders on the proposals from the European Commission and the advisory body PSF.

6.6.2 New directive for companies’ sustainability reporting

A new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) was adopted in the EU in December 2022. Among other things, the CSRD amends the Accounting Directive, the Reporting Directive, the Statutory Audit Directive and the Statutory Audit Regulation and aims to facilitate the transition to a sustainable economy. The goal is to ensure that sufficient public information is available about the sustainability risks companies are exposed to, and companies’ impact on the environment. The Directive will be complemented by standards for sustainability reporting, which will include the physical climate risk to which individual companies are exposed and how they should work to reduce these risks. The Government is positive to developing common standards for sustainability reporting at the European level that can contribute to better and more comparable information on sustainability.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive is relevant to the EEA. The Securities Law Committee has been mandated to investigate how the directive is to be incorporated into Norwegian law and submitted its report NOU 2023: 15 Bærekraftsrapportering – gjennomføring av direktivet om bærekraftsrapportering (‘Implementation of the sustainability reporting directive (CSRD)’ – in Norwegian only) in May 2023. The report has been submitted for consultation.

In anticipation of new statutory reporting requirements, the Government stated in Report No 12 to the Storting (2021–2022) Finansmarkedsmeldingen 2022 (‘Financial Market Report 2022’ – in Norwegian only), that large Norwegian companies are expected to include information in their corporate reporting on how they are affected by and deal with climate and environmental risks, and how their activities impact the climate and environment. The Government also encouraged companies that are not subject to legal requirements to report information relevant to the climate and the environment on a voluntary basis.

6.6.3 Climate risk in Norwegian financial institutions

In Report No 12 to the Storting (2021–2022) Finansmarkedsmeldingen 2022 (‘Financial Market Report 2022’ – in Norwegian only), the Government announced that it will enable stress testing of climate risk to be used as a tool in the work on financial stability. The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway and Norges Bank are working to further develop analyses that may help provide greater knowledge of climate-related risk in Norwegian financial institutions and its impact on financial stability.

Sustainability risk is part of the Financial Supervisory Authority’s supervision of Norwegian financial institutions. Major Norwegian financial institutions are also included in stress tests and other analyses that are carried out jointly at the European level. Furthermore, Norges Bank plans, among other things, to conduct a climate stress test in 2024, which will map how climate change and the transition to a low-emission society will affect the financial institutions and their profitability.

6.6.4 Cooperation between the business sector and the authorities

In its work on climate change adaptation, the Government is keen to have a good dialogue with the business sector. Dialogue and cooperation with the business sector is important for the authorities to obtain advice and input on how climate change affects companies, what adaptation measures may be relevant for the public authorities and business sector to implement themselves, and how to facilitate the greatest possible value creation in the business sector within a sustainable and climate-resilient framework. A good understanding of climate risk is also key to the business sector developing operating systems and business models that adapt to climate change. Existing arenas for cooperation, such as climate partnerships for the business sector, may be relevant as a starting point for closer dialogue also on climate change adaptation.

Climate change poses a risk for companies and businesses in a number of industries. At the same time, the transition to a climate-resilient society can also provide new business opportunities. To limit risk and exploit opportunities, the business sector needs knowledge. It is therefore important that knowledge and data on climate change and its consequences are disseminated to the business sector, to enable it to make decisions and investments. This can apply to how a company should adapt to climate change and maintain its competitiveness, and to the location and design of commercial buildings. The Government must therefore ensure that knowledge of physical climate risk is available to the business sector.

6.6.5 Active owner follow-up to reduce climate risk

In Report No 6 to the Storting (2022–2023) A greener and more active state ownership – The state’s direct ownership of companies, the Government has included sustainability considerations in the state’s goals as owner and clarified its expectations of companies with a state ownership interest as regards the work on climate. As owner, the state is concerned with ensuring that the companies identify risks, opportunities and the need to restructure their operations. This may include conducting scenario analyses to assess risk and mapping their room for manoeuvre. Good risk management can help reduce companies’ cost of capital and increase their competitiveness over time. The state as owner will actively follow up the companies’ work on climate based on the division of responsibilities and roles set out in company law between the owner, the board of directors and the general manager.

6.6.6 Tourism in a changing climate

The Government:

• will consider how Norwegian Official Report NOU 2023: 10 Leve og oppleve – Reisemål for en bærekraftig fremtid (‘Living and experiencing – Destinations for a sustainable future’ – in Norwegian only) can be followed up with a view to climate change adaptation in tourism

The committee for travel destination development Reisemålsutvalget has conducted a comprehensive review of relevant framework conditions for the development of tourism activities in Norwegian municipalities. In its report NOU 2023: 10 Living and experiencing – Destinations for a sustainable future, the Committee has, among other things, looked at greenhouse gas emissions, climate risk and climate change adaptation in Norwegian tourism. Both physical climate risk and transitional risk will depend on the type of tourism activity and its location. The measures in connection with these forms of risk must be assessed on the basis of, among other things, regional climate profiles, expected climate policy and expected technological development. The Committee’s report was presented and distributed for public consultation in spring 2023. After the consultation period, the Government will consider how the report can be followed up with regard to climate change adaptation in tourism.

6.7 Health

6.7.1 Follow up the national health impact analysis

The Government:

• will consider how the national analysis of vulnerability and adaptation needs in the healthcare sector as a result of climate-related changes and acute climate events should be followed up

During the UN climate summit in Glasgow 2021 (COP26), Norway endorsed the climate conference’s health programme. The overall goal of the health programme is to contribute to a greener health sector with an adapted health and care service that has plans in place for dealing with climate events and the longer-term effects of climate change. The plans in the health programme must be based on relevant data on the impact of climate change on health, morbidity and mortality and include measures for prevention and adaptation. As part of the health programme, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health recently prepared a national analysis of vulnerability and adaptation needs in the health and care sector as a result of climate-related changes and acute climate events. The analysis includes the impact of climate change on health, morbidity and mortality and has identified the need for more knowledge and data on the impact of climate change on health. The Government will consider how the national analysis should be followed up in its further work on climate change adaptation and health.

In Report No 15 to the Storting (2022–2023) Folkehelsemeldinga – Nasjonal strategi for utjamning av sociale helseforskjellar (‘Public Health Report – National Strategy for reducing social inequalities in health’ – in Norwegian only), the Government emphasises the connection between climate change and public health. Climate change is highlighted as one of three important factors that will affect public health in the future. In the white paper, the Government has, among other things, announced that the municipalities’ knowledge of the consequences of and responses to heatwaves will be strengthened with a view to protecting vulnerable groups.

6.8 Foreign, defence and security policy

6.8.1 Climate change, peace and security

The Government:

• will contribute to the integration of climate-related security risks and threats into the decision-making basis of international organisations

• will develop scenario analyses as a tool for highlighting both future conflict potential and opportunities for preventive diplomacy related to climate-related security risks in particularly vulnerable countries/regions

• will follow up and support the UN’s work on climate, peace and security at the country level, including through peace operations and special political missions

• will contribute to the operationalisation of the peace element in the climate, peace and security nexus by actively stimulating local and regional cooperation on climate change adaptation and good nature management, including water, forest and resource management

The Government will contribute to the integration of climate-related security risks and threats into the decision-making basis of international organisations. Research on the security policy effects of climate change points in particular to the increased risk of conflicts over scarce natural resources such as water, food and land.15 Competition for the use of scarce natural resources is often a trigger for migration, and, in many areas, climate change reinforces this trend. Locally, loss of a business base due to climate change can create conflicts through migration in the region. The threat landscape can take on geopolitical dimensions when the very existence of a country is threatened by a lack of water, sea level rise or deforestation.

However, cooperation on climate change adaptation can also create opportunities for building confidence and peace between groups in conflict. Scenario analyses should increasingly be used to identify the possibilities. This will reveal future conflict potential as a result of climate-related security risks, and also highlight peace-building potential.

The Government will develop scenario analyses as a tool for highlighting both future conflict potential and opportunities for preventive diplomacy related to climate-related security risks in particularly vulnerable countries/regions. Climate and security was a priority topic for Norway during its membership of the UN Security Council. As part of this work, emphasis was placed on strengthening the knowledge, information and analytical basis for the links between climate and security, with a particular focus on relevant country contexts.

The Government will follow up and support the UN’s work on climate, peace and security at the country level, including through peace operations and special political missions. The Government will contribute to the operationalisation of the peace element in the climate, peace and security nexus by actively stimulating local and regional cooperation on climate change adaptation and good nature management, including water, forest and resource management.

6.8.2 Take climate change into account in defence planning

The defence sector must actively contribute to national emission reduction efforts, take account of climate change in defence planning and simultaneously adapt to a potentially changed threat landscape as a result of climate change. Climate change can affect the entire spectrum of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ operational activities and create new challenges for how the defence sector solves missions in times of peace, crisis and war. The melting of sea ice in the Arctic opens up new sea routes for private and military actors, which can lead to increased activity in our neighbouring areas. This increases the need for surveillance and can place new demands on vessels and aircraft that will have to operate further north than before. It can also result in changing logistics and support needs, and additional search and rescue resource needs. Milder winters can have consequences for the use of materials, for example for heavy tracked vehicles that depend on frozen ground and frozen water for accessibility in winter. More frequent extreme weather events place new demands on property, buildings and materials. At the same time, wars and conflicts, wholly or partly due to climate change, may create the need for more assistance to civilian and military crisis management in the coming years.

Knowledge and cooperation are necessary to understand the consequences of climate change. The knowledge base will increase through research activities and studies. The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment works to develop knowledge on how the defence sector is affected by climate change militarily and on measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This work continues and the future shape of the Armed Forces will increasingly be influenced by climate change adaptation.

Climate change adaptation is one of five focus areas in the defence sector’s own climate and environmental strategy, which has been developed by the four agencies in the sector in cooperation. This cooperation will ensure that efforts are made to adapt infrastructure, property, buildings, facilities, materials, exercises, operations and emergency preparedness in line with the changing climate. Furthermore, the defence sector must maintain close cooperation with industry and international partners. This is an important tool in the development of future solutions.

In Report No 10 to the Storting (2021–2022) Prioriterte endringer, status og tiltak i forsvarssektoren (‘Priority changes, status and measures in the defence sector’ – in Norwegian only), the Government announced that the defence sector must adapt to the fact that the threat landscape, operational activities and infrastructure can potentially be affected by climate change. From an operational point of view, it is important for the sector to understand the consequences of climate change and society’s climate measures so that exercises, operations, property, buildings, facilities, materials and emergency preparedness can be adapted to the future climate. This must be assessed comprehensively and specified in defence planning. The defence sector’s long-term plans are presented to the Storting as propositions. The work on a new long-term plan is underway, and the Government will present the updated long-term plan to the Storting in 2024.

6.8.3 Climate change adaptation in international defence and security cooperation

The Government considers it important that the defence sector bases its threat assessments on the broad range of new potential security threats that arise from the consequences of the climate and nature crises. A new strategic concept for NATO was adopted at the summit in June 2022. Among other things, the member states agreed that the Alliance should be at the forefront of the work on assessing the impact of climate change on defence and security and addressing these challenges. At the NATO Summit in June 2021, the Alliance agreed to establish a NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE). The centre will contribute to developing and sharing knowledge about the security implications of climate change, develop solutions for adaptation and for how the Alliance can contribute to reducing the climate footprint of military activities. Norway has decided to contribute by staffing a management position at the centre and contributing financially to its operation. The centre is scheduled to open in Montreal in October 2023.

6.9 Aid and development cooperation

6.9.1 Reduce climate vulnerability in developing countries

The Government:

• will at least triple Norwegian support for climate change adaptation up until 2026 compared with 2020 within the framework of the strategy Climate change, hunger and vulnerability

• will contribute to reducing climate vulnerability in developing countries, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable countries

Norway’s responsibility to help ensure that poor countries and people affected by climate change have the opportunity to adapt to climate change is a commitment laid down in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and in the Paris Agreement. The increasing scale and consequences of climate change have already put pressure on industrialised countries to increase their contributions to the funding of adaptation measures in developing countries. At the COP26 climate summit in 2021, all countries agreed to increase funding for climate change adaptation with the goal of doubling funding for this purpose by 2025.

Climate is a priority area in development policy, and support for climate change adaptation is a key part of this. The Government is stepping up Norwegian efforts to ensure that climate-vulnerable communities can adapt to a changing climate and will at least triple support for climate change adaptation by 2026 compared with 2020. Increasing support for climate change adaptation takes place within the framework of the strategy for climate change adaptation, the prevention of climate-related disasters and the fight against hunger Climate change, hunger and vulnerability.

The Government will contribute to reducing climate vulnerability in developing countries, with special emphasis on the most vulnerable countries. The degree of climate vulnerability is affected by poverty, geographical location, governance challenges, the economic situation, conflicts and crises. The Norwegian support is intended help the countries to develop national adaptation plans and obtain resources to implement them. It will also help to ensure that climate change adaptation measures are integrated into policies, strategies and planning in line with national priorities. In the long term, this will reduce climate vulnerability and hunger in developing countries. It will also help combat inequality and ensure the inclusion of the most vulnerable, women, children and young people, as well as people with disabilities.

Loss and damage caused by climate change is an issue that is high on the international agenda. At the COP27 climate summit in 2022, it was agreed to increase funding for measures to manage loss and damage (avoid, prevent, address) through the establishment of new funding schemes and a new fund for this purpose. The Norwegian support for climate change adaptation will therefore also help to prevent and address loss and damage caused by climate change.

6.9.2 Driver for interaction between humanitarian efforts and long-term development work

The Government:

• will facilitate good interaction between humanitarian efforts and long-term development work and be a driving force for this also internationally

Norwegian humanitarian efforts will contribute to reducing vulnerability and lay the foundation for more lasting solutions. Comprehensive efforts require good interaction and complementarity between humanitarian and long-term funding in the planning and implementation of measures. This must happen at both the national level and in global forums. The Government will facilitate good interaction between humanitarian efforts and long-term development work and be a driving force for this also internationally.

Prevention and good preparedness are key to climate change adaptation and essential to reducing future humanitarian needs. The goal is to avoid and limit the scope of humanitarian crises. Effective management of loss and damage related to climate change also requires seeing humanitarian efforts and long-term development work in context. Norway supports measures such as climate services and early warning of extreme weather as well as mitigation measures. This work will be further strengthened.

6.10 Svalbard

6.10.1 New white paper on Svalbard

The Government:

• will further consider the need for climate change adaptation measures in Svalbard in the white paper on Svalbard, to be presented in spring 2024

The need to adapt the public administration to nature that is becoming increasingly vulnerable as a result of climate change has been emphasised in the last two white papers on Svalbard, most recently in Report No 32 to the Storting (2015–2016) Svalbard, and several actions have been taken, including a number of measures to address the increased avalanche risk in Longyearbyen. This includes avalanche protection, flood control, avalanche warning, demolition of housing and construction of replacement housing. The Government will consider the need for climate change adaptation measures in Svalbard in more detail in the white paper on Svalbard, which will be presented in spring 2024. The challenges described in the Office of the Auditor General’s report on Svalbard companies’ management of climate challenges (Document 3:2 (2021–2022)) will also be discussed in the white paper.

Several of the actions announced in chapters 4, 5 and 6 of this white paper are relevant to and will encompass Svalbard. This applies, among other things, to the review of policy instruments and several of the measures related to civil protection, social and land-use planning and knowledge.

7 Financial and administrative consequences

Climate change affects all areas of society and all sectors, both directly and indirectly, and the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly complex and demanding to handle. With the measures discussed in this white paper, the Government endeavours to make Norway more resilient and better adapted to climate change. The plan for the national climate change adaptation work for the period 2024–2028, discussed in chapters 5 and 6, contains both cross-sectoral and sector-specific measures.

Some of the actions mentioned in the white paper have already been initiated, while others are new. The new measures and policy instruments announced in the white paper will be implemented within the applicable budgetary framework. The Government will return to the financial consequences of any new measures in the budget for each year. The annual budget follow-up will, among other things, depend on economic developments and the budget situation.

This white paper announces the introduction of an improved governance system for national climate change adaptation work – including the preparation of regular climate change vulnerability analyses and procedures for updating adaptation policy. The system will contribute to more systematic and better coordinated efforts in the national climate change adaptation work.

Preparation of a national climate change vulnerability analysis and procedures for updating the Government’s climate change adaptation policy will require cross-sectoral cooperation. The Norwegian Environment Agency is assigned responsibility for developing climate change vulnerability analyses and will cooperate with relevant sector authorities and actors.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment, which is responsible for the Government’s overall work on climate change adaptation, will have the main responsibility for coordinating the work of updating the Government’s climate change adaptation policy and preparing the next white paper in four years’ time. This work will be carried out in collaboration with the sector ministries, which are responsible for addressing climate change in their respective areas. The changes in the governance system may require changes to administrative and budgetary priorities for the Ministry of Climate and Environment, subordinate agencies and other ministries, within the budgetary framework applicable at all times.

Climate change entails major costs for society, but it is difficult to calculate the exact costs associated with climate change in Norway and the spillover effects of climate change in other countries. It is also challenging to price the additional social and environmental benefits of climate change adaptation. The costs of adapting Norway to climate change will vary between sectors and areas of society and depend, among other things, on the type of measures needed and the scope of the effort required.

There is currently no overview of the total costs to society, either related to damage and loss as a result of climate change or expenses for adaptation measures. The European Commission points out that climate change causes damage of around EUR 12 billion in the EU annually, and that this figure is expected to increase to EUR 170 billion if global warming reaches three degrees above pre-industrial levels.16 Preventing the adverse effects of climate change could help reduce future costs. A 2019 report by the Global Commission on Adaptation estimated that the cost-benefit ratio for climate change adaptation/improved resilience to climate change lies between 1:2 and 1:10 depending on the sector area and type of measures.17

In order to ensure that the benefits of climate change adaptation exceed the costs wherever possible, we need more knowledge about what climate change will cost Norwegian society now and in the future, and about which priority areas and measures are profitable and cost-effective. An estimate of the long-term socio-economic consequences for vulnerable sectors and regions will be useful for prioritising measures. In this white paper, the Government therefore announces that an expert committee will be appointed to obtain more knowledge about the socio-economic consequences of climate change for vulnerable sectors and regions in Norway. The committee will also identify priority areas where the potential for reducing climate-related risk is high, assessed in relation to the cost of measures. This will help ensure that profitable climate change adaptation measures can be implemented.