Norway is a strong driving force in international environmental issues. It is a small country with few major environmental problems of its own, but serious damage to its environment can be caused by activities in other countries.
Examples of damage caused by other countries are acid rain, nuclear accidents and environmental toxins in arctic food chains.
Motivation for Norwegian international efforts:
• to protect Norway's own environment
• to contribute towards solving environmental problems in other countries
• other foreign policy and development priorities
Priority areas
At global level, Norway is giving priority to co-operation in these areas:
• biological diversity
• hazardous chemicals
• climate change
• oceans and seas
Chair of the CSD
In May 2003 the Norwegian Minister of the Environment, Mr. Børge Brende, was elected Chairman of The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).
The CSD has a leading role within the United Nations in monitoring and ensuring the implementation of the targets from the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
One of the main topics for the Commission's work in the next two years will be water and sanitation. Increasing the access to freshwater and sanitation services, as well as developing environmentally sound systems of water resources management may be the two most important initiatives in order to improve living conditions for the poor, and to achieve sustainable development.
Environmental assistance
One of the primary goals of Norwegian development policy is to contribute to sound management of the global environment and biological diversity.
Priority areas of Norwegian development policy and co-operation with developing countries:
• sustainable production systems
• conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
• pollution reduction
• protection of the cultural heritage
• management of the cultural environments
By the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment