7 October 2010: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a working paper titled “Norway – Sustainable Development: Climate Change and Fisheries Policies.”

The focus on climate change and fisheries is due to Norway’s high fossil fuel and fish exports, both of which have important environmental components. The working paper explores progress, problems and contradictions of Norwegian efforts to preserve natural capital through the precautionary principle, and offers lessons learned. Main conclusions of the report include: that Norway’s 2008 sustainable development strategy has established useful principles for promoting green growth, but that the strategy’s objectives and potential trade-offs could be clarified; that Norway could further benefit from carbon taxes and emission trading systems in ways that could address leakage; and that sustainable fisheries depend on international cooperation. [The Working Paper]