– Catastrophically bad – E24

SV has received a response from the Ministry of Finance on how much of the crisis packages of the last year have been earmarked for the green transition.

The answer is NOK 4.1 billion in 2020 and 2021 together, if you only look at direct support for green measures through crisis packages (see table).

By comparison, the government’s general support schemes for businesses and industries last year and this year are priced at around NOK 95 billion. The government has also set aside more than NOK 100 billion in the form of loan and guarantee schemes.

SV believes that there should have been a much greater green share in the crisis packages.

– It’s catastrophically bad, SV Deputy Leader Torgeir Knag Fylkesnes tells E24.

– Includes much more

“Creating a green future” was one of seven points in the government’s plan to drag Norway through the crown crisis.

The Finance Ministry says in its response to SV that this point also refers to other green government measures, not just those covered by crisis packages.

“The transition to a greener Norway includes much more than economic measures against the pandemic,” the ministry writes.

– Can be sailed completely aft

Fylkesnes notes that the EU has announced a major investment in green change in the wake of the crown crisis, including through the EU Green Deal. According to SV, the EU has earmarked 37 percent of its crisis money for ecological purposes.

Among other things, the EU is investing tens of billions of crowns in hydrogen and batteries. The trading bloc also has big plans in industries like offshore wind.

– Here we may be in danger of forging and building and establishing industry throughout our immediate region, in areas where we have special prerequisites for success. We can sail fully aft, while neighboring countries increase speed enormously, says Fylkesnes.

SV’s deputy leader fears Norwegian companies will miss out on opportunities when business partners spend billions on green change.

– It shows a form of catastrophic incompetence in corporate policy that will haunt us for a long time. Now the trains are running and they leave us on the platform, he says.

Important parts for conversion

Climate and Environment Minister Sveinung Rotevatn (V) disagrees.

– I want to reserve the word ‘disaster’ for real disasters, Rotevatn tells E24.

– Is very little of the money from the crisis going to green conversion?

– I think the answer is that a significant part of the money from the crisis goes to green conversion, says the Minister of Climate.

– Not only investments in new green projects, but also money destined to the maintenance of the business community. You won’t get any more restructuring from having a wave of bankruptcies in the corporate world, says Rotevatn.

He also points out that government investments are not harmful to the environment, even if they are not intended for green change.

– Supporting the business community is not opposed to supporting green change. We invest heavily in green conversion both through crisis packages and in the regular state budget, including our investment in CO₂ capture and storage, where the state contributes around 16 billion, and our record allocations of around 32 thousand million for railways, says Rotevatn.

You want bigger investments

Fylkesnes called earlier this week for a plan for further restructuring. Industry group Prosess21 proposed on Monday a binding agreement between the state and industry to secure new green jobs, reduce emissions and double the value of exports.

SV’s deputy leader wants the state to help more green sectors get started.

– We are particularly targeting floating offshore wind, batteries, CO₂ capture, storage and use, green transportation and bio-industry, he says.

“Only with batteries we have left two trains thanks to these IPCEI projects in the EU,” says Fylkesnes.

Norway recently joined the IPCEI collaboration on hydrogen projects, but is not participating in the collaboration on batteries so far.

– Through boring

SV’s deputy leader believes green jobs are needed to replace oil jobs. The number of oil employees may decrease by an average of 4,000 to 6,000 per year from 2025 to 2050, according to a report by the government committee “Norway to 2025”, which refers to estimates from Statistics Norway.

– What I have problems is that it operates on a very small scale in Norway, while neighboring countries think big. It’s downright boring. You sleep an hour, says Fylkesnes.

– We have a weak political culture for large investments in Norway at the moment. We live off the success of our ancestors. We sit almost in shock and paralyzed and watch the world move, as we sit and watch.

Has scattered billions

Rotevatn denies that the government is doing too little to raise large investments, noting that hundreds of millions have been given to hydrogen ships, more than two billion to the Hywind Tampen offshore wind project and more than 16 billion to the CO₂ purification project. Langskip.

– I think we’re very focused. There are new hydrogen projects almost every week as a result of Enova’s support, government bidding requirements, and EU support. I think a lot of good things are happening, says Rotevatn.

It also brings a tax cut to Fylkesnes.

– So SV will probably always have bigger budget funds than other parties, because they collect more taxes from the business community. It is also taken from the bottom line of the companies. I think most people in the green business would rather choose government green initiatives than SV’s state budget, says Rotevatn.

– On a moving train

– Does SV believe, among other things, that Norway should be part of the IPCEI scheme for batteries, that investment in green conversion is catastrophically bad and that trains are leaving us?

– SV wants us to exclude ourselves from the EEA, but also wants us to participate in EU programs. They can’t do both at the same time, says Rotevatn.

– If you think we stayed on the platform with the sea wind, then you have not followed. We are building the largest floating offshore wind farm in the world and have announced areas for new offshore wind farms. We are very much on a moving train, says the Minister.