The Business Sector’s NOx Fund

The establishment of the Business Sector’s NOx Fund means that NOK 500 Million each year will be allocated to NOx reductions.

Norway’s emissions of the environmentally hazardous waste gas NOx may be significantly reduced through the agreement which 14 business organisations have entered into with the Ministry of the Environment.

Enterprises that sign the agreement will be exempt from paying NOx tax for a period of three years, but in return they will have to commit to reducing their NOx emissions. The NOx tax was introduced on 1. January 2007.

Through the Gothenburg Protocol Norway is committed to reducing its total annual NOx emissions to a maximum of 156,000 metric tons. The objective of the NOx Agreement is to reduce the annual NOx emissions by approximately 30,000 metric tons. Emissions from undertakings that are eligible for accession to the Agreement constitute approximately 124,000 metric tons, so that the reduction constitutes a quarter of these emissions. The Agreement applies for 2008, 2009 and 2010.


Minister of the Environment and International Development Mr Erik Solheim: Pleased about the Environmental Agreement

The Minister of the Environment and International Development Mr Erik Solheim is pleased that the industries themselves are able to come up with good solutions to reduce NOx emissions.

-The Government’s objective is to reduce NOx emissions. Nothing is better than if the industries themselves come up with good solutions in order to achieve this aim, Mr Solheim says.

- This means a breakthrough for the NOx reduction technology on a large scale. The Agreement is good for the Environment as well as for the industries responsible for NOx emissions and for the Norwegian supplier industry, states Minister Solheim.

Erik Solheim, Minister of the Environment and International Development. (Foto: Bjørn H. Stuedal)