1 Summary

Biodiversity is the foundation of our welfare

We have always lived among, with and in harmony with nature in Norway and we will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The way in which we live and use nature has an impact on biodiversity. This in turn has an impact on us. This interaction between people and biodiversity has existed for centuries, and it will continue in the foreseeable future. At the same time, society is evolving. We are developing new technologies and becoming more efficient, while new needs, opportunities and challenges are continuously emerging. One such challenge is the risk of placing too much pressure on nature without realising it, until the damage becomes difficult to reverse. The fact that life in the Oslo Fjord is endangered, that wild salmon in many rivers no longer produce a harvestable surplus, and that wild reindeer are near threatened, demonstrates that the pressure on many species and ecosystems has exceeded nature’s capacity to cope. Each individual action may be small, necessary or desirable, but unless we pay close attention, the cumulative impact may become too much for nature. This is why the Norwegian government is now proposing measures to ensure that society’s use of biodiversity stays within the limits of what biodiversity can sustain. This is essential to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and to ensure that people across the country can continue to benefit from nature and lead good lives – now and in the future.

Why a White Paper on biodiversity?

In this white paper, the Government presents Norway’s new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). Through the action plan, Norway is following up on the global targets for biodiversity set out in the global Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework (the KMGBF) agreed upon in Montreal in December 2022. The White Paper also outlines the strategic direction for Norway’s nature management and biodiversity policy in the years ahead, enabling us to address both challenges and needs. The targets, measures and policy instruments described in the report are designed to ensure that Norway manages its biodiversity in a sustainable manner. This biodiversity provides the foundation for life, nutrition, health and well-being for people, wildlife, plants, organisms and ecosystems in both the short and long term.

The KMGBF is a response to the global biodiversity crisis, driven by human activities that have degraded ecosystems worldwide. Land and sea use change, over-harvesting, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species are the main drivers of biodiversity loss. Many of the negative impacts are irreversible or extremely difficult to reverse. In Norway, land use change remains the most significant driver of biodiversity loss, even though Norway generally has better ecological integrity than many other countries.

What has Norway already done?

Compared to many other countries, Norway has already established a strong foundation for safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring its sustainable use. The Norwegian Planning and Building Act and Norway’s integrated ocean and water management plans ensures a comprehensive system for land and marine spatial planning. The Norwegian Nature Diversity Act, together with a range of other laws and regulations, applies across sectors and industries. Norway also has two previous NBSAPs, which have contributed to continuity and long-term commitment in Norway’s biodiversity efforts. This White Paper builds on the most recent action plan as presented in the last white paper Nature for Life from 2016.

The Government’s policy

Nature provides a wide range of services that are crucial to our welfare and to the functioning of society. Nature both provides the basis for direct economic activity and provides vital ecosystem services. Long-term and sustainable management of nature is necessary to ensure that we can continue to benefit from these services in the future. In rural areas, where many industries are directly dependent on natural resources, sustainable use and sound management are critical to local economies, employment and thriving communities. The Government emphasises that the NBSAP shall contribute to both the sustainable use and the conservation of nature. The White Paper outlines how different sectors can support sustainable use while also minimising negative impacts on biodiversity. The purpose of the White Paper is not to list every measure being taken to safeguard biodiversity or to provide all the answers, but to set a new direction for future efforts on the sustainable use and conservation of nature. In its future biodiversity and nature management policies, the Government will place particular emphasis on:

• Regular Reviews

• New tools and measures for improved nature management, including:

  • Nature accounting

  • Menus of Measures for ecosystems

  • Targets to reduce the number of development projects that contribute to loss of areas of especially high ecological integrity

  • Principles for sustainable spatial management

The Government also highlights the importance of integrating biodiversity and climate efforts. This white paper presents Norway’s National Targets aligned with the each of the global targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Regular reviews

The sustainable management of nature should be grounded in knowledge about the state of ecosystems, the overall impact of human activity, and the benefits derived from such activity. Every four years the Government will provide an overview on the state of biodiversity, the implementation of targets, and measures implemented from the Norwegian action plan for biodiversity to the Parliament. This will be based, among other things, on the processes established for the «Menu of Measures» and «Nature accounting». This will be based, among other things, on the processes established for the Menu of Measures and Nature accounting. With this approach, the Government is moving closer to integrating climate and biodiversity in all policy development.

Nature accounting

Norway has lacked a comprehensive overview of the value of natural assets and the pressures placed on them. The Government is addressing this issue by establishing national Nature accounting, that will provide systematic and regularly updated knowledge on the state of different ecosystems and their services.

Menus of Measures for ecosystems

To maintain an overview of the overall impact on ecosystems, the Government will develop ecosystem-specific Menus of Measures. These will identify actions that support the maintenance of diverse ecosystems with good ecological status, enabling society to meet its needs, while ensuring resilient ecosystems that remain within their ecological limits. The Government will start by presenting a Menu of Measures for forests.

Integrated and sustainable land and ocean management

Land use change can result in the loss of ecosystem services, threaten species or contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Nature serves as a carbon sink and can help society both mitigate and adapt to climate change. By 2030, the Government will take steps to reduce development projects that contribute to loss areas of especially high ecological integrity and, by 2050, to limit the net loss of such areas to a minimum. The implementation of the target will ensure an approach that secures participatory, integrated and biodiversity inclusive spatial planning, respecting local governance and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. In order to achieve the target, the Government is also highlighting principles that will contribute to less land-intense and more sustainable land management going forward.

Local authorities are key stakeholders

Norway is a long and geographically diverse country, with large and small towns, agricultural land and outfields, mountains and forests, coastlines, and vast ocean areas. Norway is also a country with a dispersed population where local authorities are responsible for much of the development — both in society and in relation to nature. Local authorities play a key role in achieving biodiversity targets. They possess the best local knowledge and understanding of community needs. At the same time, they carry broad responsibilities across many sectors. The Government aims to provide municipalities with improved tools and opportunities to make sound, long-term decisions that safeguard both biodiversity and societal needs.

National targets

This NBSAP presents Norway’s National targets to the 23 global targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. These global targets are to be achieved through collective efforts by all countries. Some of the targets align with actions and initiatives that Norway has already implemented. For these, the Government intends to continue the good practices and systems that have already been established. For other targets, the Government is setting a new direction for the work to preserve and sustainably use biodiversity.

Among other things, the Government is setting a goal to clarify the extent of degraded land and to increase efforts towards restoration of such areas. Restoration is one of several tools to improve the ecological status of ecosystems. It allows us to address past degradation and build more resilient nature.

To ensure habitats for species and to preserve nature for future generations, some natural areas must be protected — through conservation and other effective area-based measures. Target 3 in the Kunming-Montreal Framework concerns the conservation of 30 per cent of land, waters and seas by 2030. Norway has already made significant progress, including the establishment of 48 national parks — 41 on the mainland and 7 on Svalbard. The Government therefore proposes that the national target 3 for Norway will be to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of the Norwegian terrestrial areas, including Svalbard and Jan Mayen, by 2030. This includes both conservation and other effective area-based conservation measures. Norway will consider the modalities of a national target for protection and other effective area-based conservation measures relating to sea areas under Norwegian jurisdiction.

Climate and biodiversity

A fundamental premise for the government’s approach is the recognition that the climate and biodiversity crises are interconnected. The proposals in this NBSAP aim, as far as possible, to integrate both climate and biodiversity considerations into decision-making processes. Measures under all 23 targets can contribute to a development that conserves biodiversity, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and strengthens the resilience of both society and nature to climate change. However, there may be situations where climate and biodiversity objectives are in conflict. This may apply, for example, to the development of renewable energy and its associated infrastructure, or to the extraction of minerals and the establishment of industries that are important for the green transition — all of which require terrestrial and marine resources. These issues are addressed in this White Paper, but The Government emphasises that trade-offs between climate and biodiversity must be continuously assessed and balanced as part of the broader policy-making process of any government.