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Norway aims for carbon neutrality by 2030

Norway plans to become carbon neutral in 2030, 20 years earlier than previously planned, the government has announced.

The Scandinavian country's ruling Labour party and three opposition parties - the Conservatives, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals - agreed to the goal on Friday.

To cut the 50 million tons of CO2 emitted per year, the Norwegian government said it would increase spending on the development of renewable energy sources and on research into technology to store CO2 underground.

Norway aims to cut CO2 emissions by 15 to 17 million tons by 2020.

Two thirds of the emission cuts will be reduced domestically.

Further taxes on petrol, diesel, and other fuels for vehicles, are also being considered.

Norway is expected to spend three billion crowns (£467 million) per year to protect forests and cut CO2 emissions in developing countries.

Prime minister Jens Stoltenberg said the compromise deal gave Norway a "long-term climate policy that can last regardless of government".

Norway is the world's fifth-largest exporter of oil and western Europe's biggest exporter of natural gas.

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