EARTHTALK: NORWAY VERY GREEN

Norway: The Greenest Country On Earth?

January 20, 2026

By focusing on sustainability and alternative energy decades before other nations, Norway is now the world leader in all things green. Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels.com.

Dear EarthTalk: How did Norway get so far ahead of other countries when it comes to renewable energy and decarbonization, and what leading edge green tech is being developed there lately? —Joan Mayer, Vero Beach, FL

Just after the start of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, Norway strengthened existing energy relationships and founded new ones. This pursuit occurred mainly in Europe, with the Danish Prime minister noting that he “would much rather have energy from Norway than from Russia.” Norway provided a green alternative to many countries that did not want to support Russia and those that wanted to begin transitioning to green energy. With its advancements and transition to hydropower, Norway swiftly became one of the biggest suppliers of renewable energy, profiting massively off of the industry.

“As much as 98 per cent of the electricity generated in Norway comes from renewable sources. This gives us more room to focus on electrification, thereby reducing carbon emissions,” notes Lotte Loland Nordal of Statkraft AS, a hydropower company fully owned by the Norwegian government.

In the 1970s-1980s, Norway had been using oil to generate a huge source of income. Since then, they invested billions of dollars into high tech renewable energy solutions and transitioning the country to a nearly completely green energy source.

Norway mainly uses hydropower, primarily blue hydrogen, a source of renewable energy that takes the movement of water and generates energy. This energy is called blue hydrogen because it is in between grey hydrogen, which releases a lot of emissions, and green hydrogen—zero emission. During the production of blue hydrogen, some of the natural gases released are captured, but not all, meaning it does generate some pollution unlike green hydrogen. Because Norway has developed methods for carbon capture, many of these fumes have been stored in the North Sea.

But why has Norway been able to get so far ahead on clean energy? Unlike other countries, Norway has experimented with green technologies like hydrogen infrastructure for 50 years. Government initiatives have boosted this growth, including programs like Innovation Norway, which gives money to developing sectors. Along with this, their focus on digital services such as AI, increasing user satisfaction, and making an efficient government has allowed the tech in Norway to become advanced. Another factor contributing to Norways’ advancements is the sheer number of startup companies such as Oslo Science Park, which combines brilliant thinkers with valuable resources. Finally, they have strategically used the money generated by their exporting of oil to transition the country to a sustainable energy source and invest in these projects.

In Norway, leading technologies include the advancement of hydropower, wind energy, electric vehicles, carbon capture, green infrastructure, and more efficient farming practices. A specific innovation includes the use of hydrolysis technology to produce food for humans from non consumable parts of fish. Norway has also developed floating wind turbines, which give the country an edge in renewable energy.