Policy Updates

On August 18, 2025, Gunn Jorid Roset became the new Director General of the Norad, stating that in a turbulent world with other countries cutting assistance, Norwegian development assistance is more important than ever.

Roset emphasized that Norad's role is to ensure Norwegian assistance is used as effectively as possible to fight poverty and promote sustainable development, which she described as an investment in shared welfare and Norwegian interests. She highlighted Norad's work in both long-term development and humanitarian assistance, including its support for Ukraine through the Nansen Programme.

Roset brings 27 years of experience from the MFA, where she most recently served as Director of the Multilateral Department. In her new six-year term, she intends to continue Norad's close cooperation with CSOs, multilateral organizations, and the private sector.

On August 18, 2025, in response to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide announced an additional NOK1 billion (US$98 million) to help Ukraine secure gas imports through the EBRD before the upcoming winter.

The new funding, provided under the NSPU, is in addition to a NOK1 billion contribution made in March 2025. The support addresses the severe damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian attacks and is expected to secure heating and electricity for approximately one million families during the 2025-2026 winter season.

The funding will be channeled through the EBRD to the Ukrainian state-owned gas company, Naftogaz, for procuring gas from Western sources. This contribution brings Norway’s total support for Ukraine’s gas procurement to NOK4.6 billion (US$450 million) since 2022.

On August 15, 2025, the Norwegian MCE announced the NOGER Initiative, backed by a NOK8.2 billion (US$803 million) mandate from the Norwegian Parliament to support emission reductions in developing countries through the Paris Agreement's Article 6 framework.

The NOGER Initiative facilitates voluntary cooperation, or carbon trading, between countries to achieve emission targets. This mechanism is intended to help both host and buyer countries increase their climate ambitions beyond their current NDCs.

By promoting this cooperation, the initiative aims to accelerate the global green transition and mobilize private investment in green solutions. The initiative builds on Norway's long-standing experience in international climate cooperation.

On August 14, 2025, the resumed 5^th session of the INC-5.2]{title="Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee"} in Geneva, Switzerland, concluded without reaching a consensus on a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, though UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that all member states agreed to continue negotiations.

Negotiations to establish a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution concluded without an agreement. UN officials, including UNEP Executive Director Andersen and UN Secretary-General Guterres, acknowledged the outcome but emphasized that all countries remained committed to the process. The talks, which included delegates from 183 nations and representatives from over 400 CSOs faced significant differences on key issues.

The US delegation supported an agreement that allows for tailored, country-specific solutions to reduce plastic pollution while opposing prescriptive, top-down regulations. INC Chair Luis Vayas Valdivieso and INC Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp reaffirmed their dedication to moving forward and achieving a future agreement.

On July 28, 2025, Norway announced a contribution of NOK200 million (US$20 million) to support the Palestinian government in paying public employee salaries amid a severe economic crisis.

The announcement came as Norweigan Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide attended a UN conference on the two-state solution. The funds are intended to help sustain essential services such as healthcare and education. The economic crisis has been exacerbated by the war in Gaza and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, which, according to Palestinian authorities, amount to NOK28 billion (US$2.7 billion) since October 2023.

The contribution brings Norway's total support to Palestine in 2025 to more than NOK1.1 billion (US$109 million).

On July 4, 2025, GCA convened a Funders Forum at its Rotterdam headquarters to assess progress and shape the future of the AAAP, which has mobilized over US$17 billion in climate adaptation investments across Africa, intending to reach US$25 billion by the end of 2025.

The forum brought together key partners including the BMGF, UK FCDO, GIZ, NORAD, and MDBs.

The AAAP attendees reviewed an evaluation by BCG, which measured progress across key priority areas such as food security, water and nature, resilient infrastructure, and youth engagement. Participants also discussed initiatives on health, education, and urban resilience, including upcoming “People’s Adaptation Plans” in 11 African and 10 Bangladeshi cities. Over 70% of AAAP projects now incorporate gender-responsive and inclusive strategies.

On July 2, 2025, Norwegian Minister of International Development Åsmund Grøver Aukrust signed three new agreements under Norway’s Tax for Development program, committing to a total of NOK180 million (US$18 million) over three years.

The initiative aims to help developing countries strengthen their tax systems and increase domestic revenues to finance health, education, and poverty reduction. The new commitments include:

• NOK60 million (US$6 million) to the World Bank’s Global Tax Program;
• NOK60 million (US$6 million) to the ATAF; and
• NOK60 million (US$6 million) to the OECD’s tax initiatives.

Minister Aukrust emphasized that effective taxation is key to sustainable development and that these agreements support fairer global systems and national self-reliance. Since 2015, Norway has more than doubled its funding for tax-related development efforts.

On July 1, 2025, Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen confirmed a contribution of up to US$50 million to the ADB's CACF. The fund, launched in 2024 under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, is designed to:

• Accelerate emissions reduction projects in Asia and the Pacific;
• Mobilize private investment into green infrastructure; and
• Provide upfront funding and technical support to catalyze sustainable developments.

This contribution strengthens Norway’s CACF partnership with ADB and the broader NIGU. It supports Norway’s ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2030 and foster global emission cuts in line with Paris goals.

Eriksen underscored that the partnership reflects Norway’s continued leadership in climate finance, emphasizing its role in scaling private capital for climate action and advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy in LMICs.

On June 20, 2025, the Norwegian government published a white paper that showed that Norway is on track to achieve most UN SDGs by 2030, with strong progress in infrastructure, energy, education, gender equality, and effective institutions.

However, high material consumption remains a significant challenge, as Norway’s consumption levels exceed both global and European averages. The white paper reviewed Norway’s current position, highlighted key challenges, and outlined strategies to reach the SDGs. It also identified nine sub-goals that require substantial progress, largely relating to sustainability, biodiversity and climate protection, and waste reduction.

The Norwegian government’s digitalization strategy for 2024–2030, Digital Norway of the Future, is designed to accelerate green and digital transformation across all sectors, with investment in research, development, and innovation seen as vital to achieving a low-emission society. The white paper stressed the importance of broad engagement, involving citizens and all societal actors in joint efforts towards the SDGs.

On June 20, 2025, Norwegian Minister of International Development Åsmund Aukrust announced that Norway is providing NOK120million (US$12 million) in humanitarian assistance to refugees and displaced persons in Sudan, Syria, and the Sahel/Lake Chad region, channeled through various UN organizations.

NOK60million (US$6 million) will support WFP and UNHCR in Sudan and the Sahel, addressing urgent needs for protection, food, water, shelter, and healthcare amid severe displacement and hunger crises. In the Sahel, NOK30million (US$3 million) will go to the UN Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa, with half allocated to Chad, where over a million Sudanese refugees face critical conditions.

In Syria, NOK30million (US$3 million) will be distributed among WHO, UNICEF, and WFP to improve health, water, and food services, supporting both returnees and those still in need after years of conflict. Norway’s support aims to strengthen basic services and stabilize affected regions.